Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest jumps out from a new 60-foot mural at Kent Elementary School.
A bear stands tall behind a Kent Elementary sign. An eagle soars with Mount Rainier in the background. A fox dances near a river.
Artists Michelle McClinn and Cheryl Rhodes revealed the mural, which is 8 feet high and 60 feet long, on June 5. More than 60 people attended the reveal, including Kent Mayor Dana Ralph.
“Many people were shocked at the size of the mural and were fascinated by the large array of northwest wildlife that was included,” McClinn said.
Students at the school wrote notes to the artists.
“Wow, wow you two are fire,” one student wrote.
Others pointed out their favorites parts, which included the bear, Mount Rainier, the octopus and the bunny.
“My favorite part is the blue,” another student wrote.
So, how did this mural come to be?
“The idea of a creating a mural at Kent Elementary came about one day when I was driving by the school and flippantly thought, ‘that school needs come color, I should paint a mural there,’” McClinn said in an email to the Kent Reporter. “A few weeks passed and I realized that I had been spending so much time focusing on other peoples bad behavior that something clicked and I decided I would contact the school and pour my energies into something positive and impactful.”
McClinn reached out to Kent Elementary Principal Rosa Villareal, who welcomed the idea for a mural.
The first stroke of paint began June 11, 2024. Last July, McClinn stopped by a yard sale for some oil paint and met Rhodes for the first time. They conversed and eventually McClinn told Rhodes about the planned 60-foot mural. Rhodes volunteered to help.
Rhodes graduated from Ottawa University (with locations in Ottawa, Kansas and Surprise, Arizona) with a degree in arts education and has an associate degree from the Colorado Institute of Art. She aided McClinn with her clear vision and expertise.
McClinn became interested in art at age 12. She studied graphic design under Gary Nelson, painting and photography at Highline College in Des Moines and has taken numerous art classes. She had never painted a large mural.
The two women took a six-month break from the mural due to weather but completed it a few days before the June 5 reveal.
Teacher Lynn Wells took her students to the mural to use it as a teaching tool.
The mural is out back of the school, on a wall under the covered basketball court, but people can check it out by coming to the school office and asking to see it. Kent Elementary is at 24700 64th Ave. S.
The mural is painted with Behr Dynasty Paint and Primer. An assistant manager at Home Depot in Kent gave a 50% discount off a large portion of the paint and supplies, McClinn said. The mural will be coated with a marine grade, anti-sacrificial/ant-graffiti product from Sherman Williams, also at half off thanks to Kyle Stangle-Hess.
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The mural depicts Pacific Northwest wildlife. COURTESY PHOTO, Michelle McClinn/Cheryl Rhodes
The mural depicts Pacific Northwest wildlife. COURTESY PHOTO, Michelle McClinn/Cheryl Rhodes
The mural depicts Pacific Northwest wildlife. COURTESY PHOTO, Michelle McClinn/Cheryl Rhodes
Students wrote notes to the artists about the new mural. COURTESY PHOTO, Michelle McClinn/Cheryl Rhodes
Cheryl Rhodes and friends at the mural at Kent Elementary School. COURTESY PHOTO, Michelle McClinn
