CARLSBAD — Colors abound amid the fresh coats of paint of three new murals beautifying the walls and halls of Poinsettia Elementary School.
Local artists Bryan Snyder, Johanna Daly and Elvis Sevilla each completed installations at the school, bringing a new look, feel and atmosphere for the kids.
Snyder continued his quest to paint a mural at every school campus in Carlsbad with a new installation at Poinsettia Elementary featuring butterflies, bold and bright colors and a panther, the school’s mascot.
Snyder worked through the rain on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30 and even got his lift stuck in the mud, but it was worth the trouble for the Carlsbad artist.
Daly created two murals on the school’s handball courts to help inspire and motivate kids, and Sevilla chose a light blue theme for a panther mural with the phrase, “Panthers Are #1.”
All the murals were completed over the past two months giving the school a much-needed makeover, said Principal Robert Devich.
“What I want for us to get all of these buildings … to get a common theme,” Devich said. “It adds color to the campus, adding personality to the campus in a deliberate way to build this culture we’re trying to establish at this school.”
Students also responded with an outpouring of support for the new colorful murals now covering a once drab campus.
“I like how it is unique because most of the other schools I see don’t have bright colors,” fifth-grader Kalia said. “They are just plain.”
Devich and several parents who volunteer with the PTA said the next goal is to install artwork that promotes the school’s values — responsibility and the Golden Rule — along most of the building’s external facing walls.
Devich and some parents have already noticed a difference in the kids and their reactions to the new murals — school days have become a little easier as the students interact with the butterflies and bright and bold color schemes.
“I want this to be their second home,” Devich said. “I want them to think this is the best school in the United States. When you’re building a colorful campus, it brings them a sense of security.”
Parent Heidi Logan, a PTA volunteer, connected with Snyder during the summer, completely unaware of the artist’s desire to paint a mural at every campus in Carlsbad.
Poinsettia was Snyder’s fourth installation at a Carlsbad school. Snyder created a mural at Aviara Oaks Middle School in 2018, Calavera Hills Middle School in 2019, and Valley Middle School in early 2020 before the pandemic hit.
“It took a long time to find a time to paint due to my new teaching schedule,” Snyder said. “The goal of this one was really to add more color … inspire the kids, and bring in school spirit. It’s large-scale and takes over a good amount of their campus.”
The Poinsettia PTA is also conducting a donation drive for the mural project. Those who are interested, can email [email protected] to donate.
