Art Club Creates Stunning Murals to Decorate Canon- McMillan Middle School
Canon-McMillan Middle School art students embarked on a six-month project that will adorn the walls of their school— three murals depicting school-wide themes, conceived and brought to life by the students themselves. The project began when art teacher Laureen Trovato applied for a grant to receive three large mural canvases. She held a contest for the students to submit design ideas for the concept of“ Every Day Counts.” She chose ideas from one seventh-grader and one eighth-grader and invited the students to collaborate and bring their ideas together. Trovato realized that their design would fit better on one of the canvases, and that mural became the“ Every Day Counts” mural. For the second canvas, a physical education teacher asked if the students could create an athletics-themed mural to fill the walls in the basement of the building.
For a third mural, Trovato was inspired by Superintendent Dr. Greg Taranto’ s mission to make the Canon-McMillan School District a“ flagship” district, derived from the leading ship in a fleet that carries the commanding admiral. Trovato introduced the idea to her art club students to create a third mural depicting a flagship, and the talented students got to work.
“ To me, being a flagship school district means leading the way,” Taranto said.“ It ' s about setting the standard for others to follow and providing an environment where every student can thrive and reach their full potential. It ' s about being a beacon of education in our community and beyond.”
Trovato paired up the students she believed would complement each other ' s skills, fostering teamwork and shared responsibility among them. Seven or eight students worked on the three murals, with two or three working on each.
The flagship mural will hang in the middle school office, serving as a constant reminder of Dr. Taranto’ s mission to be a flagship district. The middle school administration will decide where to hang the Every Day Counts mural, undoubtedly inspiring students with its message. The athletics-themed mural will be part of a series that students will continue to work on in the coming years, with the art students collaborating with the physical education department. Trovato hopes to create a mural for the art room one day, too, further enhancing the school ' s artistic environment.
Trovato shared that the students were thrilled to take part in an impactful, rewarding project, and they shared their enthusiasm and dedication throughout the process. She encourages them to share their gifts in artistic talent and recognize the value that the murals will bring to the school environment.
“ These projects teach a lot to the students,” Trovato shared.“ It teaches them a good work ethic and skills in working together. It gives them an outlet for their gift and shows the District what they can do. They can see the joy that art brings to the people around them and how exciting it is, and I think it’ s important for them to see that. It teaches them perseverance, and they can see that their gifts are valuable.”
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