Grassland Elementary Unveils New Mural

Published August 19, 2010

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! They’re just a few of the animals students will see on a daily basis as they walk the halls at Grassland Elementary School. Over the summer break, renowned artist Gale Hinton painted an elaborate mural at Grassland depicting various ecosystems and animals from around the world.

The artwork was paid for by the Grassland School and Community Association. According to Grassland teacher Tammie Wetherholt, the goal was to create an educational mural that would incorporate literacy with science.

“That’s the great thing about this,” said Wetherholt. “Not only is it beautiful to look at, but it also meets our educational standards. This is going to be a great tool for us to use in literacy.”

Wetherholt says students at the school will be asked to research many of the animals and habitats depicted in the mural. She also thinks it will help the children enhance their reading and map skills.

Hinton has been painting murals for schools, restaurants and hospitals across the country for more than 45 years. It took her a total of seven days, working from 5:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. each day, to complete the Grassland Elementary School mural, which she hopes will inspire students to want to learn more.

“I always try to make the murals educational,” said Hinton. “Hopefully, this will give teachers at Grassland numerous opportunities to enhance learning.”