Students ‘Create Something Beautiful” through Collaborative Project

First – fifth grade students recently participated in a collaborative art project designed to bring beauty to the surrounding St. Mark’s Campus community and raise awareness about unique urban art within the greater Jacksonville community. In the book “Maybe Something Beautiful” by F. Isabel Campoy and Theressa Howell, students learned about a young girl who adds a drawing of a sun to the wall of a dark alley. This one simple drawing inspired others to create art and bring brightness and color to a once gray community. 

“Maybe Something Beautiful” is based on a true story about the Urban Art Trail in San Diego, California. Applying what they learned about the Urban Art Trail, each St. Mark’s Campus student designed a single mosaic section pieced together to create a beautiful mural along McCullough Lane for passersby to enjoy. In addition to creating their own mural, students were encouraged to observe and submit photos of murals around the greater Jacksonville community and beyond. 

The St. Mark’s Campus mural is inscribed with a memorable quote within the book — “My friends, you are all artists. The world is your canvas.”

Anne Draper, Librarian, and BeBe Alexander, Art Instructor, utilized a multidisciplinary approach to inspire St. Mark’s Campus students to create something beautiful for this project.