Staff Report / August 17, 2025
The Rockwell Museum has once again partnered with Corning-Painted Post High School students and a Rochester-based artist to bring new life to the city through the 17th Alley Art Project.
The mural is currently taking shape at the corner of Bridge and W. Williams Streets, blending student creativity with professional guidance to produce a one-of-a-kind piece in the Crystal City.
“Art is within all of us and when you have the environment and a comfortable space and then again working with professional artists to help harness those skills, it allows students to really fully dive into the art making materials and give them the sort of foundation for creating art,” explained Amy Ruza, Youth and Visitor Engagement Educator at the Rockwell Museum.
Muralist and art educator Shawnee Hill traveled from Rochester to collaborate on the project. She sees the experience as both a teaching opportunity and a way to give back. “This is the second time that I’ve worked with a museum institution teaching students my mural process and working with them, and absolutely it feels like it’s paying for it because I want to be able to share the skills that I’ve learned, so that way it’s a little easier for the people that come after,” Hill said.
Students also view the effort as a chance to leave a lasting impression on their community. Design classes held in the spring helped shape the project’s concept, incorporating maps and artificial grass in the style of Baker. For many, the final product represents more than just a mural.
“It’s a really awesome experience because I think art is a very important thing to Corning and I think that the murals all around town are very special in their own ways, and it feels awesome contributing to the art that’s in this town,” said student Luna Wienczek.
The mural will be completed next Thursday, August 21st, with a ribbon cutting scheduled at 5:00 p.m. at the corner of Bridge and W. Williams Streets.
