PS 76 & SAFE in Harlem: Dream On

Artist Peach Tao brings “Dream On” to PS 76 in collaboration with our longtime partners PILLARS / S.A.F.E. in Harlem. This project was painted on two canvases so the students’ work can live on after PS 76 closes this summer.

Peach worked with students and SAFE in Harlem staff led by Anaiyah Smith to develop the design. Anaiyah previously worked on our first mural collaboration with SAFE in Harlem while a student at Harlem Village Academies High School, and this spring we celebrated her first Masters Degree!

The mural theme interpreted the school’s core values of excel, excite, and explore. Students drew things they are good at, that they like, and that they want to improve on (excel/excite/explore). Many answers that students gave stood out. One was from a particular student who said she was good at “sharing and building.” This became the basis of the design.

From the left, we see students in the train, one of them weaving out of the rest of the train. We see some are reading / writing. One future doctor and then the hair of a girl who’s singing flows out into musical lines. There’s a student who likes to go to school. Inside the hands, we see an artist painting the fireworks, and someone is on the roof enjoying the clouds.

On the right, we see the tiger claw holding up a book, and on the cover, we see two students in graduation gowns. Holding out a diploma. Signaling their successful student career.

Inside the musical lines down below, we see a scientist, and various sports can be seen, especially lacrosse. The balloons are all kinds of ball games, including a prominent basketball and soccer one.

Thrive Collective proudly supports arts and mentoring throughout Harlem since 2015, with scores of murals; our flagship studio arts programs at Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub; our flagship mentoring program at Harlem Village Academies High School; our first RHYME song “Turn Up the Value,” and much more.