Excerpt from the press release

What can you do with a wall that was constantly abused, punched, kicked and vandalized with swear words? At the Trotter Elementary School in Dorchester, MA, a group of faculty members and staff (Matt Stahl, Lynne Robbins, and Amy) decided not to simply repaint the wall again. Instead, they hired an artist, Bren Bataclan of the Smile Boston Project, to paint a mural. The goal of the project is to go beyond beautifying the wall and preventing the students from abusing it. The larger vision was to encourage the kids to read more and to constantly remind them about the power of "smiling" and kindnessÑthe message behind BrenÕs street art project.

Bren collaborated closely with the students. Prior to painting the mural, Matt Stahl asked the kids to interpret the quote, "Books plant seeds that grow into a garden in your imagination" through words and drawings. Bren used the childrenÕs short essays and illustrations as a starting point for the overall look and feel of the muralÕs layout. Bren then asked the students to help him design the more than 30 characters that are now part of the mural. This enabled the students to feel that they are a part of the project.