Multiple arms cultivate ‘Octupus’s Garden’

By SDUN Staff Report

McKinley Elementary School students, parents and volunteers will be finishing the “Octopus’s Garden” mural on Jan. 30 and 31.

Designed by Betsy Schulz, the artwork’s first half was completed by McKinley students and parents with the assistance of Rob Tobin of the ARTS (A Reason to Survive) Foundation.

The mural was created to beautify the portable buildings on the school’s campus and to complement the educational garden nearby. Second-grade teacher Richard Kenyon, a Beatles fan, suggested “Octupus’s Garden” as the theme. His and other second-grade students created ceramics for the mural at McKinley’s art studio, which includes a firing kiln. Kouta Shimazaki of San Diego Ceramic Connection taught the second-graders and then worked with third- and fifth-graders to produce more pieces for the mural.

The “work party” will consist of four four-hour shifts beginning Sat., Jan. 30. Shifts are 8 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. both days. Volunteers can register with project coordinator and McKinley parent Jon Rogers at [email protected].

To support the project, a committee is seeking monetary donations to ARTS, a 501(c)3 foundation, to fund materials and an onsite artist. Donations can be posted at www.artsurvive.org or by contacting Rogers for pick-up. All donors of $25 or more will receive a personalized tile in the mural.

Donations of food and drinks to support volunteers during the work party are also being accepted and will be recognized at www.mckinleyptc.com and in press releases about the completed project.

For more information on the Octopus’s Garden, go to www.mckinleyptc.com/about/garden-program.