BY KADIE VICK
FOR THE OPELIKA OBSERVER
AUBURN — Members of Auburn High School’s National Art Honors Societies (NAHS) painted a mural last month inside Richland Elementary School.
NAHS members include Sidney Crim, Isabella Trentacosti, Sage Traylor, Leah Lethander, Kaelyn Coburn, Caterina Chahine, Myla Ragan and Audrey Young.
President Sidney Crim said she drew her inspiration from Richland’s mascot, The Champion, and how she could relate that to popular video games.
“Their mascot is a trophy, and their theme is the champions,” Crim said. “So I really wanted to incorporate that and it kind of made me think of a video game. Also I really like Mario.”
What was once an old yellow rock wall used for physical activities is now an exciting adventure for students to gather diamonds, make friends with a turtle and reach a trophy finish line.
“It’s perfect because our kids are really young. So they’re all into Mario, Minecraft and things like that,” said Richland art teacher Rebecca Wall. “When she showed me the sketch, I was like, ‘That’s it.’”
Both the high school students and the teachers involved with this project hope that it will have a lasting effect on Richland students and encourage them to one day invest in their community in similar ways.
Auburn High school art teacher and NAHS sponsor Randalyn Henry said,“Keith Haring said art is for everybody. And I think one of the things that they enjoy most is for everybody to have access to it and not just be something that kids see in books or see in museums.”
Henry said Auburn City Schools encourage students to engage with the arts and are thankful that the community invests in their programs in order to create opportunities such as this which benefits students of all ages.
“The resources that we have here in the city of Auburn is due to the city of Auburn and their support,” said Daniel Chesser, Auburn City Schools public relations coordinator. “We’re about 49% locally funded.”
All parties involved said they recognize the benefit this project had on students from both schools and the importance of making art accessible and available for everyone.
“I hope that that opens opportunities for us to put more art on display and in different areas. Because that is something that these kids have been extremely passionate about,” Henry said.