TAMPA, Fla — A splash of color and a message of hope. That’s the goal behind a new initiative to place murals in schools by local and traveling artists.
Broward Elementary is just one of the schools in Hillsborough County colored by a new mural.
The artist, Thomas Evans, goes by Detour.
"A lot of times when we look at the architecture of the neighborhood, in our communities, you know, it's basically muted colors. Things are supposed to sometimes just like be cohesive. But, when you have a mural that has a ton of color with imagery, it stands out. It says something," Detour explained.
Detour is teamed up with Tampa Walls, a group of artists who are part of a new program called Mural School. Its goal is to encourage creative freedom, teamwork and hands-on learning experiences.
Detour said he wants to share with the community that mural painting and public art can be viable and rewarding career choices.
"A lot of times, people don't get to see the artists at work, and to see an artist at work, creating something, they're like, hey, this is something that I can probably aspire to be, you know, just like a doctor or a lawyer or you know, a chef," Detour added.
Each school part of the program will get two murals; one by a traveling artist and one by a local artist.
"Kids were commenting on it, saying wow! Even the parents, you know, picking up their kids and students, they were super excited about it," Detour said.
He said in today’s climate, it's important schools feel inviting and are a place kids can be proud to be a part of, which he hopes the mural will do.
"That's something that I really wanted the kids to walk away and just like say hey, this is this is my school, this is my elementary, and this is the artwork that's been on it," Detour said.
