Mural for SNAP
Student artists paint mural on SNAP wall
Clif Knight
Hartselle Enquirer
The walls of a masonry ramp in the Special Needs Accessible Playground (SNAP) have been decorated with a red, white and blue “splashing waves” mural thanks to a group of student artists from Falkville High School and Eva School.
They worked on the project Friday afternoon and over the weekend under the direction of art instructor Dennis Brickell.
At the same time, Morgan County District 3 Commissioner Don Stisher and his employees and Hartselle Park & Recreation Department put the finishing touches to the grounds in Phase 3 of the playground.
Stisher said the art students jumped at the opportunity to paint the mural after original plans fell through.
“Susan Hines designed the mural while she was president of the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce and it was her intention to recruit a group of local artists to help her paint the mural,” he said. “That plan fell through when she left the chamber to take a job with Wal-Mart as an executive trainee.”
“Time was running short to complete the project before the grand opening,” he added. “That’s when we went to the school and asked if the art students would be interested in taking on the project. The students were thrilled, the instructor was willing and Principal Glenn Lang agreed to allow them to miss a few classes.”
“We selected six of our best students from three art classes and we have 13 of them here today,” said Brickell. “They were a little nervous at the beginning but when we arrived earlier today they jumped right in and got going. They’re doing a good job.
He said students had a chance to review Hines’ design in class and are sticking close to it as they work on the ramp walls. A design was not made for the ramp entrance wall and they decided to draw their own design using a rising sun and rainbow.
“Some of these students are seniors and have a lot of talent,” Brickell pointed out. “This is an opportunity for them to leave a permanent mark of their skills. The epoxy paint they’re using will be here for a long time, and their signatures will be a part of the mural.” Brickell said Mech Tech robotics team members from Morgan County High Schools and a few parents would continue the work over the weekend.
Falkville High students chosen to work on the mural are: Natasha Guyse, Courtney McDowell, Ivy Ochoa, Stephanie Vasquez, Ali Stidham, Isabelle Wilbanks, Mackenzie Cobb, Robert Duling, Paige Garner, Amanda Hargrove, Daron Hickey, Annie Carden, Priscila Gonzalez, Drake Hamilton, Kaitlin Mc Murray, Alyssa McNatt, Makayla Naylor and Kala Mitchell.