By Anh Thu Truong
On an ordinary day of school, you might be too busy bustling down the hallways from the art halls to the language wing, barely having the time to notice the vibrant murals that plaster the walls with life, culture, and color.
Upon close inspection, these murals don’t disappoint. These impressive artworks have been a staple of Fountain Valley’s hallways for more than twenty years. From colorful Japanese temples, detailed koi fishes and detailed Spanish flamenco dancers, to renditions of Frankenstein and Lilo & Stitch, these colorful artworks are extensions of past students’ legacies in a bold, bright print.
Tony Pash, visual arts teacher who currently teaches intro art, graphic design and yearbook, mentions that the murals used to be directed by formerly retired art teacher Michael Eich.
“I believe they started in the late 90s. At the time, it was mostly Mr. Eich [that directed the murals], who retired about three years ago,” Pash said. “I helped him along the process when I started teaching here, so in my third year, we had about two or three students paint murals.”
From roaring dragons, Mother Nature and streams of delicate koi fish to meme-filled art, the word ‘detailed’ would be an understatement. They bring our mundane hallways to life, adding a depth and dimension that demonstrate extraordinary artistic vision and extreme attention to minute details.
The majority of these murals have been signed by art students who completed them in the early 2000s to mid 2010s. But as you take a closer look, past the lingering pencil sketches and the splotches of white canvas, many paintings remain largely unfinished.
“I mean, some of them, especially in the art halls, have remained unfinished for a very long time. [Right before Mr. Eich retired] He had a really great group of painting students,” Pash said. “But again, [their paintings remain] unfinished because they graduated.”
The decision for current students to finish these uncompleted murals has remained up in the air. Those who have graduated left their unfinished vision in the hallways, and there are many challenges encountered when it comes to completing a large mural of someone else’s work.
“It’s really hard to do that because you’re trying to repaint somebody else’s vision, and [it’s difficult] to mix the same colors,” Pash said. “It’s a hard tactical thing to do, I’ve asked students to do that but they’d rather start their own.”
At this time, there are no active murals in progress. However, large artistic projects require extensive materials, meticulous planning and time dedicated outside of the classroom, and without a director, there’s little reassurance that more murals will be added. Pash offers the idea of restarting the mural program entirely one day, in order to start anew and give the hallways a fresher look.
“I’ve been thinking of covering a lot of those and starting new. It would give the halls a better look if they were more fluid,” Pash said. “If I taught AP drawing students again, [I could] possibly [continue the program], but right now I flip-flop between classes.”
