With the launch of two new elementary academies in the Socorro Independent School District, several bold, colorful murals were born, created by local artists to inspire students at the fine arts and science focused schools.
The 2022-2023 school year ushered in the newly created Escontrias STEAM Academy and the Paso Del Norte Fine Arts Academy, where students are being immersed in meaningful and engaging instruction in science and the arts.
With the transformation of the existing SISD schools to the new elementary academies came the impressive murals designed to beautify the schools and bring attention to the world of opportunities that the specialized instruction can provide for the students.
Escontrias STEAM Academy principal Jesse Aguirre said he is excited for the students to be inspired by the enhanced environment at the academy. It allows them to think about how they can personally pursue their scholastic and artistic goals.
“We want to provide students with a stimulating environment and one that students want to be engaged in,” Aguirre said.
Six local artists were selected by the SISD Fine Arts Department to paint the murals at both schools depicting inspiring images related to science and fine arts.
The final creations combined bold colors, images, and designs, including depictions of well-known local individuals who’ve succeeded in the fields and a rendition that mimics the classic Plaza Theater in Downtown El Paso.
At Escontrias STEAM Academy three murals created by artists Javier Arostegui, Patricia Reyes, and Tino Ortega decorate the front hallway, the science lab hallway, and an area near the gymnasium of the school. The murals show tools and machines used in science and technology and mathematical equations and images representing the engineering and math fields.
One of the murals is a local treasure that showcases five notable El Pasoans, who paved the way and achieved remarkable success in science and fine arts.
The mural created by Ortega features Ginger Kerrick, NASA's first Hispanic female flight director; John Daniel "Danny" Olivas Ph.D, P.E., an American engineer and former NASA astronaut; Khalid Donnel Robinson, Americas High School graduate and a Grammy-nominated, popular singer and songwriter; Stephanie "Stevie" Lynn Nicks, well-known musician with Fleetwood Mac and a solo artist; and Eugene "Gene" Wesley Roddenberry, an American television screenwriter, producer, and the creator of Star Trek.
“It was a great honor to be selected for this project,” Ortega said. “I love El Paso, and I hope that this mural will inspire the next generation of creatives.”
Reyes, local artist and art instructor in the city of Socorro who created the mural along the science lab hallway, said it was awesome to contribute to the new academy at Escontrias.
“We tried to incorporate important career figures, words and colors to stimulate the students’ minds,” Reyes said. “We want these kids to be excited when they see these murals and to want to learn about science.”
Javier Arostegui, local artist who painted the mural in the academy’s front hallway, said the idea behind the artwork is to reflect what the academy stands for.
“We wanted to show students what they can learn from this academy and what they have the potential to become,” Arostegui said.
The artwork at the Paso Del Norte Fine Arts Academy created by Adrian Lopez, Chris Hurtado, and Lally Bagdon features a dancer and a paintbrush among a backdrop of yellow poppies and golden red flowers that are widely recognizable in El Paso along with students creating music and the Plaza Theater marquee.
Paso Del Norte Fine Arts Academy Principal Adalberto Garcia said he was thrilled with the murals and hopes they will bring good vibes and inspiration to his students.
“All students have art in their heart, it’s just our job to help them find it,” Garcia said.
Hurtado, a full-time student at the University of Texas at El Paso and a freelance artist who designed the mural of a student creating music, said it was a great honor and accomplishment to be selected for the project.
“The goal was to create a fun and diverse mural that would encourage students to creatively embrace their differences and individuality,” Hurtado said. “Hopefully, the students will be inspired to express (art), and not suppress it, in a healthy creative way with our contribution to the art academy.”
Bagdon, a multimedia artist and a former SISD AP art student, now a parent of two SISD students, created the mural that pays tribute to the Plaza Theater. She said it is especially exciting for her to see how art education has evolved over the years.
“Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever thought I’d be able to have an opportunity to have student artists see my art every day,” Bagdon said. “My hope for them is that they keep trying new mediums and to take risks with their creative visions.”
SISD Fine Arts director Candace Printz said that the district decided to work with local artists instead of a company for the project, which meant not only supporting local artists, but also serving as a model for students.
“We hope this sets a positive example of what they could one day accomplish,” Printz said. “All those involved in preparing the Paso Del Norte Fine Arts & Escontrias STEAM academies for teachers and students will tell you that it has been nothing less than a labor of love.”
The mural project also served to strengthen the crucial relationship between the district and the community to ensure student success.
Lopez, a community artist who painted the dancer and a paintbrush among a backdrop of yellow poppies and golden red flowers mural, said he was happy to be a part of Paso Del Norte’s transition to become a fine arts focused campus.
“This was a win-win situation,” Lopez said. “It feels good to invest my work in El Paso and connect with local schools.”
He said that it’s important for students to understand the different avenues available in the fields of fine arts and know that creating art can be a career. Lopez is happy that SISD is modeling that by hiring local artists to showcase their work and inspire students.
Published December 5, 2022
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