Tobin Montessori & Vassal Lane Upper Schools Project- 3 artists

3 mosaics, 2025, Tobin Montessori & Vassal Lane Upper Schools Project, Cambridge MA

You Belong Here ©Ekua Holmes 2025, hand-glazed ceramic tile and Byzantine glass smalti, 10’2″x 43’7.75″

Ekua Holmes created “You Belong Here” to be a warm and welcoming presence in the school. The mural greets students each day as they arrive from the bus, a moment she imagined as full of energy, emotion, and possibility. She wanted the artwork to be something everyone could connect with, a reminder that they are seen, valued, and part of this community.

Tranquility ©Andromeda Lisle 2025, Byzantine glass smalti, 10’2″x 31’3″

“Tranquility” features a humpback whale and calf swimming side by side, honoring the nurturing relationship between caregivers and children. The adult whale represents faculty and staff, while the calf represents students. Flowing shapes and patterns within the whales resemble cells and natural forms, blending science, spirituality, and Indigenous storytelling. Circular motifs throughout the design symbolize life cycles and the interconnection between humans, animals, and nature.

https://catemcquaid.substack.com/p/flowing-popping-stopping

Worlds Stir In The Tender Shoots Of Memory ©Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya 2025, hand-glazed ceramic tile, 10’2″x 12’11” and 8’8″x 20’3″

Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya developed “Worlds Stir in the Tender Shoots of Memory” through conversations with students at Darby Vassall Upper School. During these discussions, students shared stories about important relationships with parents, grandparents, aunts, and other loved ones. Their reflections helped shape Amanda’s design, which weaves together student memories with symbols from nature, mythology, and family traditions.

Celebrating Cambridge’s Commitment to Public Art

“Thanks to years of effort and the collaboration of many, these works illustrate the power of art to create beauty, to remember, to connect, to move, and to inspire,” said Diana Smith, member of the Cambridge Public Art Commission.

“Congratulations especially to the artists, and to Mosaika, who are, in their own ways, healers in this broken world.”

The mosaic murals represent Cambridge’s long-standing commitment to integrating exceptional public art into community spaces. They also highlight the city’s collaborative process, bringing together artists, students, educators, and neighbors in shared creativity. Through classroom workshops and conversations during design development, students learned directly from the artists’ practices and contributed their own ideas and stories, shaping the spirit of the final works.

Now permanent fixtures within the Tobin Montessori and Darby Vassall Upper Schools and Community Complex, these murals enrich the daily experience of everyone who passes through, students, educators, and visitors alike. Together, they reflect Cambridge’s ongoing dedication to commissioning public art that is thoughtfully integrated into its setting, enhances the character of each site, and creates lasting, meaningful experiences for the community.