North Summit Elementary School's Newest Mural
At North Summit Elementary in Coalville, art is helping kids find their place in the world.
When principal Russell Hendry arrived at the school 3 years ago, he realized a high traffic area of the school lacked character and wanted to see something of interest and educational value in that space. The theme of “You Are Here” developed over time through conversations with different people and last summer, local artist Camille Vernon’s creative genius brought it to life.
Vernon, who is well-known in North Summit had already done some work in the school’s library so it made sense to continue her stylish flair with the murals. She used bold lines, colorful characters and whimsy, focusing on how the art would be viewed from a child’s perspective. “I really enjoyed channeling my 6-8 year old self again and remembering my view of the world at that age.”
Six murals measuring 7 by 7 ½ feet depict maps of various locations and give the viewer the perspective of where they are in relation to North Summit School District, Summit County, the State of Utah, The United States of America, the World, and the Universe.
Not only are the murals colorful and eye-catching they also double as wonderful teaching tools. According to Hendry, “When teaching about maps and referencing geography hopefully students will remember and understand the different spacial areas that they walk by every day at school. For example when students are learning about the planetary system they will hopefully remember our map of the solar system and use it as a reference point for more learning.”
Hendry very much appreciates Vernon’s creative mind and how she took a basic suggestion and used her talents to bring such a fun and educational set of murals to life. “The framework I gave her was pretty basic and she created a masterpiece that NSES will enjoy for years.”
School began before Vernon had completed the last three murals so she painted on nights and weekends when school was not in session. “The children really had fun coming to school the next day to see what had appeared through-out the night or over the weekend. I heard from teachers and students that was a unique and exciting experience to watch the murals progress from day to day.”
Both Hendry and Vernon hope the murals give students a chance to ponder about their home and their place in our big world and universe. Hendry says, “Maybe they will imagine and consider things beyond what they see and understand what a big world we live in.”