Art in Action
Murals Strengthen Community at Catoctin High School
Alisha Yocum
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together,” Vincent van Gogh once said. At Catoctin High School (CHS), senior Zachary Williams and art teacher Theresa Hutchinson are proving just that as they collaborate on a project that’s capturing attention throughout the building.
What started out as a project with the National Art Honor Society to bring a mural to the cafeteria wall has now led to an explosion of color and art throughout the school building. Five students worked for over a month on the painting.
Hutchinson soon had the idea to paint a yearbook-themed mural in the hallway outside her classroom. After its completion, with the help of Williams, requests from other departments poured in, each hoping to bring their hallway to life with artwork of their own.
Williams, who plans to attend Shippensburg University to study Communication and Visual Media, spends much of his day with Hutchinson—taking AP Photography, serving as Yearbook Editor, and completing an art internship. The schedule created the perfect opportunity for the pair to collaborate daily on mural design and execution.
One of the newest murals (pictured on cover) pays tribute to the Learning for Life Program, which serves non-diploma-bound students with developmental and cognitive disabilities by teaching functional life skills and academics in a structured setting. Williams and Hutchinson worked closely with the students to design the mural, incorporating special tributes to former student Lane Miesner, who passed away in 2023, and Special Education teacher Kelle Brumley, who passed away in September.
The number 28 on the bear’s jersey honors Miesner, who led the football team onto the field before each game and had a deep love for the sport. A small yellow flag with the letters “KB” recognizes Brumley, who co-taught in the Learning for Life Program and coached Unified Sports.
Learning for Life teacher Jessica Coblentz shared, “They allowed our students to be included in the painting—doing the primer work. The whole process, from idea to final product, modeled the inclusive nature of our school environment, exemplified the importance of Unified Sports and activities, and gave our crew a great sense of pride.”
Williams, who didn’t deem himself a painter prior to this project, said he has enjoyed learning the creative process. “My classmates have been giving me a lot of compliments—many calling it positive graffiti,” he joked.
The first step is the collaboration piece, where Williams and Hutchinson work with the department to come up with the design. Once approved, Williams lays out the design in Canva, an online graphic design platform. Tweaks are made, and then the design is printed on transparency paper so that it can be projected on the wall. If the two are satisfied with the way it looks on the wall, the tracing and painting begin.
Hutchinson, who has been teaching at CHS for the past 23 years, expressed, “[The murals] are incredibly important and bring a sense of community. That has always been one of my favorite things about working here—that small town sense of community.”
Principal Jennifer Clements couldn’t agree more. “The murals have become a great source of pride for our school. They are a great way for our students to show off their artistic abilities while also highlighting some of the amazing programs and activities in which they are involved,” Clements said.
With a growing list of future mural requests, the biggest need now is community support in the form of monetary donations to cover the cost of supplies. A gallon of paint costs nearly $40.00.
To donate, please see the information below.
Help Support the Art Murals at CHS
To make a donation for paint, please contact the following: Theresa Hutchinson at
Theresa.hutchinson@fcps.org or Jessica Coblentz at
Jessica.Coblentz@fcps.org or Call CHS at 227-203-3150
.
Catoctin High School Art Teacher Theresa Hutchinson and student Zachary Willaims pose in front of one of their recent murals celebrating the Learning for Life program.
Students Brynn Lee, Sophia Gagliardi, Leyna Durrschmidt, and Cora Durrschmidt pose by a completed mural at Catoctin High School. The artwork for the mural was created by Leyna Durrschmidt and Abby Bruchey.
Zachary Williams stands next to a mural he created in the Science wing at Catoctin High School.
Zachary Williams paints a mural representing the Yearbook Club.
