Oakdale Mural Honors First Students
More than 200 Oakdale Middle School students and staff helped create the 16-foot mural now displayed near the school media center.
Students work on individual feather designs that were later combined into a 16-foot mural at Oakdale Middle School. Photo courtesy of Medford School District.
MEDFORD, Ore. — Oakdale Middle School has completed a colorful new mural honoring the students and staff who helped shape the school’s first years.
The 16-foot mural was created with participation from more than 200 students and staff members. The artwork features a large pair of wings made from individually painted feathers, with each feather designed to reflect the personality, interests, and creativity of the person who made it.
The mural celebrates Oakdale’s first generation of students and staff since the school opened in 2023. It now hangs in the hallway near the school media center.
“Each person painted a feather celebrating their interests and personality on the wings that now hang in front of the school media center,” said Allison Schorr, Oakdale Art Teacher. “This mural showcases our student body and how each voice beautifies our school community as a whole.”
For students who helped create the mural, the project represents both personal expression and a lasting connection to the school’s early history.
“It makes me happy to be a part of it because I can look back and see how the school has changed after 3 years since it opened, and that I will be remembered through my feather on the wing,” said 8th-grade student Kane Sesepasara.
Another 8th-grade student, Kimberly Gutierrez, said the project reflects the individual stories of students who helped bring the mural to life.
“I feel like every feather that there is on the mural tells a story about each different person through the designs, colors, and images. Coming to a brand new school was difficult at first, but throughout the years it changed in a really good way. My feather represents my passion for music, writing, and my unique personality.”
The completed mural is intended to serve as a permanent reminder of the creativity, identity, and shared spirit of Oakdale Middle School’s first students and staff.
Cover image: Oakdale Middle School’s completed 16-foot mural honors the school’s first generation of students and staff. Photo courtesy of Medford School District.
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