Students walking the halls of Eastside High School will soon be greeted by a new mural — one hand-painted by students and volunteers. For some, the mural will feature familiar faces, as it depicts members of the school’s student body.
The project is the latest work of Mindful Messages: A Mural Movement, a nonprofit organization painting murals with uplifting, unifying messages in schools across Alachua County.
The Eastside mural is designed to capture the school’s diverse history of integration, said Jenna Horner, the founder of Mindful Messages. Eastside opened in 1970 following a U.S. Supreme Court order for Alachua County Public Schools to desegregate.
The wall, which spans about 50 feet, features images of present-day students and students from the ‘70s dancing together on a football field. They’re joined by band students, football players, cheerleaders and local Florida wildlife. At the end of the mural is a portrait of a student with a headdress. “Be yourself” is written in different languages around her head.
The mural’s goal, Horner said, is to highlight the variety and history of the Eastside community.
“Each little piece to the puzzle becomes this big picture,” she said. “That's what I want them to leave with, is knowing that they're one piece to a much bigger system.”
Each person in the mural is modeled after a current student. Horner hopes future generations of students will see their image reflected in the mural, she said.
Since the nonprofit’s inception in 2022, the organization has painted murals in two other Alachua County schools: Fort Clarke Middle School and Gainesville High School.
The organization paints one mural per year in local schools, but artist Horner’s work doesn’t end there. The design for Eastside took her a year to complete, she said.
During her last project, Horner realized the nonprofit’s mission was “not sustainable,” as each mural was completed essentially for free.
“The school's never going to have that money,” Horner said. “As artists, we don't either, so I kind of take that whole year to fundraise for one project.”
Last year, the organization partnered with Gainesville Fine Arts Association to raise money. Ten percent of the fundraising money goes to the GFAA, while the rest of the money goes towards Mindful Messages’ school projects, she said.
For current students, like 16-year-old sophomore Jazeel Haynes, the mural brings a sense of pride.
“I feel very noticed and proud,” Haynes said while painting an image of herself cheerleading.
Eastside Principal Leroy Williams said the painting is the latest in a string of murals on the campus.
The school started painting murals in 2019 to “change the culture” around hallways.
“This one is very special because it actually involves … a wide variety of students from different programs, different backgrounds, to all come together for one common goal,” Williams said.
Students of different ages can come together to help design and paint the mural with support from the nonprofit organization.
Allowing students to help create the mural creates a sense of ownership, accountability and excitement, Williams said.
For local volunteers, like 41-year-old Monica White, the project serves as an opportunity to introduce students to art.
“For a lot of these kids, this is the first time they've ever picked up a paintbrush,” White said. “This introduced them to art. Whether they stick with it or not, it doesn't matter. This is going to stick with these kids for the rest of their lives.”
White, who has kids of her own, said the process of working with the students brings her joy.
White has volunteered with Mindful Messages since it started about four years ago. She hopes students will find a sense of pride in the mural, imagining them taking pictures with it in their graduation cap and gown.
“It's almost like they get to leave behind a little bit of a legacy,” White said. “Not a lot of people get to do that.”
Contact Grace Larson at glarson@alligator.org. Follow her on X @graceellarson.
Grace Larson is a first-year journalism student, currently serving as K-12 education reporter. She has previously served as city/county commission reporter for The Alligator's metro desk. In her free time, she enjoys staying active and hanging out with her family.
