GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Howe Elementary Community School unveiled and dedicated its new playground mural on Wednesday afternoon.
The mural, painted by Fox Cities artist Irineo Medina and sponsored by Fox Communities Credit Union, was inspired by Howe’s vision statement: “Howe is a place of excellence where ALL students are resilient, capable, brilliant learners who are empowered to reach their full potential and make valuable contributions to society.”
The collaborative community project began when Howe Elementary staff and students voted on a theme for a new mural in December 2020. After choosing the muralist, Howe families were encouraged to submit photos of their children to be considered for the new mural. Howe staff received more than 30 submissions, and Medina selected six students to be featured.
"This is a great message sending into the community the importance of diversity in our schools, our community, and the power of art to bring people together and send a positive message," said Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich.
During the school day on September 17, every Howe classroom had an opportunity to meet with Irineo Medina and paint a piece of the new mural. Downtown Green Bay provided support for the artist's paint budget and Immel Construction supplied scaffolding to complete the project. The City of Green Bay brought the project through the Public Arts Commission and City Council with unanimous approval.
"We’ve seen more and more public art popping up across the city over the last few years and that’s thanks to our public art coordinator as well as the community, but this doesn't happen without the artists which are the kids and the school district and all the partners that made it happen," Genrich said.
