An Upper West Side public school is marking 50 years since a group of parents staged a sit-in to keep its doors open, and since a local artist turned a graffiti-covered wall by its entrance into a mural that’s welcomed generations of neighbors.
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The school is PS 87, the William T. Sherman School at 160 West 78th Street, which will host a free, public re-dedication ceremony for its entrance mural this Saturday, October 17 at noon.The mural’s story begins during the city’s financial crisis. In September 1975, then-Schools Chancellor Irving Anker planned to close public schools early, and District 3’s school board rejected the plan, according to event organizers. In January 1976, Anker overrode the elected board and ordered the early closings anyway, a move the organizers describe as illegal.
In February 1976, a group of PS 87 parents launched a sit-in to keep the school open. Among them was local artist and sculptor G. Augustine Lynas.
After the protest, Lynas transformed the graffiti-covered wall near the school’s main entrance into what organizers call a “living mural.” He created it as a volunteer gift rather than a paid project, and it quickly became a part of the school’s identity. Lynas has continued to care for the mural for the past 50 years.
Some readers may also know his name from the kiosk at West 83rd Street and Broadway, which he photographed for a 2020 story about its history.
Saturday’s celebration will include the unveiling of a permanent dedication plaque near the entrance honoring the mural’s history, the parent-led sit-in, and Lynas’s legacy. There will also be a screening of a ten-minute documentary about the mural’s five-decade history and impact, and Lynas will speak about his work and answer questions from the audience. Invited community leaders and special guests are expected to attend.
The event is open to neighborhood residents, PS 87 alumni, and local families.
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