Dylan van Buren, left, and Michaela Mowery, both of Bethel, paint a mural titled “Celestial Skyscape” on May 31 in the Bethel Public Library. The work was part of Telstar Freshman Academy’s Pay it Forward program. Rose Lincoln/The Bethel Citizen

BETHEL — Four students enrolled in the Telstar Freshmen Academy are paying it forward with a mural titled “Celestial Skyscape” painted on a wall at the Bethel Public Library.

“We came up with this on our own,” Dylan van Buren said. “We always knew we wanted to do the sun and the moon kind of thing.”

The piece adorning the long, slanted, second-floor wall features the planets and stars.

Dylan van Buren of Bethel paints stars May 31 on a mural titled “Celestial Skyscape” in the Bethel Public Library. The work was part of Telstar Freshman Academy’s Pay it Forward program. Rose Lincoln

Van Buren, Michaela Mowery and Evy Cummings, all of Bethel, and Gideon Bonsant of Woodstock said they wanted the space to have an “antique-y” feel with neutral and muted colors, like the 1980s. Picture the grand library in “Beauty and the Beast,” Mowery said.

“Think of an old-style mansion,” Bonsant said.

The goal was to make it more homey and comfortable to appeal more to teens and young adults, a quiet space where people could hang out, van Buren said.

Academy educator Matt Christie painted alongside the students as did van Buren’s mother, Maine School Administrative District 44 Director Stephanie Herbeck, their artistic director.

The academy is comprised of ninth graders in Maine School Administrative District 44 who experience hands-on learning outside the classroom and connect with each other and their community. The project was part of the academy’s Pay It Forward program connecting students with the community.

While the mural is complete, they regret time ran out before they could raise money red velvet padding for the chairs or buy rugs. They also had plans to find tapestry or tulle to block off the book sale side of the room and to cut down the florescent glare of the overhead lights. They had hoped to buy a Keurig coffee machine and a mini-refrigerator for the space.

“We did talk about continuing this into the summer,” Cummings said.

“There is a lot of opportunity,” Mowery said.

“I love that you guys want to do it on your time,” Herbeck said.

“I want to finish it,” van Buren said.

Library Director Kelcy (Boles) Arciga said, “I’m so proud of what these young people have accomplished. They were tasked with making the space more inviting and they’ve achieved that. I hope to see more of the community using this space, made more beautiful and welcoming thanks to the Pay it Forward group.”

Telstar Freshman Academy students high-five each other May 31 after finishing a mural titled “Celestial Landscape” on a wall in the Bethel Public Library. The project was part of the academy’s Pay It Forward program to connect ninth graders with the Maine School Administrative District 44 community. From left are Evy Cummings of Bethel, Gideon Bonsant of Woodstock, and Michaela Mowery and Dylan van Buren, both of Bethel. Rose Lincoln/The Bethel Citizen