Just how do you visualize and express the gamut of hopes and dreams of 352 children, aged five to 12?
Take a walk down to Blair elementary on Lynas Lane, near No. 2 Road and Granville Avenue, and the picture, no pun intended, will become very clear.
Every single student at the school, with the expert guidance of an artist-in-residence, quite literally had a hand in the 40-foot wide and eight-foot high mural which now adorns the school’s exterior, east-facing wall.
Over the course of six weeks, artist Ann Thorsteinsson — thanks to more than $10,000 from grant funding, a PAC donation and sponsored supplies — worked closely with the students, with each of them creating their personal piece of the mural “jigsaw.”
After first sketching, painting and then piecing together, the giant, hand-crafted, wooden mural was mounted on the wall last week.
And on Friday, the masterpiece was officially opened by the students at the school’s annual spring carnival.
“I chose a hand; it only took about an hour and we had so much fun doing it,” said Grade 7 student Ashley Song.
“It feels good walking past it, knowing I did that.”
Katrina Lim, also Grade 7, painted one of the many arms on the mural, which symbolize reaching out for the future.
“I feel very proud that I was involved in it,” she said.
Catherine Ludwig, Blair’s principal, said, when thinking of the mural, the school wanted “exposure to the community 24/7; we want our community to know we’re here, we’re not just a school.”
The trees on the mural, explained Ludwig, represent the nature surrounding Blair; the hands are reaching into the future; the paper airplanes are people’s hopes and dreams taking on a life of their own and the sun is the adults watching over the children and supporting them.
“Ann guided them along the way, but very much stood back and let the students express themselves,” added Ludwig. “It’s very much a student creation.”
Jonathan Deng, Grade 4, painted two men working together with wood, to illustrate what teamwork can achieve, while his fellow Grade 4 friend, Tyler Lewis, painted a scuba diver to remind him of a recent trip to Australia.
“I love walking past it every day; I’m very proud of it,” Tyler said.
The mural was made possible by a $3,500 grant from the non-profit ArtStarts’ Artist in the Classroom program; $5,000 from the school’s PAC; wood and primer donated by Kerrisdale Lumber, and work-in-kind from the school district’s maintenance department.
