Parents come together to create a new mural and refurbished garden.

By Ruth SOWBY

On Tuesday, Dunsmore Elementary School in La Crescenta unveiled a new mural painted by artist-parents Christin Briggs and Alique Pempejian. Fusako Ogasawara, grandmother to some of the children who attend the school, is the calligraphy artist. The three artists participated in an enthusiastic ribbon cutting on a red carpet in front of the mural that featured “Dunsmore” in huge letters at the school’s entrance.    

Also part of the ceremony was Dunsmore Elementary Foundation member Elizabeth Burner who greeted parents, children and guests. Over a year in the making, the mural was the first thing children saw as they entered the school grounds beginning their fall semester. 

Burner said that the mural helped to address some of the students’ post-pandemic concerns about returning to the campus.

“[Many of our children] coming to school were a little nervous,” said Burner. She explained that to address their concerns parents contacted the artist-parents to create the mural then also embellished the school’s garden by adding native plants.

Also greeting the audience was Dr. Vivian Ekchian, Glendale Unified School District Superintendent. 

“I’m grateful to be here,” said Ekchian. “It’s all about our youth. They are our leaders of tomorrow.”   

Surrounding school principal Kelly Worley as she cut the ribbon were Student Council President Scarlett Palmstrom, artist-parents Briggs and Pempejian, calligrapher Ogasawara, Mary Pinola, namesake of the Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund; Dunsmore Foundation Secretary Maricela Marroquin; Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Steve Pierce; GUSD Boardmember Ingrid Gunnell; and many Dunsmore students.

As part of the festivities, parent Janet Arbitrario sold colorful $13 T-shirts with a picture of the new mural on some of them. This “Spiritware” sale raised funds for the PTA and other school services. 

The mural was funded by a $5,000 grant from the Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund. The school matched the grant with another $5,000.