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Above and Below the Ocean

Mural Artist: Isabel Halpern
May 2022

This mural was painted by the Toler Elementary 5th grade class of 2022. Led by artist Isabel Halpern, this piece serves to welcome all to a colorful and joyful campus. The 5th grade students played a direct role in the design of this mural. During their mural design workshops, students created many of the images you see here using scissors, paper, and glue. Inspired by the paper cutouts of artist Henri Matisse, students used their imaginations to create all things under and above the ocean. Some of the many images that students made were an anglerfish exploring down below, jellyfish with long wiggly legs, a big tiger shark following a school of fish, a sailboat with the sweetest of sails, large collaged suns, and birds in flight. As a legacy gift to their whole school community, the 5th grade artists painted this mural with care and compassion. It serves as a big reminder and representation of all of the living beings that come from the sea. It reminds us of the importance of taking care of our environment and the big blue ocean which is mere blocks away from Toler Elementary.

This mural was funded by the Toler Elementary PTA.