Santa Maria High School students brighten school walls with artworks

SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- Santa Maria High School students create works of art on surrounding school walls on Wednesday in Santa Maria.

Santa Maria High School art students are creating murals to transform more than 250 feet of plywood walls surrounding the construction of the new 50 classrooms and administration building.

The colorful murals will highlight different cultures.

According to their press release, there is a Chinese New Year's theme artwork with others taking shape.

The designs are created in the classroom and then approved by art teachers Merrie Okie-Goldin and Chelsea Greene.

More than 70 students participated in the event.

The three-story 88, 774 square-foot structure will face Morrison Avenue and feature visitor parking and a bell tower in Santa Maria.

The structure's architectural design will complement the older buildings and incorporate energy-saving measures such as LED lighting and modern climate control systems.

This project was paid for through Measure H.

Measure H was passed by voters in 2016 and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2022.