Just off from the entrance doors to Dr. Daniel Bright Elementary School, an unfinished mural covers the wall of a small hallway, waiting to be finished. In turquoise and dark blue — the school’s colors — the word “collaboration” announces the mural’s title, after this year’s seventh- and eighth-grade theme. Surrounding the words are beautiful arrays of colors, with trees and galaxies and silhouettes of people looking at the sunset.
If you visit the mural during the afternoon over the next few weeks — the plan is to have it finished by the second week of February — you can meet the artists, who are them- selves seventh- and eighth-grade students at DDB. On some days, they will be joined by local artists or members of the Cottonwood Police and Fire departments.
The mural is spearheaded by Joan Bourque, a Clarkdale resident who has led her public art project, Murals For Everyone, for years. A few weeks ago, she helped the Camp Verde community paint a town mural on the side of a coffee shop.
With a $2,500 grant from the Arizona Commission for the Arts, matched by the district, she is bringing art to the Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District.
Some of the juvenile artists are brand new to the world of painting.
“I’ve never done this before,” said eighth-grader Cayleb Underhill, who confessed he first signed up for the mural to get out of music class. But Underhill said he has since then been drawn in by the team effort. “It’s fun and it will look good when it’s done. We’ve got to work together on it.”
All the features of the mural came from student input and reinforce the theme of collaboration. The galaxy that Underhill painted represents a collection of stars forming a shape together. The tree features messages of cooperation among its branches, representing a collective project — “work together,” “sharing skills,” “help each other.”
Bourque spoke with admiration of the children’s input, such as the silhouettes reflecting a shared vision as they watch a sunset.
“They’re still bringing their ideas to me when they come, and we’re trying to fit them on,” Bourque said. “I told them, when you wake up in the middle of the night with an idea, write it down.”
For some students who have years of experience in art, the chance to work together on a major project like this teaches something new. Eighth-grader Serena Mould has been painting since she was 8 years old, inspired by her grandmother who was a professional artist in Phoenix. But Mould said that even with her self-assured talent as an artist, working with others allowed for new inspiration.
“You have to be cautious with other people and open to new ideas,” Mould said. “Sometimes their ideas were even better than mine.”
“I hope they feel a sense of pride and ownership when they walk by the mural. It sets a tone for all theincoming seventh- and eighth- graders and imprints the values of DDB,” DDB Principal Jess Vocca wrote in an email. “These kids are incredible and I hope they feel their value in the school environment and can take this experience with them when they move on from DDB and cherish it in their hearts forever.”
In addition to the eighth grade mural, DDB’s fourth grade class will paint their own mural this week. And in the spring, Cottonwood Community School will begin its own project on an outdoor wall, beginning once the weather has warmed up.
“Arts are good for kids,” Cottonwood-Oak Creek Superinten- dent Steve King said of the project. “Having the community support and people willing to step forward to help with kids is what it’s all about.”
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551, or email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
