Students in Grades 5 to 8 at École élémentaire catholique Saint-Joseph in West Nipissing have been working in the last few weeks with a well-known local street artist to paint two giant wall murals inside their school. The students say the murals are a reflection of identity and belonging, while also celebrating students, staff and all those who contribute to the broader school community. Long strokes and quick splashes of colour were bringing a wall mural on the second floor of the school to life last week. “I did a little bit of the moon in our hallway,” said Annabelle Desjardins, a Grade 7 student. The idea of brightening the school’s walls started a few years ago. “The school team and the kids finally expressed their voices -- their voices are very important to me,” said school principal Michelle Kerr. In September, Franco-Ontarian street artist and muralist Mique Michelle began helping students spray-paint cards and signs for the Franco-Ontarian day flag raising at Goulard Park. Michelle’s graffiti artwork can be found all around the world. She also spoke to them about community, their values and the prevalence of graffiti art as a way to create awareness about oppression that minorities face. Michelle also said murals, like all elements of hip-hop, have the power to offer solutions and challenge discrimination. “To be able to listen to all these participants, these students, these kids -- what a privilege,” she said. From there, the murals were born. “Well, it’s very inspiring because some people want to be like artists when they grow older,” Grade 8 student Rylee Barnes said. Michelle painted a second mural on her own in the school’s first-floor foyer. Under her guidance, the students were challenged to dig deep into their roots, faith and culture to contribute design ideas to both projects, transforming the walls into spaces for creative expression. “In a painting, you can find a lot more than just drawings. It can include a storyline,” Desjardins said. That storyline features what West Nipissing has to offer, Michelle added. “Leisure farms’ strawberries, blueberries from our grandma’s patches, the church where it’s not only about faith, but in northern communities, the basement of our church is where all our events happen,” she said. The students made sure the wolf, the school’s mascot, was present in both murals. “It’s part of our identity,” Grade 8 student Lilly Bole said. A collective reflection on the community’s identity, rooted in faith, culture, history and the West Nipissing territory. “It’s really fun doing all the colours and how it’s like part of our school,” Bole added.
