A painter's pride

A full-time groundskeeper at Beaver Area High School outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Becky Quigley wanted to do something to make children's experiences at Brighton Township Elementary as memorable as they could be. What better way, she figured, than by immortalizing students in a school mural.

"I wanted to do something for the school and, most importantly, the children," says Quigley. "Children are the reason we're here."

Brighton Elementary's cafeteria had just been painted pink, and Quigley, a part-time custodian at the time, saw an opportunity to add life to the blank concrete block wall via a mural. She took her idea to the school principal and won a go-ahead. Then Quigley was off to the races.

"Initially I sketched the images of just a few children," says Quigley. "But, while I was painting, more children asked to be a part of the mural, and I just couldn't say no."

No kidding! Soon the number of faces grew to 385, and the project went on to span more than two years, beginning with the sketches, then on to detail and color, all with the help of friends.

"I get to leave a lasting contribution," she says. "It's something all the children who pass through Brighton Elementary can appreciate."