La Center Middle School unveiled a new student-created mural on Thursday, May 29, marking the completion of a months-long collaboration between students and the La Center Arts Council.
The mural, now mounted on the back wall of the building’s second-floor stairwell, features the school’s mascot, a hawk, flying in a vibrant natural landscape.
Seventh grader Amelia Benson kickstarted the project when she presented the idea to the student leadership group.
“I really want to make this school like a brighter, more colorful place,” Benson said. “I had the idea that maybe a painting or a mural would be able to do that.”
The project began with a design created by local artist Keelan Booth. With support from the Arts Council, students took the lead on executing the final mural.
“It’s very satisfying … They really pulled (through),” La Center Arts Council Executive Director Kirsten Peterson said of the mural.
Peterson said the arts council originally planned to have Booth paint the mural herself but decided instead to mentor the students directly.
“We should have the students do the work,” she said. “They’ll have ownership in it and improve their skills in the process.”
Each Saturday, students spent about five hours preparing and painting the panels under the guidance of arts council members. The group also coordinated with the school’s maintenance team to prepare and mount the finished panels.
“It was interesting to be able to get everybody together and start working on the project,” Benson said.
Students who worked on the mural include La Center Middle School students Mya Cluphf, Eunice Sparks, Isabela Hodston, Stella Lindsay, Delilah Higgins and Benson.
Peterson called the project “the demonstration of a successful project to build confidence with the community.”
“It’s one small step at a time,” she said. “We get a mural done here, maybe more are around in different schools and this school, and then we can spread it to the community later on.”
Benson said she hopes to continue using her leadership role to bring more art into the school.
“I just got into eighth grade ASB, and I’m hoping that through that I can bring our school together and get more paintings,” she said.
Though she couldn’t attend the unveiling, La Center Arts Council member Krissy DuBois played a major role throughout the process by leading the student workshops.
Peterson said the project was not only a creative milestone but also a step forward for public art in La Center.
“I’d like to see some more public art in our town square,” she said. “Those projects are in development and so you’ll have to stay tuned.”
