Lewiston High School sophomores Savannah Leonard, left, and Hodhan Abdirahman create a mural of American poet Maya Angelou on the school hallway wall on Monday. Leonard, 16, has worked on five portraits at the school for her digital media class. (Sun Journal photo by Daryn Slover)

LEWISTON — With paint brush in hand, Savannah Leonard, 16, stood on a ladder Monday creating on a mural of the late writer and civil activist Maya Angelou.

Angelou’s face is painted in tones of blue. Underneath is a quote from one of her writings, “Still I rise.”

Working with Leonard was friend and fellow sophomore Hodhan Abdirahman, 15.

It is the fifth mural painted by students this year to brighten the walls at Lewiston High School.

Nearby is a mural of Martin Luther King Jr. and another of Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who survived being shot in the head in Pakistan for going to school.

“We’re going to do more,” Leonard said.

The art project is led by digital media art teacher Deanna Ehrhardt, who’s new to Lewiston High School this year.

“I did this in my last school, Michigan City High School in Indiana,” Ehrhardt said from her basement classroom. “In three years, we did over 35 murals. Just knowing how it empowered the kids, I knew I’d have to continue it here.”

The project is allow students “to put their footprint on their school,” she said. “I want the kids to look at this building like a living, breathing entity. Something they can be a part of.”

The images are iconic and empowering. Students select the images, research the person and pick a quote together. Overhead projectors cast the images onto walls, where students trace them and bring them to life with color.

The murals are reminiscent of Robert Shetterly’s “Americans Who Tell the Truth” collection, which has toured the nation, including the Maine State House.

The portraits are of people students can relate to.

“Maybe they see a little bit of themselves in an image,” Ehrhardt said. “There’s a lot of power in an image.”

In one image, Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who was shot in the head for going to school in Pakistan, is wearing a headscarf.

“We’ve got tons of girls wearing hijabs in this school, so they can relate to that,” Ehrhardt said. “It’s nice to have women up there.” 

All students know Martin Luther King Jr., his messages and what he did, she said.

So far, the murals of people of color.

“We want to represent the cultural diversity we have in this school,” Ehrhardt said. “That’s one of the things that makes Lewiston so cool.”

White students are represented all the time.

“My other kids aren’t represented as much,” Ehrhardt said, “so let’s go with this first.”

There will be murals of people of all colors.

Speaking of her first year in Lewiston, Ehrhardt said she is thrilled to be here.

“Of all the districts in the state,” she said, “this is the one I wanted the most. I got it. I’m grateful.”

Like in Portland, schools in Lewiston are made up of a diverse mix of students, a population Ehrhardt said she is happy to be teaching.

How many murals will be painted this year is not known. They take time, she said. And it will depend on how the project develops and what students want.

“These murals aren’t part of the curriculum,” she said, adding they require a lot of extra work by students.

Student Savannah Leonard said she is using her study halls to paint and about 18 students are creating the murals, which must be approved by the school administration before being painted.

She said she has heard positive feedback from students and teachers when they see the murals.

“A lot of students are immigrants and said they’re surprised we’re putting black or Pakistan (people) on the walls,” Leonard said.

“They’re happy about it and feel more welcome. Teachers love it. I hear it all day. They say: ‘It looks great. I love that you’re doing this for the school.’”

When asked the likely subject of the next in a mural, Ehrhardt only smiled.

“Stay tuned,” she said.

Lewiston High School art teacher Deanna Ehrhardt, in her basement level classroom, shows an image of Maya Angelou students used to create a new mural on the high school wall. Bonnie Washuk/Sun Journal 

Lewiston High School students created this wall mural of Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who survived being shot in the head in 2012 by a Taliban gunman because she was going to school. Lewiston students chose Yousafzai’s quote, “I am stronger than fear.” Bonnie Washuk/Sun Journal

A mural of Martin Luther King Jr. is one of five that Lewiston High School sophomore Savannah Leonard has worked on in the school’s hallways. (Sun Journal photo by Daryn Slover)