CAZENOVIA — As the new school year approaches, students and families alike will notice a new mural on a wall at Burton Street Elementary School to welcome them into the new year.

The mural is the product of student ideas combined with the artistic talents of Katie McGinnis, a library media specialist and artist.

Principal Kara May said the work on this started as last school year was coming to close.

Students were asked to submit ideas that could be turned into a new mural at their school.

“We started the process in early June and had entries due in mid-June, so we could disclose the winning design before school was dismissed for the summer,” she said. “We set up a committee to evaluate the designs that consisted of myself, Katie McGinnis, library media specialist and artist, Jennifer Facteau, art teacher, Lauren Perry, third grade teacher, and Geoff Brown, director of facilities.”

Ideas came from the entire student body.

“We were really impressed with the quantity and quality of the designs,” May said. “The students really ran with the competition and exceeded our expectations. We found that many of the submissions had common themes, and one of them was space: sun, moon, stars, etc. We took components from each of the top choices and Katie put them together to make a cohesive and amazing picture.”

Students’ designs chosen included concepts shared by Blake Snyder, Jane Spinelli, Eleanor Cannizaro, Aubrey Krumsik, Mattox Tinkham, and Claire Carrigan, May said.

“As a voting committee we chose six students’ designs based on a set criteria we previously determined,” McGinnis said. “We were not planning on choosing six, but after the hundreds of submissions we received, it was impossible to choose just one. There was an overarching theme in the students’ drawings that was pretty clear early on; the sun, the moon, stars, the sky, the earth, space, etc. I believe behind this theme there is greater meaning, whether the students had this in mind or not. Maybe subconsciously they do after the two years they have just endured, and this is more than just ‘reach for the stars.’ I believe this mural represents togetherness. The entire world suffered from this global pandemic. It is time to look to the future with hope, believe in better times to come, try to be the best version of ourselves that we can, and maybe even wish on a shooting star in the process. I hope this mural gives kids hope and brings them joy. If I’ve done that, I’ll be happy.”

May said the space for the mural is 600 square feet, 50 feet long and 12 feet high.

“This was no easy task and Katie rose to the occasion and truly demonstrated her talents and her dedication to the school and community through her artistry,” May said.

With a concept for the design in place, and a large space to fill, McGinnis set to work a few weeks ago, putting in many hours of work.

“It took a full six hours a day for seven days to complete,” McGinnis said. “It is roughly 600 square feet, so it took a lot of paint. I am very happy with the results now, but I had a lot of doubts while painting. I would paint a section, then paint over it and try a different technique. I repeated this until I found the look I wanted. I’ve never painted something this large before, and to be honest I was quite nervous before I started. However, once I drew the outline of the mural in chalk and traced it with black, I started to see it come to life. I knew the kids would absolutely love it, and that encouraged me to make it happen even if I wasn’t sure about it at times. I also had tremendous support from my colleagues. Christy Allen, Lauren Perry, and Jen Facteau assisted in the voting process and/or design. Having them to bounce ideas off of really helped.”

May said she is impressed with the results.

“I am so very impressed with the final product,” she said. “It is a true depiction of our student’s ideas and interests. It is colorful, bold and fun. It’s a phenomenal addition to our already amazing playground and outdoor space. Each day on the announcements I say, ‘Be the best you that you can be,’ and it has become a bit of a slogan for Burton Street. I want students to know that being your best will be a different experience from day to day and person to person, but as long as you are doing what you can to do the best that you are able to be at that moment in time, is what is important – academically, behaviorally and socially.”

While students have not yet returned to school, the eye catching mural has garnered a lot of compliments.

“So far only a few students have seen the piece, but seeing their reactions makes the time and effort put into the mural beyond worth it,” McGinnis said. “As I was working I could hear children turning the corner to the playground and just yelling ‘wow’ and then running towards me to see what was happening. It was so much fun to see their reactions.”

May has had similar comments.

“The feedback has been outstanding,” she said. “It is such a colorful and unique addition to the playground. I recently brought my own children to the playground and they were so excited. Burton Street staff members have been given little glimpses of the project via email and all along the response has been fantastic and so very appreciative of Katie’s talents and the time she put into the project.”

For McGinnis this was a project that was filled with excitement and one that demonstrates the power of the arts.

She said she was grateful to the support of May as well as Brown for believing in her to make this project possible.

“The kids that approached me while I was painting this mural were filled with enthusiasm,” she said. “I think they would have jumped right in and helped me if I asked them to. Showing kids art in their own community and even more importantly showing them that their teacher did it, is so powerful. Art is not something done only by these ‘mystical people’ we have only heard of in books and movies and museums. Art is for everyone and can be done by anyone. I hope I can be a symbol of normalcy to them. I hope they realize that they can do this too. They don’t have to choose to be just one thing. If they want to be a veterinarian who paints? Why not. I’m a librarian who paints. Why limit yourself to just one thing when you don’t have to?”

Projects like this which include students and their ideas are incredibly valuable according to May.

“Involving the students in the development and creation of the design was crucial,” she said. “It brings the school community together and shows the students that school is their space. The students are the true stakeholders.”