We were thrilled when Hands On Nashville asked Nossi College of Art to create a mural dedicated to Michelle Obama’s healthy eating initiative. The mural would be featured in elementary, middle and high school cafeterias in Metro Nashville Public Schools.

Illustration Coordinator Arden von Haeger immediately went to work conceptualizing a design. Hands On Nashville and Metro Nashville Public Schools loved the idea, and a week later Nossi students and staff went to work putting the outline on the walls of the six schools that would be getting them on Hands On Nashville Day, Saturday, September 24, 2011.

The idea was to make the mural as easy as possible to paint. We numbered each fruit, vegetable and person, then placed those numbers on the cans of paint provided by Metro Nashville Public Schools: a giant paint-by-numbers project!

In the end, it was a project to be proud of. We are so grateful to have shared our love of art with this great new food initiative, and we hope students are inspired to eat healthier … and pick up a paintbrush!

Each school had at least two Nossi volunteers to assist with painting and leading the Hands On Nashville volunteers.  Nossi volunteers included Jacolyn Wingo, Sarah Bragg,  Carlos Grizzard, Jacob Rhoades, Matthew Pritchett,  Matt Grace, Precious Crowell, Hailey Smith, Valerie Covert, Daniel Craft, Samii Butler, Patrick McIntosh,  Hillary Morgan Lowder, Tracey Radcliff and Bruce Stanley.

The murals are now visible in the following schools:

McGavock High School

Overton High School

Stratford High School

Rose Park Middle School

Park Avenue Elementary School

Glengarry Elementary School