Student artists from Long Beach High School and West School put their talents together to produce a bright, beach-themed mural that stretches across the wall around West’s outdoor playground area. They were recognized for this endeavor during a City Council meeting on Sept. 17, when they were awarded certificates.

The Long Beach City Arts Council reached out to the district last year to offer this opportunity, which was embraced with enthusiasm by the Class of 2019’s International Baccalaureate art students. They designed the underwater motif and, under the guidance of their art teacher, Eric Fox, hand-cut stencils so that illustrations of sea life could be spray painted onto the wall and then painted over. 

West School art teacher Denise Collins recruited several of the elementary students to team up with their high school peers in painting the coastal scene. They began working on the project last September and finished in the spring. 

Congratulations to Long Beach High School students Alex Call, Kaleigh Destefano, Lizbeth Gomez, Maya Hult, Liz Kelly, Blake Langbart, Jillian Lerner, Lizzy Rooney, Ashley Ruiz, Maggie Swegler and Sophia Techera and West students Mavis Fox, Finn Long, James Long, Jordi Perez, Finn Scanio and Wolf Scanio for enhancing the aesthetics of the school and community.