New mural unveiled at Sonoma’s Sassarini Elementary School

Artist Gayle Manfre has designed a new mural on the street facing side of Sassarini Elementary School.

Fourth and fifth grade students from Sassarini’s after-school Boys and Girls Club spent around 10 hours painting the 37 foot mural, after the school district maintenance staff prepared the background for them. Students drew the design from a grid using the cinderblocks as guides, with Manfre’s direction.

Manfre has a second mural at the school, painted in 2016, called “People of Color.” She said that it was always the school’s intention to paint the other building as well.

“After the fires I thought we should honor the first responders on the new mural,” she added. “Shown is a woman firefighter, police and PG&E worker. The other figures represent the community in general.”

“I am so grateful to have such a beautiful and important mural face Fifth Street West and adorn the walls of Sassarini,” said Principal Andrew Ryan. “We feel as though this mural represents the sense of community we aspire to cultivate at Sassarini; representing our students and the Valley while also paying tribute to our first responders who kept us safe when we needed it the most.”

The mural was paid for with funds raised from the 2017 Sonoma Plein Air festival.

Manfre has been a teaching artist in Sonoma Valley since the 1980s. She is one of the founders of Art Escape Sonoma and she was the City of Sonoma Treasure Artist of 2010.

This is her 15th school mural project in Sonoma Valley.