Washougal students, local muralist team up for patchwork painting

Washougal — More than 25 students from Jemtegaard Middle School and Canyon Creek Middle School took time out of a Saturday morning in October to create a patchwork Chinook salmon mural on a public retaining wall at the corner of D and Durgan streets. The students are part of the Club 8 after-school program, and work started weeks before when Dani Allen, Jemtegaard art teacher, and the students met with local muralist Travis London to come up with their individual designs for the piece. The message around the mural is to celebrate diversity and individuality. “Students took inspiration from the theme that being different is OK and differences should be celebrated,” Allen said in a release from the district. “They wanted the images to be positive and inspirational. The students took their design and this project very seriously. Just look at how many kids came out early on a Saturday to be a part of it.”