“We may sit in our library, and yet be in all quarters of
the earth"   Sir John Lubbock

Given this quote, the senior commercial art majors of the Red Bank Regional (RBR) Visual & Performing Arts Academy created a giant lasting visual legacy that all visitors to the RBR media center can ponder. Within the blank pages of a book supporting the earth, emblazoned with the quote, the girls --Jade Saybolt, Shrewsbury, Tatjana Farley, Neptune City, and Emily Stafford, Kelly McAdam, Terrill Warrenburg, Beth Keenan (all from Little Silver)-- signed their handiwork. Some of their depicted images include the Roman Coliseum, the Egyptian Pyramids, Russian Matryoshka dolls, the Great Wall of China, Eiffel tower and Lubbock’s Big Ben. Observers are challenged to find RBR’s own Buccaneer mascot hiding within the design.

A second mural became an abstract floral image interweaving the quote, “If we do not plant knowledge when young, it will give us no shade when we are old,” by Lord Chesterfield. 

RBR’s Media Center Specialist Kathy Smith felt the commercial art majors wonderfully interpreted the meaning of the quotes, stating, “They really did a good job of capturing what the media center has come to embody, especially with technology and access to all corners of the world.” She added, “I can’t tell you how excited I am to have these two murals. They will really beautiful the space.”

The larger mural will become the focal point of the commanding two- story room and will be visible upon entrance to the media center. The second piece will rest like a crown over the Mac lab, recently donated by the RBR Education Foundation.

RBR’s commercial art teacher Claudia O’Connor began the tradition of assigning her students’ senior project as lasting murals which decorate and depict their
school. Students work individually to create their own artistic interpretation of the quote, then combine their best efforts in a team exercise to create the finished product. The Class of 2012 contributed number nine and 10 of giant murals which are located throughout the building in the departments and subject areas they represent.

Claudia O’Connor comments, “It is our goal each year to continue to tell a visual story upon our schools walls of the wonderful learning and creativity that takes
place within our school walls.”