A dozen Foothill-area high school art students with La Crescenta Heartshare recently dedicated more than 36 hours in the summer heat to paint a mascot mural at Palm Crest Elementary.
La Crescenta Heartshare Club is a nonprofit organization established by La Crescenta InArt Education. Founded in 2017, LC Heartshare has been creating murals for schools and other institutions, including a church and gym. Students involved with the group attend schools across Los Angeles, including La Cañada High School, Crescenta Valley High School, Valley Academy of Art and Science, Los Angeles County High School of the Arts, Village Christian School, Westridge School and Chaminade High School.
The masterpiece, located next to PCR’s playfield, is a 45-foot-long, 9-foot-high artwork that depicts a 6-foot-tall black panther poised against the backdrop of palm trees and a blue, cloudy sky.
For elements requiring precision, like the words in the PCR logo, the club used prepared stencils. Additionally, to mark the end of the project, the Heartshare’s logo was stamped in the corner of the mural.
The wall the art is on was recently built for a renovation project among LCUSD schools. La Cañada Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Melissa Greenwood oversaw the process of the PCR mural.
HOW IT WORKS
Once a project idea gets approved, several possible dates are discussed and a design-making process can be initiated. All projects begin with a club member contacting the principal or the manager of the chosen institution. A ballot narrows the number of candidates to two or three; these are sent to the institution who chooses the best one.
The club holds an annual election in September, so the people working on murals each year would not be the same.
Students above 7th-grade can sign up to join the club at La Crescenta InArt Education. For more information, visit lcheartshare.org.
First published in the August 10 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
