Mural feeds students’ imaginations
Wildcat bursting through hole in wall adorns Challenger Middle School
LAKE LOS ANGELES — Littlerock artist Carlos Mendoza’s Challenger Middle School mural features school mascot wildcat busting through a hole in the wall with what looks like the Earth, moon, Mars and Jupiter in the background.
There is also a space shuttle in the dark sky punctuated by shining stars.
“It is what the kids think it is,” Mendoza
said. “Let them use their imaginations. Whatever planet or sphere they think it is, then that is what it is. The wildcat has burst into our system from a faraway galaxy thousands of light years in the distance.”
Mendoza started painting murals for the schools in his hometown. His started with Alpine Elementary School in Keppel Union School District.
“I did that because my son was a student there,” Mendoza said. “I noticed there was no art anywhere. I gave the school some artwork. I started one mural and then did another. I did art lessons for some of the teachers to help teach their kids some art.”
Wilsona School Board President Vladimir Gomez had seen Mendoza’s artwork and suggested to his Board colleagues to bring some color and art to the District.
Wilsona trustees approved a $3,200 contract with Mendoza on Aug. 20. The goal was to provide a visually attractive addition to the front of the school in the outdoor stage area. The mural is visible from the school parking lot off 170th Street East.
“This is just the beginning of bringing color and art to our District,” Gomez said in a statement. “As soon as we
can get back into our schools, we will be bringing more art opportunities to our Wilsona students.”
Mendoza started to charge for his work after other schools started asking for murals. They held fundraisers and furnished Mendoza with art supplies.
“The other schools got interested in my art at the same time I ran out of my own money,” Mendoza said. “I started to put a price on my work. Businesses started requesting my work about the same time and I started charging for my art.”
Mendoza added: “With art, students and others can see where the money went and how it was spent. All I wanted to do, my main mission, was to bring art to the schools in this very dry brown desert. My son noticed he had no art in his school. … That was my direct motivation to share my artwork.
Mendoza wants to create a murals action group where students can work on the murals themselves and start a miniart movement across the Antelope Valley. That of course depends on restrictions under the COVID-19 pandemic being lifted.
Mendoza feels art goes beyond the standard school logo and standard school colors. Art needs to tell a story and mean something to the viewer.
“Let’s add color to our desert,” Mendoza said. “Let’s inspire others to bring art to where there is no art.”