News

Actions

Art students helping out at local elementary school paint 1,500 square-foot mural

Posted at 4:55 PM, Dec 11, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-11 18:55:26-05

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- Students from the University of Utah painted a 1,500-square foot mural on the walls of a West Valley City elementary school.

The college students started teaching classes at Esperanza Elementary School last January and have helped develop an art curriculum there.

By getting to know the children, administrators and staff, the students used the curriculum, and the school's 98 percent Latino population, to capture its culture in a mural.

The mural features everything from soccer, to mountain views to mariachi bands.

“So the mural itself is language of hope, so the idea is that we would bring in different ideas within the school,” said Kim Martinez, a professor in the University of Utah’s College of Fine Arts. “So one of the things that they do here, is all the children learn how to play chess. All of the children learn how to play a musical instrument.”

University students say it was a life changing experience to see how their art can truly impact people.