There's More To Our Mural Than Meets the Eye

There's More To Our Mural Than Meets The Eye

When Joan Jacobs passed away last spring, the GLCPS community and like-minded people from around the country - indeed, the world - who knew of the legacy she’d left behind, were saddened.  The GLCPS community wanted to do something to honor her contributions to music, art, technology and especially to young people.

GLCPS Executive Director Mr. Furtado, Jr. proposed to her husband, Dr. Irwin Jacobs, that GLCPS would commission a mural to be painted on the front of the Joan and Irwin Jacobs STEAM Center for Education that would represent Mrs. Jacobs’ love of the arts, of music, of nature, and education. The Jacobs family has done much for our school: from providing Chromebooks and laptops for each student and teacher, to funding the Think-A-Bit lab and part of the renovation for our new STEAM building. “What they have done for our school is truly unforgettable, so we wanted to do something to honor them both,” said Mr. Furtado.

Mr. Furtado sought the assistance of the New Bedford art community through the New Bedford Creative Consortium which oversees the execution of the city’s strategic arts and culture plan.   Working with New Bedford Creative and DATMA (MAssachusetts Design, Art and Technology Institute), a small GLCPS committee chose “the best person eligible for the job.” That person was nationally acclaimed muralist Sophy Tuttle. “Sophy is really passionate about nature and national parks, of which Mrs. Jacobs was also passionate and shared that passion with her children and grandchildren.” He then went on to explain the significance behind the symbols on the mural. 

When considering what would best represent Joan Jacobs, the GLCPS committee wanted to include things that she was passionate about and that had some significance to her life. At the top of the mural there are California poppies as a nod to the West Coast, where the Jacobs family made San Diego their home. The circuit board that flows throughout the mural symbolizes the Jacobs’ involvement with technology, since that was one of the areas they supported through philanthropy and Mr. Jacobs’ work. Above all, Joan loved the arts, hence the musical notes and treble clef. For example, the family donated millions of dollars to the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. The humpback whale was added as a nod to their song, but also as a metaphor for how they travel in pods, as a family. The Jacobs family-supported each other no matter where they were, much as the GLCPS family supports one another. 

The Jacobs family has persevered through these challenging times, but they have shined a beautiful light on Joan and what she represented here, across the country, and around the world. Not only is this mural important to honor Mrs. Jacobs legacy and all she has done for so many but it brings our community together and provides beauty to our surroundings. 

Emma Moniz is a senior at GLCPS. As part of her senior internship program, she is writing news articles for and about the GLCPS community.