"At first glance, the mural's scale and subject matter feel larger than life, but Perry's intention was to highlight something closer to home. "Even in a small rural town, you're not insulated from the immense forces that shape the world," he explained. History happens, economies fluctuate, conflicts erupt, and natural phenomena reshape the planet, all regardless of whether we're paying attention."
"The portraits of local teachers surrounding the mural act as a counterweight to these uncontrollable forces. Perry frames educators as symbols of resilience, people who show up daily to bring order, meaning, and stability in the face of uncertainty. The inclusion of his own mother, a retired educator dressed in a red floral garment, adds a personal touch that grounds the work in familial and community ties."
"For Perry, teachers embody the quiet persistence of human effort. "Day after day, people find purpose. They wake up early, show up with intention, and try to make sense of things-not just for themselves, but also for others. Teachers do this every day," he said. The act may be repetitive, often undervalued, and rarely rewarded with recognition or pay, but it carries profound significance."
A mural in Princeton, Wisconsin titled 27 Schoolteachers and a Volcano pairs a sweeping landscape—snow-capped mountains and a central volcano—with portraits of local educators arrayed above and below. The work highlights how global forces—history, economic shifts, conflicts, and natural phenomena—intersect with daily life in a small rural community. The portraits frame teachers as symbols of resilience who bring order, meaning, and stability through routine labor. Inclusion of a retired local teacher adds familial and communal grounding. The piece honors undervalued, repetitive educational labor and presents teaching as a purposeful, defiant response to overwhelming or indifferent conditions.
Read at stupidDOPE | Est. 2008
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]