Student artist Marliese Bowers brings beauty to the second floor

Normally, when entering a public school bathroom, you are met with boring white walls covered with graffiti. Vandalism in school bathrooms became popular in 2020 due to TikTok trends and has stayed prominent in schools. GHS bathrooms are sometimes shut down throughout the day, or even longer, for major repairs. But senior artist Marliese Bowers has taken on an art project in hopes to decrease vandalism and increase student well-being in the bathroom.

Now, when you walk into the once white-walled, graffiti-ridden bathroom, there are maroon walls covered with flower murals and an eye-catching vintage mirror, designed and painted by Bowers. 

Bowers has been pursuing this project since her sophomore year of high school. She had been inspired by students before her who tried to revamp the girls’ bathroom but were not able to see the project through. 

“I feel like we’re seeing more absence of personality and originality and things becoming more minimalistic,” Bowers said. “There needed to be something more than just white walls.”

Earlier this year, Bowers received a $1000 grant from Awesome Gloucester towards her bathroom makeover.

“Liz Moran from the Bridge program played a big part with the grant because she is a part of the Awesome Gloucester Foundation,” Bowers said. “I did my proposal and luckily won the grant.”

She sent out a poll last school year to get feedback from girls at GHS for what they would like the bathroom to look like.

“I wanted this to be a reflection of not just me, but everyone who is gonna be in here,” Bowers said. “So I took all of the most popular responses, combined them, and added my own personal touches to it.”

Bowers has been pursuing art since she was a kid, “I’ve always been pretty good at it,” she said. 

Along with her personal projects, the now high school student has done many projects within GHS.

“I make a few pieces every so often, when I am inspired to do something by the bowers,” said. “But I do graffiti art more frequently and casually.”

Bowers has done murals before throughout the school; she noted the two on the second-floor hallway for The Gillnetter and The Elicitor. 

Once all the painting is complete, Bowers plans to put up LED lights to drown out the harsh yellow lighting, as well as put perfume, feminine and personal hygiene products, and more in the bathroom. Aside from aesthetics, while new hand dryers aren’t being installed, she plans to supply the space with paper towels. “When I explained the hand dryers were not going to be installed, a lot of girls had come to me and offered to help contribute to the supplies, and help replenish and maintain it,”  Bower’s said. “It was a beautiful thing to see.”

“The makeover makes it a more welcoming space for girls,” senior Madison Jewell said. “I really appreciate that a new mirror was included, and all the artwork makes it prettier and more inviting.”

But students are not the only ones excited about this new addition to the school.

“Vandalism in the bathrooms makes kids not want to go to the bathroom or makes them uncomfortable,” GHS’s Assistant Principal Allison Alves said. “I think it will be a big improvement; the girls seem to be very excited about the upgrades, so it will be a very positive change.”

Bowers has taken this possible vandalism issue into account during this process.

 “If the bathroom is disrespected, then the luxuries will be taken away,” Bowers said. “There will be a plaque talking about how this is a student-led project and how you should conduct yourself in the bathroom to ensure that we do not lose these luxuries.”

Bowers hopes to finish this project in the next couple of weeks, with all of the finishing touches coming soon.

More of Bowers’ work and updates on this project can be found on her Instagram: cl0vr.grl