Children's Room Mural

Following the Library Renovation of 2020-2021, the Library Trustees began looking for ways to make the Children's Room more welcoming for our younger library visitors.   The idea the Library Trustees finally landed on was to have a mural created.  In November of 2021, a muralist was selected to create a mural for the Children's Room.  The artist, Ciara Smith, a senior at Masconomet Regional High School, shared her inspiration for the mural in her Mural Artist Statement.  Her statement is attached below.  Ciara started work on the mural on April 11, 2022.  She completed her work on the mural before the end of May, 2022.

A time-lapse video captured her work from base sketch to final brush stroke.  This is a link to the time lapse video.  Thank you to the staff at BCAT TV for their assistance with the video.

Final Concept Drawing:

Ciara Smith's Artist's Statement

     When I heard the library was looking for someone to paint a mural in the children’s room, I was ecstatic. I remember my time as a kid in the old library across from the Boxford Community Store: the summer reading challenges, the giant Clifford stuffed animal, and of course the books. I always had fun there, so for me to have the chance to add some of my own imagination to the new children’s room is an honor.

     During the beginning of quarantine in April of 2020, I began painting my walls and doors, much to my parents’ surprise (they were ok with it in the end I promise). It gave me something to do to pass the time, and I was able to learn a new skill. I painted the back of my door, my closet doors, and a big chunk of one of my walls, before my mom finally gave me a limit to how much surface area I could cover in my room. I’m extremely thankful that both of my parents let me explore this new art form for a bit, because now I can use what I learned in mural painting for a much bigger public setting.

     When creating and deciding upon the final design, I had two main ideas. The first mural concept I created was an appreciation of Boxford’s beautiful outdoors, including kids reading in farmlands and woodland environments. The second concept I made was purely fantasy, with different mythical creatures interacting and reading with kids. I loved both of the ideas, so I was thrilled when the trustees said that they wanted a bit of both in the final design.

     The left side of the mural is where the fantasy creatures reside. Then on the right is where the farms and woods of Boxford are. I find it cool that as you go into the tighter parts of the library where the shelves almost touch the ceiling it will feel like you’re walking into the woods yourself. In the middle I added books to work with the room’s architecture and to help fill in awkward spaces. Intertwined among the books are elements of both nature and fantasy, representing how reading is a way to learn about and explore both reality and imagination.

     I'm happy I can be a part of the kids’ learning journey. I plan to give them a mural that sparks creativity and interest in reading. My hope is this mural will help make the new library just as special as the older one was for me.

Ciara Smith,
Masconomet Regional High School
Class of 2022