Sherford Vale School and Nursery in Devon recently celebrated the unveiling of a vibrant mural that symbolizes nature, community, and sustainability. Plymouth-based artist Ellie Johnson, aka Mrs Murals, unveiled her striking new artwork in the school’s library. Coincidentally, this big reveal came at the time of head teacher Susie Evans’ retirement — she’s been head of the school since 2021.
The mural represents a culmination of children’s artistic visions, which were originally created for a nature-themed installation honoring the King’s Coronation. This installation was inspired by the book “It’s Up to Us: A Children’s Terra Carta for Nature, People and Planet.” The mural was commissioned by the Sherford Consortium as a special gift to commemorate the completion of the school building. From here, their aim is to produce a permanent commemoration that future generations will enjoy.
Ellie Johnson skillfully transformed the children’s drawings of plants and animals into a permanent installation in the heart of Sherford Vale School and Nursery. This vibrant artwork serves as a beautiful mural. It goes beyond arts education to deeply engage students as stewards of their coastal environment and natural world.
With a cheerful spirit, Susie Evans capped the final touch of the mural with an enthusiastic dance. She highlighted its value as a memorial of the city’s commitment to becoming more sustainable. The art really changed the school into an inviting, gorgeous place. It creates so many incredible opportunities for students to go out and really experience and discover nature.
“It’s about developing those individuals to become who they want to be and if they can make a change to this world, then that’d be brilliant.” – Ellie Johnson
The mural has an equally powerful, yet hopeful, message that all life is precious and fragile. As Johnson noted, “What’s quite sad is that, potentially, some of those animals in their design may well be extinct in future years.” This belief is at the heart of environmental stewardship and connects back to the theme of our mural beautifully.
