Faith Ringgold “Tar Beach” Collaborative Mural

Introduce your students to the inspiring artwork of Faith Ringgold, a celebrated Black artist known for her narrative quilts. This collaborative mural is based on her famous work Tar Beach, which portrays a young girl soaring above a New York City bridge.

Engaging & Inclusive Art Activity

This large-scale mural allows each student to contribute by coloring a piece of the artwork. To make it even more personal, students can use the provided body shape templates to create a self-portrait and add themselves to the sky, just like the character in Tar Beach! The templates are designed to support younger students who are still learning to draw bodies.

Perfect for Elementary Classrooms

The book Tar Beach is a wonderful story for kindergarten and first grade, but this project can be adapted for a range of elementary students. The mural can be scaled to fit the number of students in your class, ensuring that everyone gets to “fly” across the sky in this creative display.

What’s Included in the PDF Download?

Three Mural Size Options:

• 9-page template (30″ x 24″ finished size)
• 25-page template (40″ x 50″ finished size)
• 36-page template (48″ x 60″ finished size)

Four Body Templates – Students can color and personalize their own flying figure.
Assembly Instructions – Easy-to-follow steps for putting the mural together.
Coloring Guide – Helps guide students with color choices and inspiration.
Single Coloring Page – Featuring children flying, perfect for independent or early finishers.

A Collaborative & Culturally Enriching Art Project

This project is more than just a coloring activity—it’s an opportunity to introduce students to Black artists, celebrate diversity in art, and encourage creativity through collaborative learning. Each student’s work becomes part of a beautiful classroom mural, fostering teamwork and artistic expression.

Inspire your students with this Faith Ringgold mural project! Download and print today!