Filling Elementary Schools With Creativity And Color

Painting a mural sounds straightforward until you’re faced with neighboring wasps above and below you, or parallel parking a scissor lift inches from the wall using the control buttons. The lift takes about 30 seconds to slowly descend to the ground so I knew I was doomed if I accidentally whacked the wasp nest nestled into the roofline with my roller. But these surprising challenges were minor compared to the joy I felt getting to fulfill my dream of painting murals in spaces that positively impact the community. 

When meeting for the first time with the principal of Independence Elementary School, we discussed how I could tackle painting the 836 square feet of wall space (22ft tall by 38ft wide) by the playground. Our first thought was to scale down the design I had created digitally on Adobe Illustrator until it only covered the parts of the wall I could safely reach on ladders, which would have left at least half of the wall unpainted. Just then, the principal pointed to a lift (it was the exact lift I had already researched and learned would cost thousands of dollars to rent for the summer) sitting outside under the covered area; after a few calls to a district representative, the details were ironed out for me to get my certification and borrow the lift until it was needed elsewhere. 

Independence Oregon was a great place to create murals, given the wonderful support at the district level as evidenced above and in my interactions with representatives at the two elementary schools where I painted. The Salem Art Association facilitated this opportunity, connecting me with the schools, supervising and supporting my work over the summer, and sponsoring the primer, sealant, and fourteen brightly colored quarts of paint. I am incredibly grateful that the murals I painted through this internship will grow my portfolio and hence help me to work towards my career goal of being a muralist. Learning how to balance and schedule murals in different locations at once and communicate with both sites has been beneficial as well. 

Each day, I learned a little bit more about my personal process for completing a mural. Through trial and error, I gained insights into details as small as which brushes to use for what shapes I’m painting, to organizational knowledge like how much time to allot to set-up and clean-up. I’d often plan out ahead of time which section of the wall I planned to paint that day, which paints and supplies I’d need, and elements of the mural that needed touch ups or second coats from the previous day. After this summer I’ve noticed that I’ve become more efficient and comfortable with the personal process I reproduce with each mural I create.

To others seeking career experience, especially in an artistic field, I would recommend trying something that appeals to you, maybe a new medium, even if you know nothing about it. And with lots of practice, experimentation, and mentoring, it can become attainable and enjoyable! I am so fortunate to have support from my art major advisor and painting professor at Whitman who mentored me on the mural designs the past two summers. 

In September, the schools will be in session and hundreds of kids will pass by the spaces newly transformed by vibrant colors and designs intended to foster their learning, play, and imaginations. This is what fuels my passion, professional goal of working as a muralist, and immense appreciation for the organizations like the Whitman Internship Grant and Salem Art Association who made this experience possible and will continue to impact the community of Independence, Oregon. 

Amy Charnholm ’27 (she/her) is an Art and Hispanic Studies double major from Salem, Oregon, interning with the Salem Art Association. The school district where she created one of the murals coordinated for her to join the scissor lift certification class in order to borrow the district’s skyjack lift when painting the new mural. She now feels confident operating a lift in future mural projects that might require this certification.