Since the end of the 2024-2025 school year, a mural has been being created outside of the library’s brick wall. The mural features a beautiful, natural illustration of flowers and bees, showing the connection between the art classes and their students, as well as the community the school has built over the decades.
In the past, participants who have worked on the illustration shared how they felt about the mural. Many claimed it “gave a last little bit of joy before the new school was built,” showing that even though our current school is being reconstructed, there are still things to be happy about within the current campus.
Our team reached out to a few of the fantastic artists who are still putting together this mural, giving their statements and a bit about what the background of mural making is really like.
Q: What was your class goal when it came to making this mural?
Tracy Hagan, Art Teacher: “I knew it was going to be more inspiring and add something to make the area more lively. I wanted it to be something fun for the students, too, something they could admire or take pictures in front of for memories. The art class seemed really into it, so hopefully we can get the whole thing done before Christmas break comes.”
Q: What were the biggest challenges that you came to face while working?
Zoie Rogders, 12th grade: “Oh gosh, probably the blinding sun. It made me feel like I was really blind, and it was scolding down the back of my neck. The rain last semester made it hard to really get the mural done, too. It would limit our time we’d have, and we’d stay inside most of the days we had to work on it. Working with others and trying to reach high places on the wall was a struggle as well, painting with my arm fully extended or on a ladder was really difficult to do.”
Q: What were your favorite parts about making the mural?
Rowan Howard, 12th grade: “I liked painting the dots onto the mushroom and making the colors. The colors were a little tricky, but figuring out how to use them was so much fun. Sketching the design was a fun and vital part of the whole process, too, and I think the best part of it was just being able to do it as a whole.”
Q: What inspired you to paint this mural?
Ahvae Lam, 12th grade: “I thought that it was cool that we were doing this for the school and that we were trying to add more to the place before it was torn down. It felt good knowing that I was involved in the creation of it and that I was one of the people who made it come to life. I loved adding more to the school and giving people something that would give us some more personality.”
Q: Are there plans for more murals in the future within the new building?
Hagan: “We’re planning on trying to add some hexagon paintings along the wall to the media center next school year, something to add artistically to the place. I definitely feel like doing that would help show what the art class can do and how art impacts the space that we walk in.”
Q: If you could change one thing about the mural, what would it be?
Howard: “Probably the color of the mushroom. I thought that the red was a little too dull; mushrooms are brighter and have more pigment in nature. I think something else that I think we should’ve added more of is bugs. I had so much fun painting the bee and the other insects, and I think the more life the better.”
Thanks to the help of classmates, these wonderful artists were able to come forward and give their statements on the process of painting the new mural of the school. We give our gratitude to those who work hard and put their time and effort into giving the school an extra boost of spirit, and who inspire people daily by their own hard work.
