Usually, when you enter a school building, the walls are full of drab colors and no life.
But now, at some elementary schools in Oxford, they’ve taken on a life of their own ? all made possible by dedicated, and creative, parents and paraprofessionals.
Dani Stublensky first approached Lydia Lopez Engel, principal of Daniel Axford Elementary, about creating a mural when Engel announced she had planned to retire soon.
‘I wanted to give her something that she could leave the school because she’s been a total blessing to this whole community and all the kids that she touches,? Stublensky said.
Stublensky is an artist who specializes in mural work for children’s bedrooms. Her work has been featured in Detroit Home Magazine and she even lent a paintbrush or two to the Armada home that was featured on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Her painting inside the west entrance is made up of all the things she feels teachers try to incorporate in their lessons. ‘It’s not only the reading, the writing and the arithmetic,? she said. ‘It’s character building and how much that plays a role in our kids (lives).?
Her daughter, Gabrielle, attends DA, while her son, Michael, attends Oxford Elementary.
Along with pencils, books and math equations, Stublensky painted words like ‘patience? and ‘compassion,? and of course a Wildcat paw.
The famous Dr. Seuss book title, Oh, the Places You’ll Go, is scrolled along the center of the wall.
The hardest part about doing the acrylic painting, according to Stublensky, was coming up with an idea that would encompass everything the teachers do.
‘As soon as I had the idea, it all fell into place,? she said.
For Stublensky, creating the mural at DA and even one at Holy Cross Pre-School has helped her reinvigorate her passion for art.
She ‘walked away? from using her art to ‘pay the bills? four years ago, thinking it wasn’t practical.
‘I have found myself back doing it and I love it,? she said. ‘God’s given me this talent and I just love that I can use it to make kids smile.?
At OES, paraprofessionals Cathy Zonsius and Maureen Kiplinger, who have a combined 18 years of working at the school between them, have left their mark on nearly every wall in the building.
The artistic duo, dubbed the ‘para-painters? by OES staff, have created colorful springtime murals, ones inspired by education and even shadow figures.
The shadow figures, which they both agree are their favorite, are actual students from each class who posed for the painting.
Zonsius and Kiplinger, who donate all of their time and supplies, would use the light from an overhead projector to get the shadows from the poses and then draw them on the wall.
‘We were trying to work as a team with the whole school,? Zonsius said. ‘The kids just love it.?
Zonsius and Kiplinger were a part of the first mural made by the Beautification Committee, but said they ‘just couldn’t stop? after one project.
Custom-made flower boxes and coloful curtains also line windows inside the school, care of custodians and other staff members as well.