The clients for this ambitious mural, Hamilton Grange Middle School and PS 192, wanted a sweeping statement to match the grand scale of a wall that dominates the Jacob Schiff School Campus. The far left of the mural features portraits of Alexander Hamilton, and Jacob Schiff, who founded and endowed the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, which once stood at this location. Samples of traditional patterns from around the world represent the diversity of the neighborhood, while the schematic of the organic chemical oxytocin, sometimes known as the “love hormone” because it is released when people bond socially, offers a message of unity. A child reaching for a bright star represents growth and the ability to overcome obstacles. Themes of diversity and perseverance are echoed in the image of a Rufous Hummingbird, which proportional to its size, makes one of the longest migrations any bird, breeding as far north as Alaska and wintering in Central America. Images of climbing vines, flowering plants, bees, and hon
