Fauquier Environmental Studies Academy (FESA) classrooms will receive a mural painted by members of the FHS Art Club, that will encompass students as they enter their classes. Students began painting at the beginning of the school year and hope to finish by the end of the school year.

Six walls in total will receive personal touches of paint following the theme of tropical jungle paradise “I want the animals to look very realistic, like they are living, like when you look at [the animals] they will look through you,” junior Zita Ribeiro, contributing artist said.

Dawn Brown, art teacher and advisor of the Art Club, is excitedly anticipating the final results. “I expect it to be great because I have a great group of students who are working on it.” She also commented that the group works well together, which is not always a common occurrence with a big project. “The group is very receptive which always helps.”

“I’ve always wanted to do the mural just because it’s a brand new program, brand new classroom, brand new labs, so I wanted something,” Science teacher Jonathan Kraut said, “Everybody sees these [murals] in the hallways, and they’re really cool.”

Art club has painted several murals around the school that many would recognize stationed in the cafeteria, hallways and in multiple offices. Although this one is among the largest by far. Several animals have already been immortalized such as a large tiger, a panther resting on a log and a sloth hanging off the wall. Every week, little by little, the painting grows revealing new animals and foliage.

Several students who take classes at the site of the mural were not warned ahead of time of the proposed project and were surprised one morning when they arrived and saw pencil sketches and yellow painters tape on the walls. “I just walked in and saw it and thought it was really cool, and it fits in with everything,” sophomore Jordan Sim said. Senior Rachel Crowe commented, “I want it to represent what the classes are about and help invite people into the class.”

FESA is a four-year program stationed in Fauquier High School. The academy is fairly new to FHS and centers around environmental studies.