Tom Winter
MCHS Mural Artists
Spring | Summer 2019 | MartinArts 5
started garnering attention, many student-painters
and other volunteers participated. There were three
MCHS art students were involved in every facet of
planning and implementing the painting: 18-year
old Hannah Ball, 16-year old Nick Currenti and
15-year old Erin Whelpley. The three are members
of the National Art Honor Society and advanced
students in MCHS art program.
Selecting what to include in the mural
was no easy task. Although Stuart isn’t terribly old
by international standards, it has a rich and diverse
history that begs to be told.
Ultimately, Amanda, Bryan, Nick, Erin
and Hannah chose to paint likenesses of a sailfish,
rays of sun, Felix A. Williams, 500 East Ocean
Boulevard, pineapples, The Feed Store, Dade
County Pine (used to build many homes in early
Stuart), Governor John W. Martin meeting with
a Seminole chief, The House of Refuge, Hubert
Bessey, a sign reading “Potsdam” (the former name
of Stuart), Trapper Nelson and a chrysanthemum.
A formidable amount of work needed to
be done and Hannah recalls they were concerned
they weren’t going to meet the deadline. But Nick
says the philosophy of all the painters was “if you
see something that needs to be done, just do it” and
they finished on time.
The height of the wall necessitated use of
scaffolding, motorized lifts and other equipment
and Bryan shares that in addition to donating the
wall and the moral support, Kim Jones paid to rent
everything.
Bryan, Amanda and Kim can’t stress
enough how many people in Stuart and Martin
County jumped on board, helping the process along
in a variety of ways. Stuart City Commissioner
Eula Clarke was instrumental in getting the city’s
Minor Code Registration Fee waived.
Regal Paint Center donated nearly all the
Benjamin Moore Paint. And local mural expert
Brenda Leigh lent her expertise and keen eye as
she painted one day. Regal will also be donating
the clear coat that will be applied to protect the
painting from the elements. Lights are to be added
so that the mural is visible at night.
The experience was a positive and
gratifying one for everyone involved. For her
part, Kim Jones – the mother of two high school
students – says she loved seeing the young artists’
passion fueled.
Bryan Johnson says the generosity of
Stuart businesses, residents and government
officials played a key role in the success of the
project. Amanda Jones, who had never worked on
a mural of this scope, says the entire experience
was, “totally cool.”
Nick Currenti says it was a lot of fun
working on the mural and seeing the amazing
number of volunteer painters (including his own
mom) who turned out.