School News

Artwork a snapshot of the community

By Sara Bruestle

The Beacon

Westgate Elementary got a facelift.

A colorful mural depicting the Westgate community now adorns the northern wall of the school gym, brightening the formerly all-gray building.

The painting of the mural, by artist and Westgate parent Beth Wright Hardman, was funded in part with a grant from the Edmonds School Districts Artist in Residence program. The program supports the beautification of Edmonds schools through the artwork of resident artists.

The Sherwin-Williams Co. donated the paint for the mural.

Ive always felt that Westgate needed a mural up in that front part of the school, said fourth-grade teacher Peggy Lindquist, who applied for the grant. As you enter the driveway of the school, youd drive toward a building that was just gray.

Now, instead of gray, teachers and students get to see kids releasing salmon into a stream. Watching over the children is a cougar, Westgates mascot. And off in the distance is a slice of downtown Edmonds.

Hardman wanted the mural to illustrate how the students at Westgate play a part in the Edmonds community, namely as streamkeepers.

Every year, the fourth graders at Westgate raise salmon from eggs to fry, and then release them into the stream at the local hatchery.

Its a great snapshot of our community, and hopefully how our kids see themselves in it, Lindquist said of the mural.

The mural echoes the theme from the schools Stream of Dreams, a metaphorical stream of salmon attached to the chain-link fence surrounding the school. Students painted hundreds of plywood fish for the school-wide art project last spring.

Hardmans mural, as does the Stream of Dreams, reflects the students role in protecting local watersheds and streams, Lindquist said.

Because of the Stream of Dreams project that the school had been working on this year, I wanted to have something that would incorporate that theme, Hardman said. I had the idea of the stream with the fish in it, and it just evolved from there.

Hardman started working on the mural in August and finished it the first week of October. She figures she spent 3-5 hours a week painting at the school, though she didnt bother to count her hours.

Ive never painted a mural before, said Hardman, who also teaches art to students in the Westgate Afterschool Art Club. I didnt know what I was going to be doing or how long I was going to be painting it. I just wanted to enjoy the process.

Hardman was astounded by the communitys interest in the mural.

While she was painting last summer, neighbors would stop by to compliment her work, ask questions and take pictures. And, when school started, kids lining up for lunch in the gym would slow down for a glimpse at the mural.

The kids had a hard time staying in line because theyd be so excited looking at the mural, Hardman said. It was pretty funny watching them bang into each other trying to look at the mural and trying to walk at the same time.

Even more than how well the mural turned out, Hardman is happy she was able to add something positive to the community.

Creating things through art that brings happiness to peoples lives is pretty neat thing, she said. I feel really fortunate to have been able to do something like that.