Artists paint school in new light

Association of California School Administrators

Artists at work at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Sacramento City USD.

Mural at Abraham Lincoln Elementary.

Artists work on the “HOPE” mural.

SCUSD mascot “Crispin” at a resource fair to celebrate the murals.

Students were able to watch the artists at work.

Mural at Abraham Lincoln Elementary.

Abraham Lincoln mural.

Abraham Lincoln Elementary’s namesake mural.

Mural at Abraham Lincoln Elementary.

Mural of staff member Mr. Juan.

Site Spotlight

Artists paint school in new light

July 24, 2023

In just one week, Abraham Lincoln Elementary School students have completely changed how they feel about their school.

All it took was some paint and the talents of a handful of local artists.

The school’s district has partnered with Wide Open Walls, a group of muralists who are bringing art to everyday spaces and underserved communities in the Sacramento area.

Abraham Lincoln Elementary was one of seven schools in Sacramento City USD that received murals in 2022-23 as part of Wide Open Walls’ Uplifting Schools project.

The project was funded using ESSER III funds allocated for “Student Opportunities: Visual and Performing Arts.” With a focus on equity, a selection committee determined which school sites would be part of the project, prioritizing schools in each trustee area with higher segregation and poverty indicators.

At Abraham Lincoln, artists worked for one week, giving students opportunities to interact with the artists and observe them at work. We asked Principal Laura Butler to share how the project has transformed the campus and its students.

What are students saying about the murals? There were so many comments from students, but one of the most impactful was, “Now it looks like someone cares about our school.” Most students talked about how much they liked the way the school looks, and both adults and students have commented, “It is hard to be in a bad mood when you look around.” Another student told me he likes to “do art and the murals are an inspiration.” Another student said that they are all different and “there is something for everyone.”

What do you think students learned from getting to watch these artists at work? I love that they were able to watch the process, so they saw what hard work and perseverance went into them. Also, many of the students commented on how many of the artists changed their murals as they went along. It was a good lesson that if things don’t go the way we want the first time around, we can always change it.

How were the artists able to capture so much of the spirit of Abraham Lincoln Elementary in their murals? I solicited input from the teachers, who asked for input from their students. We filled out a profile and it was shared with the artists, so they were able to get to know the school a bit. One of the murals incorporated words from our vision statement. The mural of Mr. Juan came about because of the positive relationship that he built with the artists. He joked about doing a mural of him and because all of the artists really got to know him and like him, they surprised him with the mural. The way it came about is so representative of who Mr. Juan is as a person. He makes such vital positive impacts on our students and his energy was felt by the artists as well.

How does having these beautiful wall murals on campus translate to positive student outcomes? Students deserve to learn in an environment that is visually appealing and in good repair. It helps students feel more connected to the school and want to be here. It also stimulates their creativity and shows them that art comes in many different forms. When students like the way their school looks, it helps them to feel even more pride in where they attend school.

Unfortunately, your school was the target of racist graffiti last year. Does something like this help heal that hurt? I think so because it helps change the narrative. We aren’t the school that had racist graffiti anymore and we are the school with the cool murals.

What advice do you have for other site leaders looking to add art to their campus walls? I would 100 percent recommend it. The whole experience has been nothing but positive and has really impacted kids. I am now planning to have someone do the front wall of the school as well.

Abraham Lincoln Elementary Principal Laura Butler.