Carson High School senior Erica Gallegos leans against a mural she painted on a cinder block wall by the Fulstone Wetlands park.
When Erica Gallegos considered what she should do for her senior project at Carson High School, she wanted to incorporate her interest in art. The end result was an artistic way to help the community in the form of a mural.
Anyone who crosses the entrance path to the trails where the Fulstone Wetlands are located near the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada on Russell Way are now greeted by a mural painted by Gallegos that takes up the entire wall which is 63 feet long and six feet tall on the path.
“I wanted to merge my artistic interest with something that would help the community,” Gallegos said. “I thought a mural would be a good way to do that.”
Gallegos began on the project in September and just completed the mural less than two weeks ago. The entire project took her 66 hours over that time while the actual painting of the mural took her 30 to 35 hours.
She worked on receiving approval for the project from the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, along with the city’s Open Space Committee and Cultural Commission. She began with three designs and working with city staff, she came up with the design which now makes up the mural. She also had to receive approval from property owners in the area to go ahead with the mural.
The mural displays the habitat of the Fulstone Wetlands, including a huge image of a heron and another huge image of two coyotes.
There’s also various images of ducks, other birds, wet areas and rocks. Those who enter the path to the Fulstone Wetlands trails are greeted by a red-tail hawk.
“I wanted to capture the essence of the wetlands,” said Gallegos, who added she plans to major in environmental science and possibly minor in art at the University of Nevada.
The project is part of the city’s anti-graffiti effort. Gallegos said the plan is for her mural to be the first of many as part of a collaboration between CHS students and the city in its anti-graffiti effort.
