To showcase the work of student artists in Newton, we bring you SHINE! Our artists were selected to paint mural boards reflecting this year’s SHINE theme “Future Visions”.

These murals will be displayed in public gathering places around our City throughout the summer.

Read the below to learn about our artists’ visions for the future and find out where you can see their work installed.

Note: Murals headed for the Newton Centre Plaza will be installed in late June. In addition to the below, you can see SHINE murals from 2023 and 2024 at the following locations: Weeks Field fence on Paul Street, Hamilton Field in Lower Falls at the tennis court, Upper Falls at the new Splash Pad, Pellegrini Park at the basketball court, Newton Centre Bowl, Newton Centre Playground, Hyde Center Field, and Levingston Cove at Crystal Lake.

Her Future by Ana Senoo, Carmen Matos, and Chloe Goldhaber, Grade 11 Newton North HS

Location: Newton Centre Plaza

“As juniors in high school, we are constantly thinking about our future and the next steps of our lives. For our mural, we wanted to capture the child-like wonder and imagination of futures, when we were allowed to have outlandish dreams of being princesses or even a unicorn. So, we chose to depict our younger selves looking into the mirror of our old dreams, seeing visions of our futures.”

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Lifted by Love by Beckett Childs, Grade 7 Brown Middle School

Location: Newton Centre Plaza

“When I started this project, I was thinking about how I would like Newton to feel in the future and things that are important to me—like diversity and the arts and nature.” 

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Hats off to a Full Future by Del Jain, Grade 10 Newton North HS

Location: Newton Centre Plaza

“Three girls, ready to graduate and see what the world holds for them, show their futures on the backs of their graduation caps.”

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The Sun’s Eye by Ell Genier, Grade 9 Newton North HS

Location: Newton Centre Plaza

“I chose to paint this mural from the theme ‘future visions’ because when I read the word vision, I knew I had to draw an eye. I have had this idea of a piece for a long time, and I thought this was the perfect time to bring it to fruition with the SHINE program.”

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A Taste of Unity by Jayden Zheng, Grade 6 Bigelow Middle School

Location: Newton Centre Plaza

“In my artwork, I aim that my drawing will show how important embracing openness and reducing racism is, not just in Newton, but globally. I hope to inspire others to recognize that exploring different cultures can develop greater understanding and empathy and promote a more open world.”

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Mural by Jordan Andrews, Grade 11 Newton North HS

Location: Burr Park, Newton Corner 

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Old roots, New eyes: Geared up for a bright future! by Juliet Grenzke, Grade 6 Brimmer & May School

Location: Newton Centre Plaza

“I think Newton is special because it is a city with lots of innovation and also with an appreciation for its green spaces and nature. I painted eyes made of gears, to represent the technological innovation of Newton. I painted those eyes within the natural world, looking out for it. I tried to make the flowers bright on the front and use fun colors, because I think Newton's future is very bright!”

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Eye of Unity by Lucy Hurwitz, Grade 9 Newton South HS

Location: Levingston Cove at Crystal Lake

“When I thought about the theme “Future Vision,” it made me think of an eye. The eye in my mural represents looking forward into a future where we all can connect and work together to create a welcoming and accepting environment. Each segment represents a value of the community and a goal of cooperation in the future. The bright colors all tie together in the iris to show the diverse community Newton has and how it should be celebrated.”

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Better Together by Meitiv Rosen, Grade 8 Day Middle School

Location: Newton Centre Plaza

“This mural represents the diverse backgrounds of the people who live in Newton and how we all come together to form the community we know.”

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The Reawakening by Ramona Hu, Grade 6 Day Middle School

Location: Newton Centre Plaza

“My art piece shows what the future could be because as time goes on, science and technology grow stronger. I showed this by painting a future where science is so powerful that it can bring back creatures from long ago. New plants might also be discovered, so in my future, there are trees big enough to hold houses in them. That is the future that I painted.”

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Community Mural by Artist Jill Straight, with help from all our SHINE artists and the Newton Community at Family FunFEST 2025!

Location: Newton City Hall front

Our vision at Newton Cultural Development: We hope to engage the community with public art, knowing that art is transformative and the more art, the brighter our shared future!