The inspiration for our wonderful library mural began as a classroom quilt based on the book The Rainbow Crow by Nancy Van Laan. In the fall of 1996, the school improvement committee decided to paint a mural in the library displaying animals and plants native to the area. A parent volunteer on the committee, Darlene Purcell, who was an artist specializing in set design, sketched ideas for the mural. The scope of the mural expanded until every inch of wall space would be painted with scenes of animals, mountains, plants, books and local landmarks, including a section below the windows depicting animals that live underground.
The librarian at that time, Lisa Rigely, helped coodinate the effort and spent many hours working to ensure the project was a success. Beginning in April of 1997, the walls were scrubbed and prepared for paint, and Mrs. Purcell began sketching scenes. Mrs. Purcell placed hundreds of numbered dots on the walls corresponding to 37 shades of paint. The project became a paint-by-number canvas that enabled many volunteers to help paint the mural. Many volunteers spent hundreds and hundreds of hours bringing the mural to life. The mural was completed in February of 2000.
The mural was a gift from a talented artist and the many people who worked together to create this amazing work of art for our students. Feel free to come by and see it for yourself!
Darlene DeShields Purcell
1953-2002
The librarian at that time, Lisa Rigely, helped coodinate the effort and spent many hours working to ensure the project was a success. Beginning in April of 1997, the walls were scrubbed and prepared for paint, and Mrs. Purcell began sketching scenes. Mrs. Purcell placed hundreds of numbered dots on the walls corresponding to 37 shades of paint. The project became a paint-by-number canvas that enabled many volunteers to help paint the mural. Many volunteers spent hundreds and hundreds of hours bringing the mural to life. The mural was completed in February of 2000.
The mural was a gift from a talented artist and the many people who worked together to create this amazing work of art for our students. Feel free to come by and see it for yourself!
Darlene DeShields Purcell
1953-2002