STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 An expansive, mixed-media mural has been installed at a new Staten Island school campus.<\/p>\n
The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the city School Construction Authority, has announced a new artwork commission \u2014 \u201cOde to the Wild,\u201d by artist Jessica Maffia.<\/p>\n
The artwork is a unique, permanent installation created specifically for The Janice Blanchard Community Campus in Travis, which is home to PS\/I.S. 26 and Staten Island Rise Academy. The new building opened to students for the first time in September.<\/p>\n
In line with Public Art for Public School\u2019s mission, \u201cOde to the Wild\u201d seeks to create welcoming, inspiring experiences for students, families, faculty, and community members.<\/p>\n
The mural celebrates the history and ecology of Main Creek, a vital natural habitat that lies to the east of the school. To create the artwork, Maffia researched \u201cDays Afield on Staten Island,\u201d a 1892 memoir by naturalist and entomologist William T. Davis, the namesake of the nearby wildlife refuge that is home to Main Creek.<\/p>\n
![\"Mural\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/EQEZYWW4RVDQHITCMS5I2LGGYQ.jpg\"\/)
The mural was inspired by Main Creek on Staten Island.(Courtesy of Eugene Gologursky)<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2019Ode to the Wild\u2019 is a shining example of how art can connect students to the world around them,\u201d said President and CEO of the NYC School Construction Authority Nina Kubota. \u201cJessica Maffia\u2019s breathtaking use of upcycled materials not only celebrates Staten Island\u2019s natural treasures but also inspires our students to see the beauty, history, and responsibility within their own school and communities. At SCA, we are proud to create spaces where learning and creativity go hand in hand, fostering curiosity and care for the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the mural, Main Creek stretches across panels made of birch wood, and dotting the composition are round portholes of varying sizes, which contain colorful collages composed of repurposed, patterned fabrics.<\/p>\n
\u201cNoticing can lead to wonder, wonder can lead to care, care can lead to protection,\u201d said Maffia. \u201cWe are all part of the same ecosystem. May we work together to care for and protect our more-than-human kin.\u201d<\/p>\n
The artwork was commissioned by the Department of Cultural Affairs\u2019 Percent for Art program, in collaboration with the School Construction Authority\u2019s Public Art for Public Schools, and the city Department of Education. It joins more than 2,000 artworks in public schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith \u2018Ode to the Wild,\u2019 Jessica Maffia has created a living tribute to Staten Island\u2019s natural beauty,\u201d said NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. \u201cThrough our Percent for Art program, we\u2019re proud to bring artwork into schools that sparks imagination and deepens our connection to the world around us. By using reclaimed and repurposed materials, this piece shows how creativity and environmental care go hand in hand, reminding us that every student is a steward of our city\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n
The artwork was fabricated and installed by LEERFORM. Additional expertise was provided by project architects Mitchell Giurgola Architects, in conjunction with the School Construction Authority\u2019s Architecture and Engineering team.<\/p>\n
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Do you have a story idea for the In Class education column? Email education reporter Annalise Knudson at aknudson@siadvance.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"IN CLASS: This feature is part of an ongoing education column highlighting the various activities that engage school…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26672,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-26671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26671\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}