The dual language immersion elementary school Dos Mundos Academy celebrated the end of the school year with a summer festival featuring food, games, activities, music and more. Perhaps the most exciting and significant part of the evening was the unveiling of a new mural covering the outer walls near the front entrance. 

The mural was designed by Luis Novoa, the executive director of Artes de México en Utah, a local nonprofit that promotes and highlights Mexican and Latino artists. It was painted by 10 student volunteers from Granger High School under Novoa’s guidance. Students were involved in every step of the process, from the initial design to painting the wall itself. 

“I usually do small pieces of art that no one gets to see because I don’t feel confident enough to put it out there,” said student volunteer Diego Topete Renteria. “But having a big piece of art like this for the community, for everyone to see and acknowledge, feels nice.” 

The mural is a celebration of creativity, community and dreaming big. Novoa took inspiration from over 500 drawings and ideas from Dos Mundos students to design something that represented the school, its students and the community around it. 

“It’s supposed to represent cultivation and the growth of our community,” Novoa said in reference to the symbolic river that wraps around both walls of the mural. “What you pour into your community is what you get out of it.” 

“And the rocket is supposed to represent children’s dreams,” student volunteer Johnathan Lopez Perez added. “I believe that every child should have their own dreams to reach for.” 

At the festival, the student volunteers were recognized and got to talk about their artistic process with visitors. Every student in attendance had the opportunity to contribute to the mural by placing a colorful handprint on the secondary mural wall. 

“Arts and humanities and culture are not only important but essential for the development of our future leaders,” Novoa said. “Giving opportunities like this to not only high school students, but to the elementary and middle school students too, just cultivates more creative thinking and different perspectives of seeing things. Not only that, but being open to connecting with your neighbors, too.” 

This is the first time Artes de México en Utah has worked with high school students on this scale, but Novoa hopes it won’t be the last. “Maybe these guys will be running the next one,” he said. “I hope this was an experience they can take with them as they continue to explore the arts.”