BY STEPHANIE RENNER

Every Wednesday from after school until 4 p.m., art club meets to paint one of Mariemont High School’s walls. They are turning a blank, dull, white surface into a complex, alluring design to capture and inspire creativity and innovation.

The burgeoning mural is located in the corner slightly above and to the left of the collaboration space, near the auditorium and music wing of the high school. Senior art club president Alex Wilson says that a lot of work and planning has gone into the project, starting with Emily Cox’s sketching and crafting of the design on paper last fall. Lately, they’ve been working on editing, adding colors, and sketching on the walls.

Wilson says that the tools used to make the mural include pencils, paint, paint brushes, and “full hearts.”

“I think it will be a great, colorful addition to the school. We think it’s something everyone can appreciate. Putting it together is a great experience,” he says.

Emily Cox, the mastermind behind the design, says that the design itself represents creativity.

“I see the damage of music and visual art coming together,” says Cox. “We want the area to feel less like a prison and more creative. People can be back here more.”

“When I’m painting, I think about how Pablo Picasso must have felt when he painted” says senior art club vice president Abby Dodson.

Dodson says that being in art club is beneficial because “you can express art outside of class.”

Art teacher and advisor of art club, Mrs. Kim Richardson, loves the enthusiasm of her art students. She especially likes the way the mural brightens up the hallways and the whole project is student-oriented.

“They’re just so excited to help beautify their school for now and the students to come,” she says. As for the mural, she likes the bright colors. “They make everyone feel happy and bring a smile to people’s faces.”

Freshman art club member Megan Weinland is excited to be a part of painting the mural.

“I like how big the shapes are and how abstract it it. I makes the school seem more creative,” she says.

Freshman Wyatt Lemay painted the accented, purple lighting bolt.

“I like art club because it’s interactive,” says Lemay, “it’s something I like to do with good people.”