Donor Wall for Pilot School
Pilot commissioned the design for their donor wall in conjunction with their strategic planning phase. A capital campaign for building a brand new school to meet the needs of their expanding student population.
The school is an individualized, therapeutic, independent day school for children experiencing learning problems.
Our job is to create a visual of our client’s unique mission. When donors see it, they recognize the culture. This emotional connection is an essential element of why donors give. Even though the new school had yet to be designed, the donor recognition design was raising funds.
The school’s mission revolves around “unlocking the potential” in each student. The school strives to find for each student the unique path needed for learning.
Inspired by the work of M.C. Escher, the hexagonal block shapes (with open books as entry points) morph into a series of rooms and outdoor spaces. These represent the school’s approach to education. Each child is a puzzle with different pathways that can be used to unlock their potential to learn and achieve. The building blocks are used as a metaphor for learning and structure, building a life, and building an education.
A watercolor and sample tiles were created and featured in an onsite display case. The response was so strong that we needed to enlarge the mural by a third!
There is also a “Where’s Waldo?” quality to the mural, encouraging viewers to spot the little details. For example, throughout the school’s history, there have been dogs on campus.
Donor names have been sandblasted into tiles throughout the mural with top levels represented in the “green roof” area.
Under the mural is an explanation panel that says “This is not a normal donor wall… which is why it’s perfect for Pilot. Other levels of giving names are listed in computer-generated graphics under plexi.
Three levels of giving plaques were fabricated to compliment the mural are displayed throughout the school.
Location: Wilmington, DE
