Walking across the CHS campus, an eye-catching new project may stand out outside the 500 quad, also known as the art quad. This new mural, created by CHS senior Xiucoatl Mejia, is called “The Legacy of Creation.” It depicts 14 great creators who left a positive impact, along with two hands changing the world.
“I wanted to lay down a series of people who I felt were great creators in this world and left a positive influence on this world,” Mejia said.
The 14 inspirational creators illustrated on the mural are: Wang-od Oggay, Sam Maloof, Billie Holiday, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Anne Frank, Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Gilbert “Magú” Luján, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, and Shiva Nazar Ahari.
Mejia, along with his club the People Arts Alliance Club (PAAC), came up with a general idea of what they wanted for the mural. Afterwards, Mejia began by crafting the proposal for the principal, Dr. Brett O’Connor, which included short biographies of each person on the wall and a basic sketch of Mejia’s vision with everything measured out in proportions to fit the wall outside the 500 quad. Additionally, Mejia had to get funding for the various paints he was using, which ended up amounting to more than $800.
Since earning its approval and funding, Mejia, among other CHS students, worked on the mural during office hours, weekends, and lunch on Fridays. Many of the CHS students who worked on the mural are just as diverse as the people they are painting. For instance, the Best Buds have also came in to give a helping hand with the mural on a weekly basis. Overall, the mural has been a team effort among the CHS students. With all this help, Mejia hopes to get the mural completed by the end of February.
“We decided we wanted to leave a mural on campus as a legacy for future students in years to come. We came together and came up with a general idea of what we wanted, and I put it together in one image,” Mejia said.
It can be said with great confidence that this mural will be a legacy for Mejia, the rest of PAAC, and all students that contributed to the painting of it. “The Legacy of Creation” will be around for years to come, for class after class of CHS students, generation after generation, honoring those from the past who have shaped the future.