Fort River School Welcomes Students’ Return With New Mural
New Mural at Fort River Elementary School. One panel of two. Photo: Amherst Regional Public Schools
Source: Amherst Regional Public Schools
When students at Fort River Elementary School returned to classes to start the fall term on Thursday (8/25) they were greeted with a colorful new mural that took up much of the front of the building.
The mural is titled Nuestros Caminos (our paths) and was painted by artist Fitzcarmel LaMarre of New Bedford, Masssachusetts. LaMarre first designed the mural digitally in collaboration with Fort River students. He had multiple meetings with the students in the spring of 2021 to look at different examples of murals, solicit ideas about what makes Amherst and Fort River unique, and present and revise design ideas for the mural.
The project was supported by a grant from the Amherst Cultural Council.
After the design was completed and approved by the town design review board, the painting process began.
About 60 students and their families came to community paint sessions scheduled from the summer of 2021 through the spring of 2022 at Amherst Regional High School or at the Bangs Center.
Parent facilitators Abril Navarro and volunteer Karla Sarr were instrumental in organizing and completing the project, along with ELL and Dual Language Coordinator Katie Richardson and paraeducator Julianna Bowen who conceived of the grant. Many dedicated family volunteers young and old helped complete it!
This is a beautiful project and imbues Fort River’s drab 70’s exterior with life. It always cheers me up when I pass by. Many thanks to everyone who worked on this incredible mural painting.
I agree Janet, demonstrating that because something is from the 70s or in its 70s does not, in itself, make it drab. Just imagine what occasional updating/upgrading or, dare I say, regular maintenance, could do for most things. That, not always instead of demolition and new construction.