At Dublin High School, art has always been a way to express community, identity, and unity – and the new “DubLuv” mural is no exception. Brightly painted on the old gym in the heart of DHS, the mural is not only a colorful addition to the campus; it’s a statement of inclusivity and resilience. The project emerged from a moment of controversy earlier this year, when the school district made the decision to remove the Pride flag from Dublin High School. However, rather than letting that decision erase the message of acceptance, students and staff came together to find another way to ensure that every student feels seen and supported.
To learn more about how the mural came to life, we spoke with one of the leading student artists behind the project: Emaan Qayyum.
Q: What was the idea behind the mural? What did you guys want to represent and show?
A: “The ‘DubLuv’ mural stemmed from the entire ordeal after the district decided to take down the pride flag march of this year. In addition to drafting proposals and protesting against the pride flag being taken down at their board meeting, Mrs. Dwyer, one of DHS’s former assistant principals, emailed me and offered the idea of a mural as a way to still have a permanent symbol to represent a safe space for everyone. The proposal that the district agreed on was a temporary fix, we get the pride flag up for around half of the school year, so I think having this mural permanently there makes up for the unfair compromise.”
“The first idea given to me by Mrs. Dwyer was just a Pride Flag on the quad, but after some conversation she gave me creative freedom with the requirements to have ‘DubLuv’ in big letters in the center. Art club was a big part of the actual painting process, it was around five days back to back late June, for around six, seven hours each day. We started with sketching everything in chalk, then priming it, painting it, and cleaning it up at the very end.”
Q: How do you think students viewed the mural after it was painted? Do you think you guys would do similar projects in the future?
A: “At least towards me, all the feedback towards the mural was pretty positive, there haven’t been any attempts of vandalism and being right in the center of campus it sends the right message. This mural is also incredibly special because it is our first and only mural on our campus. Currently, I’m working with Mrs. Dwyer to expand the mural projects to [hopefully] all the middle schools and high schools in the district, and as of right now we are in discussion with Wells to put up a similar mural there, then Emerald, and so on to spread the message of inclusivity to all the campuses.”
With the “DubLuv” mural now standing as a vibrant reminder of dedication to creating a welcoming environment for everyone – no matter their background, identity, or belief – what started as a response to exclusion has become a lasting symbol of community pride. As plans unfold to bring similar murals to other schools in the district, the DubLuv project continues to inspire conversations about belonging and representation. In a year marked by division, the DubLuv mural proves that students don’t just respond to change – they create it.