By Aya Goldwasser, Banner Staff

If you have walked through the hallway under the dining room this year, you have undoubtedly seen the six fantastical portals painted on the walls. This mural was designed and painted by two Winsor alums, Sofia Grabiel Butler ’24 and Eva LaFond ’24. The art depicts mystical scenes of dragons, lakes, and forests that engage our imaginations as well as our eyes. 

 Grabiel Butler explained that Head of Visual Arts Department Ms. Macaulay and Physics Teacher Ms. Labieniec approached her and LaFond for the mural and helped them brainstorm ideas. “We knew we wanted to do nature scenes that would open up that space a bit, and once we thought of windows and portals, Eva and I just ran with it and came up with all kinds of nature-inspired scenes we could do.” Grabiel Butler added that the process was “a total tag team effort” and that she and LaFond took turns painting parts of the portals so that they “ended up with a consistent style.”

Ms. Labieniec mentioned how she, Ms. Macaulay, LaFond, and Grabiel Butler felt that “the little ramp with the railings… could turn into something cool and fun, like an enchanted portal.” She said that this choice then led to the feeling that the hallway, with its downward slope and railings, was like a “ship of the imagination.” She continued by explaining that the “submarine vibe” of this area developed to hold even more meaning: “a transitional space [from one part of the school to the other] with these magical portals that are transitions to other worlds.” 

This mural, created with deep thought and personal touches, does exactly what the team behind it intended it to do: it carries us into another world that can both intrigue and inspire all of our minds. ☐

One of the “Portals”: Photo by Katina Handrinos