A Champion Community by Lauren Hoffman
My inspiration from Aminah Robinson
A Champion Community is a mural inspired by the work of Aminah Robinson. Robinson was an artist local to the King-Lincoln neighborhood. A Champion Community is a mural about Champion Intergenerational Center that resembles Robinson’s style, composition, and messaging.
In this application, the mural is built into a sign that is installed in the preschooler’s playground. There is a front and back of the mural so it can be viewed by the older adults, preschoolers, and passersby. It can function as a pseudo volleyball net for kids to throw balls back and forth over.
The bright colors of the mural match the colors of the playground equipment and add whimsy to the playground space. Imagery on the mural include kids and older adults playing and smiling, teachers, staff, natural elements, and the Champion sign that stands in front of the facility.
Preschool curriculum can revolve around Aminah Robinson and A Champion Community. An uncolored version of the mural can be printed and used as a coloring page for the older adults and preschoolers. This also gives teachers the opportunity to discuss the culture of Champion, the history of the King-Lincoln neighborhood, and Aminah Robinson’s artistic influcence. Kids may be encouraged to draw their own mural in Aminah Robinson’s style and consider what their neighborhood means to them. This follows in suit with Aminah Robinson’s goal of raising discussion of community in her work.
