RICHMOND, Va. — A vibrant mural has transformed the area just steps away from the front door of Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School thanks to the creativity and hard work of students.
“I came to school and the first thing Ms. Brown told me is we were painting today, so I ran outside,” said sixth grader Skye Davis, who was excited to participate.
Under bright colors and unique character designs, students like Skye helped turn Mosby Street into a giant canvas.
“For that purple line, I used a small brush and I used the roller and a big brush for the yellow,” Skye shared about her process for painting.
The mural's design was carefully planned to address local traffic issues.
Artist Sam Skrinpz, who worked on the project, explained,
“There’s a lot of traffic in this area, and there have been a lot of issues with kids safely crossing," Sam Skrinpz, an artist with Richmond's Public Works, said. "So making this mural is to help slow traffic, creating a visual aid.”
Dironna Moore Clarke, Deputy Director for Public Works and Administrator for the Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility, noted that this mural project is part of a broader initiative for traffic calming.
“This is the lighter, quicker, cheaper project and it is the #1 project in Richmond Connects… to create traffic calming projects,” Clarke said.
Both artists partnered with Richmond Public Schools on this citywide initiative. Clarke emphasized the importance of safety, stating,
“We got to ensure that right where they live and go to school is safe for them to interact with cars,” Clarke explained.
The mural features designs inspired by the creativity of MLK Middle School students.
“I wanted to make sure that all the artwork being created was centered on the students in the community specific to each area of the schools,” Clarke said. “I want them to be able to leave a mark in their own spaces.”
Skye expressed hope that those who see the mural will reflect on its importance: “Who did it and why.”
This mural is the first of many projects aimed at improving safety in Richmond’s streets, with the next mural planned for Lynwood Holton Elementary.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky| Facebook| Instagram| X| Threads| TikTok| YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Every day CBS 6 is giving a voice to the stories happening in your community. If you have a story idea, email our team at NewsTips@wtvr.com or click here to submit a tip.
