Escuela Vista Grande students paint beautiful mural

“Alongside the garden revitalization and food forest work, it helps make the school grounds feel more welcoming and connected to the students who spend their days here. As part of a UNESCO Associated School community, we also hope it gives new and visiting families a sense of the sustainability, shared responsibility, and global citizenship that shape learning at Escuela Vista Grande.”

(Image Credit: Supplied)

Andres explains that last year, Escuela Vista Grande received support through the City of Red Deer’s Environmental Initiatives Grant to revitalize the garden and outdoor learning area.

That project, she notes, included raised garden beds, pollinator gardens, native grasses and plants, a water catchment system, outdoor seating, and outdoor learning spaces.

The school even launched its first after-school Garden Club this spring, and work is continuing to expand the space into a food forest, alongside the creation of the mural, which is also supported by the City’s Community Public Art Grant Program.

Project lead Amber Solberg is with a group called Altruistic Current, which launched in 2019 in Halifax.

“Our collaborative mural painting initiative is called Muraleers. There, they would pitch, plan, and present chances for collective art-making opportunities to folks by hosting all-ages Community Paint Days (where everyone was welcome to come and help fill in a pre-designed background) and facilitate new-to-it Professional Artists through the mural-making process (so they could in the future have a body of work to secure their own grants with portfolio experience),” she explains.

“Four hundred-plus community members and 15 professional artists took part in five mural projects in Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. We took those skillsets to Alberta when we moved back home, helping the Downtown Red Deer BIA create a project last year with Roaming Revival, and are back to help with the current Vista Grande mural.”

Helping Solberg has been fellow artist Emma Guido.

by Josh Hall

Escuela Vista Grande students paint beautiful mural

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