Santa Rita Spruces Up Mural-culously

While she was working this past December, Morgan Bricca's young patrons were often looking over her shoulder, full of ideas and questions. Some, quite specific.

There should be a river.

Where is the bobcat?

There is no river, but there is a bobcat, as in the Santa Rita Bobcats.

Now that everyone is back at school, the fruits of Bricca's labor are there for everyone to enjoy—on the side of Santa Rita Elementary's multi-purpose room.

Bricca, a tech-person-turned artist, is known in Palo Alto and Los Altos schools as the muse who brightens up dark or drab corners of Mid-Century campuses, revealing the beauty that is found within, every day. 

"I'm sure Morgan has inspired some budding artists," Sandra McGonagle, Santa Rita's principal, said. "I love watching students inspecting the new mural."

The children were highly interested in the painting process "and notice each and every new detail added to it," McGonagle added.

"They were mesmerized," said Michelle Sturiale, president of the PTA that commissioned the project. 

Bricca, who has two young children, says she likes being peppered with questions while she wields a paintbrush. There were "lots of sweet and positive words of encouragement," she said.

Bricca had done a smaller project at Santa Rita, and has painted murals at Duveneck School in Palo Alto, and Montclaire School in south Los Altos. Her business, Murals by Morgan, has been operating since 2005. She moved from the  Barron Park neighborhood in Palo Alto to Los Altos four years ago.

"Morgan's specialty is landscapes, so we really wanted her to paint 'old Los Altos,'" Sturiale said. Since the apricot orchards are "a special memory in our neighborhood," Bricca paid special attention to that detail, she added.

Bricca took pictures of students around campus during lunch and recesses, then drew sketches from the pictures. Sturiale said it was "a great reflection of our amazingly diverse community at Santa Rita."

Even if Santa Rita renovates its campus, the mural can be preserved, Sturiale said. Bricca painted it on a removable surface. 

"What was once a drab backdrop is now an inviting and beautiful location for our students to play and learn," said McGonagle.