Lighthouse Christian School will host an open house on Thursday, Aug. 6, 4-6 p.m. to unveil its new student-painted mural.
The event will showcase a vibrant piece featuring colorful patterns, flowers and wildlife surrounding the central phrase, “Arte con Corazón” (“Art with Heart”). The mural adorns a multi-purpose room added during the school’s $2 million expansion last year, which also included four new classes.
Art teacher Maria Amalia Wood led the project, conceptualizing and sketching the initial layout before handing the brushes over to 16 middle school students selected for skill and interest. The fifth- through eighth-graders spent every Monday during their after-school program painting the design. After a school year of crafting the elaborate art piece, the students and their instructor will share their finished product with the community this week.
“They worked really hard on painting it…and they’re really excited about being able to leave a lasting impression there,” Director of Development Jenny Wartinbee said.
Wood immigrated to Madison from Honduras over 30 years ago and joined Lighthouse with the intention of “bringing her Hispanic culture to Madison,” Wartinbee said. The mural’s stylistic choices and central messaging reflect this cultural influence and highlight Wood’s passion for both creative expression and shepherding the youth.
“The butterflies on the wall signify the transformation,” Wartinbee said. “She’s the only teacher that really gets to see them every year because every other teacher passes the kids along to the next grade, but she watches them transform.”
Lighthouse, a premier bilingual school in Madison, serves primarily low-income families, with 80% of students attending for free through the state voucher program. Over 65% of the student body identifies as Latinx, including the 16 student artists who contributed to the mural.
“We hope that when they see the mural, it reminds them that they’re created to be very special. They’re very gifted, and we really want to instill this hope in each student that they can achieve big things,” Wartinbee said.
Attendees of the open house can also expect a silent auction with artwork donated by both local professionals and Lighthouse students. Proceeds will benefit the Lighthouse Scholarship Fund, a fundraiser that aids students with more than $200,000 of scholarship academic expenses and replenishes around $1,500 of art supplies every year.
“Our goal is to raise $20,000 for the kids starting the school year and the families so they don’t have to feel financially burdened,” Wartinbee said.
Students’ accomplishments will be acknowledged and celebrated at an award ceremony ending the night.
“We just want to empower them with this feeling that they are smart and can go on to do really big things even outside of the walls of the school,” Wartinbee said.
Those interested in attending the open house and mural unveiling can RSVP by emailing [email protected].
