‘S.T.E.A.M.’ Collaborative Mural

• Client: Ernest Hemingway Elementary Parent Auxiliary

• Roles: Creative Lead, Art Direction, Installation

• Scope: Interior Mural / Community Engagement Project

• Location: Ketchum, Idaho

Creative Lead

I was commissioned to design and execute a mural that represented the school's commitment to S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). Beyond the technical painting, my primary role was Educational Facilitation—incorporating the 5th-grade graduating class into the actual fabrication of the work.

Narrative Design: Creating a cohesive visual metaphor (the #2 pencil hot air balloon) that integrated disparate educational concepts into a single, engaging story.

Workshop Leadership: Designing a "hands-on" participation model that allowed dozens of students to contribute meaningful elements (the fingerprint stars) without compromising the professional quality of the final installation.

Vision

The goal was to move beyond static icons and create a sense of adventure. By depicting a Husky (the school mascot) captaining a hot air balloon powered by a DNA-strand flame, we gave the S.T.E.A.M. concepts movement and life. The mural serves as a daily reminder to students that education is a vehicle for exploration.

Leadership & Engagement

This wasn't just a solo commission; it was a legacy project. I structured the production process to include the graduating 5th-grade class as a "gift" back to their school. Managing a large group of young "assistants" required clear communication, safety oversight, and a structured workflow that ensured every student felt ownership of the piece.

Human Element

The "stars" in the sky are the individual fingerprints of the students. This small detail turned the mural into a time capsule. It proves that public art is most successful when the people who live with it every day are the ones who helped build it.

The mural painting occurred during the last week of school before summer.

After the initial drawing, the first color that got painted was the blue sky.

Original Illustration Submission

Traditional pen drawing and Adobe Photoshop coloring.