Sickles Students Unveil Works of Art

When Eric Milan, an art teacher at Sickles High School, returned to the school in the summer of 2009 he received quite a surprise.

Unfortunately it wasn't a good one.

The vivid mural painted at the entrance of the Studio 701, the school's student art studio, was gone. It had been painted over during the summer break.

The mural had been a testament to the school's talented art students. Sickles is one of the few high schools with it's own art studio.

"I felt so bad," Milan recalled from that summer day.

Jake Russell, the principal at the school, felt just as bad. He provided funds for the art students to replace the art display.

On Friday, a group of art students gathered with teachers, administrators, parents and friends to unveil the new mural.

Blue paper covered the entrance of Studio 701 to hide the new mural. A short countdown built up the anticipation before students ripped the paper down.

The new mural was inspired by famous historical works of art.

"Once we started painting it took about a year," said Fiona Murray, 18, a senior and Vice President of the National Arts Honor Society at Sickles.

The students worked during lunch and after school to complete the mural. 

The mural painting was especially arduous because the panels don't absorb paint well, which meant several coatings had to be applied, said Jenni Gianetti, a student at University of South Florida who interns for Milan.

"It warms the room up," said principal Russell. "The neat thing it's permanent and makes the kids feel like they can come back to something."