Art has always been part of how students tell their stories. On Sunday, May 17, at West Art, those stories became part of the city itself.
During West Art’s one-year anniversary celebration, community members gathered for the unveiling of a new series of murals and student artwork created by students from the School District of Lancaster. Installed along the exterior walls of West Art, the murals transformed the building into a public gallery shaped by student voices and identity.
The project brought together students and teachers from across the district, with all 12 mural panels claimed almost immediately after the opportunity was announced.
“There was such high interest,” said Michael Slechta, supervisor of Unified Arts and Humanities. “Some teachers had participated two years ago and wanted to do it again. We love getting both our artwork and our music out into the community because there are so many opportunities for the community to not know what we actually do. This gives people an opportunity to see firsthand what being in the School District of Lancaster actually is.”
That visibility mattered throughout the day as visitors attending the anniversary celebration stopped to study the murals, ask questions, and connect with the stories behind the artwork. Some came for the music or the patio gathering and unexpectedly found themselves engaging with student art and performances from SDoL students, including the McCaskey drum line.
At McCaskey East, two art teachers collaborated to create neighboring mural panels that worked together as one unified visual piece, creating something distinct from previous years of the project. The collaboration reflected the spirit of the unveiling itself, with students, teachers, artists, and community members all contributing to something larger together.
One mural in particular centered around the legacy of Brother Frank Albright, a beloved figure remembered by many throughout the Lancaster community. Inspired by the theme of identity, students and teachers chose to honor Brother Frank through artwork rooted in compassion, connection, and community.
“When West Art gave us the theme of identity, we immediately thought of Brother Frank,” said McCaskey East art teacher Ben. “If you knew Brother Frank, you knew a real-life superhero.”
Ben described Brother Frank’s “superpower” as unconditional love, a quality many in the Lancaster community immediately recognized during the unveiling.
For students, seeing their work displayed publicly in a community-centered space carries a different kind of meaning. Artwork created inside a classroom suddenly becomes part of Lancaster’s landscape.
Projects like this remind students that their ideas belong outside classroom walls. Their stories can shape spaces people gather in every day. For the broader Lancaster community, the unveiling also served as a reminder that some of the city’s most meaningful creativity is already happening inside SDoL classrooms. For more photos, visit us on social media.
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