BY KAREN BOSSICK
Several high school students will spend Labor Day Weekend painting a reminder to take care of our climate and our community in downtown Hailey.
The students—members of the Wood River High School W.A.T.E.R. Club and Hailey Climate Action Coalition—will paint the mural on the south back wall of Jane’s Artifacts. They will paint during the day and be available to discuss their work, as well as their message about the environment and racial and social justice, with members of the community from 5 to 8 p.m.
The mural will feature Baldy, skiers, a mountain biker and a man and children planting a tree. Pine trees, flowers and an elk and butterfly will complete the picture. The mural is designed to reflect the beauty of our wild environments and low impact ways our population uses it.
Student artist Lella Aicher created the design with help from Boise muralist Bobby Gayton. Gayton will transfer the image onto the wall Thursday morning and the students will begin painting on Friday.
Students said they hoped that the mural will depict the diversity of cultures in the Wood River Valley, as well as the valley’s beautiful environment and global climate that needs protection.
“As our climate grows warmer, so does our concern for the environment,” they wrote. “At the same time, we have become more aware of the social injustices of past environmental decisions and the need for inclusivity in our natural environment’s accessibility and in our environmental activism.”