Although June seems far away from gloomy, cold February, students are starting to prepare for what has become an annual event: the unveiling of a mural in Rye Town Park to mark the local Pride Celebration.
The mural will debut on May 31 and reflect a new theme, which will remain a mystery until then. It’s the fifth anniversary of pRYEde, Rye’s organization supporting the LGBTQ+ community, and many are wondering what this year’s theme is going to be. Past mural themes have included “Love is Love,” “Change Makers,” and “Kindness.”
The project, spearheaded by two co-founders of pRYEde, Alison Relyea and Amanda Timchak, brings together GSA students from Rye and surrounding towns to collaborate on the mural’s creation. According to Timchak, 20 kids have already registered for the event, and she is “assuming we will get closer to 30.” This year, The Rye YMCA is offering to bus students who live outside Rye but want to participate to The Rye Arts Center, opening up the opportunity to many voices.
Timchak said, “I love how the mural brings together so many students who otherwise might not meet, and then gives them a platform to share a powerful message of their choosing with their communities.”
The mural project was born in 2021 after pRYEde’s formation the year before. According to the founders of pRYEde, the goal was to spread awareness for LGBTQ+ residents in the community, and for its message to spread beyond the city of Rye.
The majority of students who participate are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. The president of the GSA club at Rye High School, Rebekah Golub, said, “The pRYEde Mural allows for LGBTQ+ students at Rye to connect with their peers in neighboring towns. It is an amazing opportunity to not only branch out, but spread acceptance in our community.”
According to Timchak, pRYEde also offers “private painting sessions to families of LGBTQ+ students” which invites siblings and parents who are allies as well.
This year, the mural will stand four feet by 16 feet and will be painted on plywood, donated by Paul Fontana, a local contractor and builder. ArtsWestchester is “providing matched fundraising for donations up to $1500,” Timchak said. To cover the rest of the mural, pRYEde uses the proceeds from selling rainbow yard flags as well as direct donations.
Art director Donna Wundeler, a middle school art teacher in Queens and Rye resident, oversees the project. She is a paid consultant and typically begins by meeting with students to brainstorm ideas about the theme and what the mural should look like. She will then develop a final sketch which students eventually paint.
“I’m always so impressed with the insight of our young participants,” she said. “Their inner strength, compassion, and raw talent, are not only inspirational for me as an artist, but also give me hope for a future of equity for all individuals.”
The painting takes place over a two- to three-week period. Students can sign up for as many sessions as they want. Local residents have offered up their garages for past painting sessions, but this year the Rye Arts Center has donated space for the artists.
According to Relyea, Rye Town Park director Russ Gold was “very supportive from our first meeting in March 2021,” so pRYEde decided the gate in the park directly bordering the water would be a perfect place to display the mural because it would allow county residents to encounter the mural and for pRYEde to reach its goal of spreading awareness.
Rye City Council member and Friends of Rye Town Park board member Jamie Jensen said, “When I walk by it, I’m always reminded of the collaboration among communities that created this work, and it is miraculous.”
When pride month ends, the mural is donated to a local organization. The “Be Kind” mural hangs in the Rye High School cafeteria while last year’s mural found a home at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Rye Brook.
“Public art brightens community spaces and allows students’ creativity to shine through. I am eager to see how this year’s mural unfolds,” said Relyea.
PRYEde is still seeking more students to be involved, so register now at www.pRYEde.org and check in with your local GSA club for more information.
