July 5-10, 2021
Studio 39, Annapolis, MD

Future History Now worked with students in the Performing & Visual Arts (PVA) magnet program at Studio 39 to paint a vibrant ground mural on a basketball court highlighting the significance of the voices of today’s youth. It makes reference to activism, creativity, contemplation, enjoyment, diversity, inclusivity, nature, peace, and love. The message of love is meant to be a beacon for PVA students and the community surrounding this portion of the Poplar Trail adjacent to Studio 39. City of Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley advocated for the project in the hopes that a mural will serve as a component to enhance the city’s focus on the arts.

The three figures depicted are (L-R): Xiye Bastida, a Mexican-Chilean climate activist and member of the indigenous Mexican Otomi-Toltec nation; Rahul Negi, one of forty students at the Himalayan English School in Ghansali, India, with whom FHN collaborated on a Ganges River-themed mural; and Amanda Gorman, an American poet and activist who was the first to be named National Youth Poet Laureate.

The design was a collaborative effort between Jahru and The Artist Oliver James.

photos 1,2,4,5 by David Kauffman

photos 3, 18, 19 by The Artist Oliver James

photos 6-17 by Eliza Macaluso

photo 20 and drone footage by Jack Turner

video edited by The Artist Oliver James