Seniors, juniors, and some sophomores might recall how SHS’s cafeteria and study hall used to look. The cafeteria was painted a yellowish-brown shade with dark navy to pair. The study hall was monochromatic, with white being the only color. These days, these rooms in SHS have taken on a new appearance. The cafeteria has been painted white and a navy shade of blue to match the Solon City Schools’ logo colors and a new mural, and several murals have taken a permanent home in the study hall

Intrinsic Art Club advisor and art teacher Jennifer Thompson, said that members of the club expressed a desire to do something creative to the high school building.The club wanted a way to incentivize new members to join the club and to add more character, as well as detail, to SHS. The club’s idea was further put into action when SHS Principal Erin Short asked if the Intrinsic Art club would be interested in painting something that represented diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Members of the Solon Intrinsic Art Club came up with the idea for the murals during the end of last school year.

“I told [Intrinsic Art Club about the mural being approved] and over the summer… they organized [painting sessions] through Google Classroom, people put their ideas for what the mural might look like,” Thompson said. “So some pieces were ideas from one student and another piece was an idea from another student, and then they put it all together in computer form, and we projected it onto the wall.”

The murals were painted by members of the Solon Intrinsic Art Club as well as volunteers–it took several weeks over the summer break to complete. Intrinsic Art Club President Elizabeth Huang and Secretary Alanna Zhang spent an estimated 150 hours combined working on painting the murals. Intrinsic Art Club plans on doing more work to the school over the years.

“This is actually a legacy project, so that means walls in the cafeteria and study hall right now, but in future years…every year [Intrinsic Art Club] will be added to a new wall and in different parts of the school,” Huang said.

Huang and Zhang attributed the success of the murals to club members, those who volunteered, the PTA, Thompson, Short and as well as each other. They both stated that teamwork is what allowed for what they consider a lengthy but efficient process.

Zhang explained that the murals would have a lasting impact on people who were students at SHS or helped with the mural process.

“When [graduated students] come back to the school to visit like during Thanksgiving break to play with us in the orchestra, but they also visit [SHS], their teachers, and they can also see ‘I did that detail on the wall and it’s going to be here forever,’” she said.