Reminders
of the rich history and tradition in the Puyallup Valley, including the
Meeker Mansion, fairgrounds, family owned farms, and Puyallup High
School, are highlighted in a new student-designed wall mural in the
school library.
Puyallup
High eleventh grader Savannah Jarrett worked with her art teacher,
Dorrie Coleman, to paint the 7-foot by 16-foot acrylic mural on a wall
just inside the library entrance.
Nearly
30 people, including Superintendent Tim Yeomans, Puyallup High
educators, and her family and friends attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony
this fall to dedicate the colorful new artwork.
The
main Puyallup High classroom building is prominent in the center of the
mural, and large bold purple and gold letters spell out ”Puyallup High”
above the school.
Surrounding
the high school building are images of the front of the historic Meeker
Mansion; the Puyallup Library and clock tower; Picha Farms barn and
fields; and the Extreme Scream and Ferris wheel rides at the Washington
State Fair.
The
images are set against a backdrop of clouds, sun rays, and trees, as
well as a single yellow daffodil in the bottom corner where Jarrett and
Coleman signed their names.
“I
wanted it to look like a postcard of our area and capture what Puyallup
has to offer,” Jarrett said. “I also wanted to paint something bright
and happy.”
Jarrett
began the project with Coleman last spring after school Principal Jason
Smith approached the art department and said he thought a mural would
be a welcome addition in the library.
The
student, who is taking advanced High school mural depicts Puyallup
history drawing and painting classes this year, first traced her design
on paper. She then submitted the drawing to the principal and, once
approved, used a projector to cast the images onto the wall in an
enlarged format.
She
and Coleman used acrylic paint to fill in the designs, then added a
clear coat finish to protect the art from marks or fading. Jarrett
estimates the project took 42 hours from start to finish. All the work
was done before school let out in June.
Superintendent Yeomans praised Jarrett for her hard work and talent.
“Thank you for the gift you have given to all of us,” Yeomans said at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The
eleventh grader has been taking art classes since she was in ninth
grade at Aylen Junior High. She has entered her work in several local
art contests and won competitions sponsored by organizations such as the
Washington State Fair and Puyallup PTA Reflections. Her career plans
include majoring in art or creative writing in college and becoming an
animator or illustrator.
Librarian
Beth Watts, whose office faces the mural, said she couldn’t be happier
with how the mural looks and the pride it represents for Puyallup High
School.
“Puyallup
High is at the heart of our valley and has been at the heart of the
valley for many years,” she said. “The nostalgic feel to the mural just
fits.”