N A WALL AT THE CORNER of 27th Avenue and Columbine Street, a bulldog wears a gold chain surrounded by a mandala bursting with color. In front is a quote, in bold letters, from rapper Tupac Shakur: “Reality is wrong, dreams are for real.” This is the work of students at Prep Academy, an alternative high school outside City Park for students who don’t fit the traditional school model. Throughout the Spring 2026 semester, they worked with Denver-based artists Andreas Kremer and Reina Luna to design and paint a massive 100-foot mural representing what their school means to them — and in the process, sparked a conversation within the community that changed how everyone involved, including the artists, saw the project. One day, while the artists and students were painting the mural, a woman walking her dog stopped to tell them that she found the quote offensive, even “woke.” Kremer said he appreciated hearing the woman’s feedback, even if it was negative, as it opened a dialogue about what the school is and what the quote means to the students who chose it. “This school is giving these kids a second chance since a lot of them were kicked out of other public schools,” he told her. “We felt it really connected to the school because it’s showing them that their reality was wrong and they’re able to have a second chance and make their dreams real.” Kremer never expected to see the woman again, but she came back later that day. She still didn’t like the quote, but reflecting on their conversation changed her perspective — appreciating that the kids had the chance to paint the mural and that the school gave them the chance to change their lives for the better. DESIGNING THE MURAL This mural was the product of a workshop hosted by Kremer and Luna at Prep Academy, giving students an opportunity to engage with an art medium they likely would not have access to otherwise, by painting a mural on a large 100-foot wall wrapping around the corner of the intersection. Kremer and Luna gave the students the freedom to craft the mural’s design, starting with a rough draft and helping them flesh out the details. “We showed the students our rough draft of the mural and explained why we decided to design the mural this way,” Luna said. “We encouraged them to implement any elements or ideas they wish to incorporate into the mural.” When the workshop got underway in March, Kremer and Luna helped the students brainstorm and sketch ideas and encouraged them to focus on what they valued in their lives. During the first few weeks of the workshop, the students came up with a lot of ideas and themes, including money, independence, the future, growth, the city of Denver, and the school itself. Eventually, the final design emerged, separating the mural into two segments. The first section features the bulldog mascot wearing a gold chain, next to a butterfly and flowers, in front of a mandala and the iconic Tupac quote. According to Kremer and Luna, the butterfly and flowers represent the growth and change the students experience at Prep Academy, while the mandala’s vibrant colors and distinct shapes represent the school’s diversity and how the students’ differing backgrounds and experiences can work together to create something beautiful. The other side of the mural pays tribute to the students’ love for the city and state they call home, featuring Denver’s prominent skyline at the base of the towering peaks and vibrant forests of the Rocky Mountains. Rising from the mountains like the sun is a smaller mandala with the distinctive “C” of the Colorado state flag. The last part of the mural shows a plane taking off from DIA, whisking the students away to the life of their dreams. LEAVING AN IMPRESSION By the time the mural was unveiled on May 26, it had left its mark on the students, artists, and the surrounding community. Kremer and Luna declared this piece a huge success, calling it their most intricate mural. “There were a lot of questions going into it about how it was “Reality is Wrong” front view of mural at Prep Academy| Photo by Giles Clasen going to go, but it turned out pretty awesome,” Kremer said. The students also enjoyed the opportunity to create this mural. In anonymous survey responses submitted to Kremer and Luna, many expressed how much they enjoyed working on the project. “My favorite part was doing the design and adding the details,” one student wrote. “It made me feel good about doing art again, especially as we got to design it the way we wanted it.” “It made me feel more open to try new things out and to take your time on things,” another student wrote. Looking back on their exchange with the woman walking her dog, Kremer and Luna believe the mural sparked a conversation outside the school as well. “I thought it was pretty cool that she was able to say that to us because she could’ve just disliked it and walked past us and not said anything,” Luna said, “but she felt called to say something and share that.… It’s not an easy thing to tell someone to their face, ‘I don’t like that,’ so I thought it was cool that she did that.” On a building that stands for second chances is the manifestation of the dreams of kids deemed unfit for traditional education, a woman challenging her beliefs, and a splash of color in the Skyland neighborhood that catches the attention of people passing by Prep Academy. Most importantly, it’s a mural that represents how an elusive dream became a future that students can claim as their own. 10 COMMUNITY PROFILE
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