Employees at the Pinova plant in Brunswick are now greeted at work each day by a newly painted mural created by a group of Brunswick High School students.
The mural is part of a makeover at the staff entrance, where Pinova also recently installed a new basketball court. The walls on either side of the court now feature an audience, painted with diversity and vibrancy in mind by the students.
A black line at the entrance end of the court isn’t mirrored by one on the other side. That’s intentional, said Ron Kurtz, director of operations for DRT America, Inc., of which Pinova is a subsidiary.
Once staff cross the line, the whole plant becomes the court, and everyone inside is part of the team.
“The whole idea here is we’re changing the culture of the plant,” he said.
Pinova reached out to Tamara Daughtry, an art teacher at Brunswick High, and asked if her students could create the mural that would liven up the new court space.
Daughtry and around 20 students in the school’s National Art Honor Society and Art Club began in late February working on the mural during the weekends.
“It’s a pretty big job,” she said. “It’s the biggest mural we’ve ever done.”
Daughtry has taught her students that creating mural is part of community building.
“That’s part of our mission with National Art Honors Society, to tell how art is integral,” she said.
Ninel Marcos Lara, a junior in the club, said she enjoyed spending time at Pinova helping create the mural, and she was proud of the finished product.
“I like that it’s really colorful,” she said. “It stands out. It’s really happy.”
To express their thanks for the students’ work, Pinova will sponsor a trip to Jacksonville for the group, who plan to visit an art museum and anime event.
The mural, Kurtz said, helps symbolize the transformations happening at Pinova and demonstrate the company’s mission.
“We’re all on the same team,” he said. “We’re all passing the ball back and forth to each other, and our goal is to put the basketball in the hoop, score a point and win the game. That’s what we do every day.”