Hidden Stories: Pieces of Us - A Community Mural Comes to Life
Every spring, the Kidder County School Fine Arts Committee embarks on a creative journey—one that blends artistry, self-expression, and community spirit into a hands-on project for students and staff.
Organized by dedicated school employees Crystal DeVore, Brooke Loen, and Jackie Hager, the committee’s mission is simple but powerful: give students a meaningful way to express themselves artistically while fostering connection with their peers and teachers.
“Our school population is really diverse with different cultures, beliefs, and traditions,” says Jackie Hager. “There’s so much going on in our world right now, and we want our students to understand that it’s okay to be exactly who they are.”
For some students, artistic expression comes naturally. For others, it’s an opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, putting deep thought into who they are as individuals. “It’s helping them to express how they see themselves, as opposed to how they think others see them,” says Jackie.
This year, the project is reaching beyond the walls of the school to embrace the entire Kidder County community.
Jackie proposed the idea of a large-scale mural—one that wouldn’t just showcase student creativity but would become a visual representation of the unity and diversity of the Kidder County communities. This year’s project theme is Be Here. Be You. Belong. Every teacher, student, and community member is invited to design their own small wooden tile, which will then be assembled into a striking mosaic of individuality and togetherness. The only rule? There are no rules.
“Participants can use whatever materials they want, designing their tile in any way that reflects who they are and what matters to them.”
Jackie, Crystal, and Brooke have delivered tiles and colored pencils to several community organizations and placed collection boxes throughout them. The goal is ambitious yet exciting: collecting between 600 and 800 unique tiles to complete the mural. So far, participants range in age of preschool to 101 years old. By late March or early April, the committee will bring all the pieces together and hang the final mural in the main hallway of the school.
In small towns, fine arts programs often take a backseat to other activities, but these annual projects are changing that. The committee is going beyond what’s done in traditional art classes and incorporating much more. “We’re such a transient and mobile community now,” says Jackie. “We want our students to understand that we’re all the same, but we’re uniquely different too. It’s okay to embrace our diversity despite our differences.”
It’s a reminder that every student has an artistic side, and that self-expression is a lifelong journey. With the support of the community, these students aren’t just learning to create—they’re learning that their voices matter, their growth is celebrated, and their school is a place where individuality and teamwork go hand-in-hand.
“We want every student to find their place in this world… just by simply being who they are.”
And when the final mural is hung, it will be much more than just a piece of art. It will be a reflection of the people who make their community special, proving that when everyone adds their piece, something truly beautiful comes to life.
