In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, Wallace Middle School students recently participated in a mural project in collaboration with local artist, David Freeman. Freeman, a 1994 MPHS graduate, worked with Wallace art teacher, Janie Moreno, preparing 9 windows for the Tiger Time art students. Tiger Time is a special period during the school day at Wallace where students who need extra help receive tutoring, while others who seek enrichment can choose from a variety of subjects including art, archery, plant and animal study, team sports, UIL academic events, and robotics.

“For the Wallace window murals I approached art teacher, Janie Moreno, about the possibility and she was on board with the idea of collaborating,” said Freeman. “The concept she had was oversized images on exterior windows. With approval from Principal Nathan Rider I began preparing all of the 4ft x 7ft windows with tape around edges, applied white paint on all the windows for a blank canvas, and transferred all the designs. This was done the week before the students’ week of painting and I was on site 3 days during the collaborative Tiger Time Art Class.”

“When I was approached by Mr. Freeman with the idea of creating a Hispanic Heritage Mural I was immediately on board,” said Wallace art teacher, Janie Moreno. “Receiving the opportunity to create something with our students to celebrate the contributions of Hispanic individuals in the United States was an honor. For the mural I chose nine Hispanic American Role Models whose achievements have made an impact in the United States. Before painting we discussed the Hispanic flags and Hispanic icons we would include in our mural. After demonstrating why we were creating the mural and what we were including, I then proceeded to show the students the sketches that had been drawn on the windows. Their eyes lit up when they saw the icons we had discussed drawn on the windows. I assigned each group a window to paint. From this point forward the students worked diligently each day for about three weeks to complete the window murals during Tiger Time. Mr. Freeman taught the students some techniques during his time with us which the students used to complete the project. Mrs. Freeman also contributed in helping to instruct the students during our Tiger Time period. Overall, I had a wonderful time with our students creating this piece and I look forward to being able to create further pieces such as this in the future!”

The murals served as a backdrop for the Wallace Hispanic Heritage Celebration and will remain through the end of Hispanic Heritage month on October 15. Freeman and Wallace artists painted historical figures Selena Quintanilla, Dolores Huerta, Frida Kahlo, Rita Moreno, Roberto Clemente, Ellen Ochoa, Lauro Cavazos, Julia Alvarez, and Sonia Sotomayor.

“This was a first for Wallace,” said Freeman. “I’ve worked with the high school art teacher, Laura Kirkland, for the past several years on numerous collaboratives and coordinated the recent art student field trip to the new downtown mural. We are currently planning for something with the Junior High art students in the spring.”

Freeman has been a juror for the Texas Art Education Association Visual Arts Scholastic Event since 2018. He is currently painting a new mural located at the Mount Pleasant High School Performing Arts Center. To see more about Freeman and his work, visit his website at www.artistdavidfreeman.com.

Photo: Willa Logue, Esmeralda Guerrero, and Aubrey White work on painting Ellen Ochoa