Mural for Julington Creek Elementary

Flagler College students Morgan Milders, Caroline Cooper, Monique Blaize, Jessica Wyatt, John Glenn, Casey Chuhinka

It took just one semester for six Flagler College art students to make a mural that will be part of Julington Creek Elementary School for many years to come according to a report received by Historic City News today.

Flagler Professor of Art Don Martin’s class partnered with Julington staff and students to create a 75-foot long mural in the school’s new building. One hallway is now covered with 19 painted, plywood silhouettes of children chasing butterflies, flying kites, shooting hoops and more. The cutout shapes are modeled after actual Julington Creek children, who the Flagler students met and photographed earlier this year.

“They wanted to make it about you,” Martin said. “They wanted to make something that had the spirit and the energy and the creativity of you.”

The project began when Linda McAnarney, Julington Creek’s art teacher, saw Martin’s work on a mural at the Jacksonville International Airport. She invited him to do a project at Julington Creek, and Martin formed a small class whose semester-long goal was to research, plan and create the mural.

John Glenn, a senior fine art major who worked on the project, said the mural class was interesting and a fun way to contribute to public art. After some initial sketching and budget approval from Julington Creek, he said the class “hit the drawing board,” carefully sawing, sanding and prepping the plywood.

Glenn said each student was responsible for painting individual silhouettes, but they kept a theme throughout the mural by drawing inspiration from Peter Max, a pop artist who uses bright colors and patterns.