This year, in celebration of Las Vegas Academy of the Arts (LVA) 30th anniversary, 30 murals created by students and alumni are being added to buildings on campus. Visual and Media Arts Instructor Ashley Stroud originally got the idea for the project last year when preparing to hang signs for the Arts School Network Conference (ASN) with Mr. Walker and Mr. Downey. She realized the same strategy being used for the ASN signs could be used to hang murals as well. It became a contest for students and alumni to submit their pieces for a chance to be selected as a mural. Over summer enrichment staff members voted on the pieces and the ones with the most votes were selected to be hung. The hanging process began last year, and will be completed by the end of the school year. 

Sophomore Sophia Muelrath submitted and had one of her pieces chosen to be displayed. 

“It was a simple, but exciting process,” Muelrath said. “It was nice to get the email that you’ve been chosen.” Students had access to a google form where they were able to submit multiple pieces. 

Mr. Salmon, Visual Art’s instructional assistant, worked on the mechanics of where the murals would be hung according to their dimensions. With the new equipment that had been purchased for the ASN signage, it was quick and easy to install the murals. The actual hanging of the murals was delayed until the end of September due to hot weather, and as many as possible were hung before the cold weather started approaching early in November. The rest of the hanging is set to resume sometime when better weather approaches this year.  

Stroud thinks the murals will be a good representation of our school and a nice way to take pride in our art and showcase it. People driving by seeing the murals will get a good impression of the passion and art that happens here. 

“I think the murals’ biggest point is to showcase the talent in the visual arts department while also beautifying the school and uniting it,” Stroud said.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Violet Gude

Senior Alana Mogel helped with the planning and placement of all the murals and has one of her own pieces featured as well. The name of her mural is “The Deep” and in the piece, she aims to display a feeling of a playful and childlike nature for those seeing it. “I want you to think about the piece and interpret it in your own way,” Mogel said.