Art has always been a good outlet for emotion, whether it be stress, anger, happiness or any other feeling one gets. Art can help as a channel to express those emotions. Just like the artist draws enjoyment from making the art, any onlookers can share in the emotion that the piece holds. That’s why bringing art to a community is a special service that everyone can benefit from.

In a bid to spruce up the community, a group of Alton High school students have joined together to erect a mural in the nurse’s office. Jamie Postlewait, Sierra Hancock and Eli Bowers have taken up the task. “The nurses actually reached out to Mr. White and he asked if we’d do it”, Junior Jamie Postlewait said. 

The mural is going to be in the nurses clinic. The design will obviously be nurse related with a stethoscope that leads into a visual heartbeat rhythm with a heart in the middle that has a nurse’s hat on top of it. The design will be able to be seen from the C hallway as students pass the nurses  office.

Alton High has multiple murals throughout the school that give a nice splash of color to the building. These murals are what makes the school unique. Not only do they brighten up the school, but students can walk by and admire these pieces. In a recent analysis done by author Jannik Lindner many positive statistics about art therapy were found one of the most important being “Art therapy helps reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress by 73%”

The addition of murals has many benefits. Aside from the mental positives, the students who paint these get experience with mural painting and the confidence that their creation will stand as long as these walls do. These murals become a part of these students’ legacy; they can come back and look at it whenever they want.