A whimsical, large new mural celebrating the history of the George Hail Library and the Charles Whipple Green Museum was recently initiated from a creative collaboration between the Library and muralist Mallory Angell, owner and designer of Rare Revivals.

Local students in K-5 joined the effort on Friday to provide a colorful contribution to murals that will grace the walls of the children’s room at the library. Michaela Hutchinson, the library’s Head of Youth Services, secured grant funding from the Jay Barry Art Council and the Warren Heritage Foundation to hire Angell for the work.

Angell said that the work, titled “High Seas History”, aims to celebrate the history of the library and its accompanying museum. The mural is intended to appear as a vintage storybook illustration, with “surrealistic views of books transforming into seagulls in flight carrying us toward a larger than life open book, which tells the tale of how far we travel when diving into a good read.”

Within the mural is an “interactive scavenger hunt” with hidden artifacts, “to not only bring a sense of whimsy to the youth area but to foster curiosity in the library’s history for learners across the lifespan,” she said.

Angell said that she got involved with the project, “To align with the mission of Rare Revivals in giving back to the community by beautifying a historical landmark whose presence benefits all residents; more personally, a space my family has and will enjoy making memories in for years to come.”

The finished mural will be featured in an event next week, and the library is currently seeking donations or other grant funding in order to conduct a similar mural in the space available for teenagers.