Before I had kids, I worked in downtown Rock Hill. That was 7 years ago and, while we've (obviously) hung out downtown I don't know how much time I've spent just walking around with the kids. We usually have a destination in mind. So, when we had a day off from school, we decided to make it a walking tour through downtown - check on the progress of the Main Street Children's Museum (so excited to see what's in store there!), and our motivation was looking at all of the great murals!
We used them as art lessons for our continued education. Here are some ideas for how you can incorporate them into your lesson planning at home or just discussion points for you to have with your kiddos!
Arts Council of York County has the most vibrant colored window surroundings and facade. Located on the "back side" (the parking lot side) this building is bold and unique with its Art Deco style, while the "front side" maintains the same look and feel of Mainstreet Rock Hill. While we compared the opposites we talked about words like "juxtaposition" and what it means to "preserve" the historical nature of Main Street. Obviously, kiddo loved the colors and we talked about how it's fun to play with bold colors.
Freedom Walkway celebrates the efforts of the people of Rock Hill and the entire United States of America to achieve the promise of Liberty and Justice for All. It is dedicated as a reminder to every citizen of this community and our nation that we are guaranteed the rights and freedoms that are the foundations of the American constitutional system. The lessons here are plentiful, from the actual mural on the wall to the tiling on the ground. We were able to talk about history and how art is one of the best story-tellers.
Dreamer by Darien Flemming was absolutely one of our favorites to see and talk about. Our photo had a HUGE shadow in it, so I credit this one to visityorkcounty.org. Flemmings's vision was to encourage children to never stop dreaming and it was a perfect launchpad for a discussion about my son's vision for a perfect world - which of course included lots of animals and all the snacks!
Warehouses on White were a fun stop for us - not only was the mural by Osiris Rain on the building beautiful and eye-popping, but it shows inclusivity that is so representative of Rock Hill. My son loved the colors and how Rain was able to embed the words "Rock Hill" into the art so seamlessly. And, equally as impressive is the street painting "No Room For Racism" featuring the faces of the Friendship 9. You'll want to take caution with the street painting - as there may be traffic. For that reason, we thank the Rock Hill Drone Guy for this image.
Las Americas Supermarket was the last stop on our mural tour. Artist Alex DeLarge painted a series of iconic Mexicans on the wall of the market including Frida Kahlo, an artist we went home to explore further.
On our way home we stopped off at Crossings on Main in downtown Fort Mill and took a few photos of the "Love Where You Live" interactive Mural for good measure. And its message couldn't be truer: we do love where we live!
