A mural of colorful geometric shapes brightens the corner of Grand Street and Humboldt Avenue. Painted on Unity Drugs’ red-brick wall, “Moods & Modes” is a data visualization of Williamsburg High School of Arts & Technology students’ and teachers’ daily modes of communication and the emotions that these communications elicited.

Math and data-driven artist Ellie Balk collaborated with the Williamsburg students to create the mural, in partnership with the Grand Street Business Improvement District (BID) and with support from the Walentas Family Foundation.

For 10 days, students and staff tracked their daily modes of communication, ranging from face-to-face conversations to text messages to social media. They then recorded what emotions — joy, anger, sadness, or calm — they felt while engaging in each form of communication.