The school mural at Alleghany JAM House weaves together three elements. The region’s landscape, traditional music, and community.
Painting the school mural at Alleghany JAM was truly a community effort. Watching the video, you can see the many hands that came together to bring it together.
Students, Arts Council members, JAM Board Members, community members, and yours truly!
Elements of the school mural at Alleghany JAM
The Appalachian landscape. The mural begins with the beautiful Appalachian landscape of Alleghany County. The Blue Ridge Parkway is just a stone’s throw away!
Instruments of the region’s traditional old-time music. The mission of Alleghany JAM is to keep old-time music alive, by providing lessons to the area’s youth along with community coffeehouse jams. This instrument design was inspired by the JAM logo designed by Kate Irwin.
Tribute to JAM’s founder. Finally, the school mural weaves in a tribute to JAM founder, Helen White. Helen sadly passed just days before our arrival. Helen shows us all the impact one person can have on the lives of many.
About Alleghany JAM
Alleghany JAM is an after-school program for children in Alleghany County, North Carolina. It gives children lessons and immersion in the old-time music of the region.
Alleghany JAM was our gracious host, allowing us to park the bus for over a week!
Alleghany Arts Council
Our time in Sparta, NC was truly special. Our welcome was second to none, the hospitality and kindness so humbling and inspiring.
The Alleghany Arts Council was our family, working tirelessly to arrange logistics, paint for days on end, and make us feel so beautifully at home.
The Arts Council sponsored the paint for this mural, and the council made a generous $1000 dollar donation to the Art We There Yet project just before our departure from Sparta. A true pay-it-forward, these funds allowed us to bring more free murals and free workshops to communities down the road.