Large Scale Art

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Produce a shared visual landscape that maps collective ideas, themes, or experiences across connected panels.

Use it when: Use during a multi-session retreat, milestone reflection, or planning offsite when a group needs a non-verbal, collective way to express ideas over an extended session.

Skip it when: Skip when the session lacks physical work surfaces, when the team needs concise written decisions, or when time is constrained below 45 minutes.

Group arrangement: Small clusters of 3 to 5 people working simultaneously along adjacent panels of a continuous mural.

Timing: Evidence notes flexible timing over hours or days; UWT provides a structured 45-minute workshop session format.

Materials and tools

• One 40 x 60 inch foam-core board or heavy poster board per 4 to 5 participants (or one continuous roll of butcher paper at least 15 feet long)
• Heavy-duty tape or duct tape to anchor and connect panels
• Assorted markers with fine, bullet, and chisel tips (at least 3 markers per person)
• One pad of 3x3 inch sticky notes per cluster
• Timer or visible clock

Before participants arrive

1. Join at least two foam boards side by side using tape on the back so the drawing surface is continuous, or roll out butcher paper across tables.
2. Distribute marker sets along the length of the work surface.
3. Post the chosen prompt or theme clearly in view of the art area.

Say this to open

Today we are building a continuous mural to reflect on our shared work. We have connected panels along the tables. You can draw symbols, rough sketches, diagrams, or short phrases that connect to our theme. Art skill does not matter here. Focus on getting ideas onto the surface and connecting your marks to what your neighbors are creating.

How to run it

1. Introduce prompt and orient to canvas 5 minutes

   State the mural theme (for example: 'Our project landscape: past hurdles, current realities, and future horizons'). Direct participants to spread out along the joined boards in groups of 3 to 5 per board. Clarify that text, abstract lines, icons, and diagrams are all welcome.

2. Individual and paired mark making 15 minutes

   Participants begin drawing or writing on their section of the board. Prompt them to connect their lines and symbols across panel borders into adjacent sections. If someone prefers not to draw directly, they write phrases or keywords on sticky notes and place them onto the mural.

3. Cross-panel development and expansion 12 minutes

   Ask participants to rotate positions along the mural to an unfamiliar section. Instruct them to add connectors, labels, or complementary drawings that bridge earlier sections together. Stop work when the time alert sounds.

4. Gallery walk and debrief 13 minutes

   Invite the entire group to step back and walk the full length of the mural in silence for two minutes. Reconvene the full circle. Call on 3 to 4 volunteers to share observations using the debrief questions.

Debrief questions

• What recurring symbols, colors, or phrases stand out along the mural?
• Where do you see tension, contrast, or clear alignment across different sections?
• What does this visual layout highlight about our team focus that verbal discussion missed?

Finished output: A multi-panel continuous mural mapping the team's shared perspective on the designated theme.

Remote

Use a shared digital whiteboard with adjacent rectangular canvas frames touching end-to-end. Assign 3 to 4 participants per frame. Participants use pen tools, shapes, imported icons, and digital sticky notes to create a contiguous visual board.

Hybrid

In-person participants work on the physical connected boards while remote members work on a mirrored digital whiteboard canvas. A designated roving camera displays the physical wall, and a dedicated monitor shows the digital board. During the debrief, take alternating reflections from room and remote participants.

Access and participation choices

• Provide seated table-height access to the mural panels alongside standing-height wall setups.
• Allow participants to contribute typed or written sticky notes instead of freehand drawing.
• Participants may choose to serve as observers who transcribe spoken observations onto labels without drawing.

If the session gets stuck

Participants hesitate to start because they feel self-conscious about drawing ability.

Remind everyone that stick figures, simple arrows, geometric shapes, and single words are completely acceptable. Model this by adding a simple labeled box or arrow to the board.

One person dominates a panel and leaves no space for others.

Remind the group to keep individual contributions to roughly the size of a sheet of paper so open canvas remains, or prompt participants to trade sections early.

Terms used here

• Foam-core board: A lightweight, rigid sheet of styrofoam clad in paper, used as a sturdy backing for drawing and display.