Without a series of art projects throughout the years, Bearden’s hallways would look quite different. The rim above the pit, the English classrooms, and quotes in the cafeteria – among other areas in the school – might instead be white or beige brick.

Bearden’s National Art Honors Society has taken on several projects this year that aim to beautify the school and add interest to the hallways.

“One of our goals is to bring more art into the hallways that aren’t paintings that you can take down, and more installments,” president of NAHS Cassidy Bailey said.

Dr. Bartlett asked the NAHS and the Art Guild clubs to paint the question “How are you going to change the world?” above several water fountains. In addition to the quote, they are designing their own imagery to accompany it.

These installments’ purpose is to be an inspiring reminder in an often-seen area. NAHS and Art Guild plan on finishing the water fountains within the next two weeks.

“Our school doesn’t have to be boring and stale; it’s not boring and stale,” Mrs. Vicki May said. “There are not boring and stale students here, so we shouldn’t have a boring and stale area to work in.”

The NAHS is also forming plans for murals in the CTE building. These installments will be representations of each CTE class, like forensic science and the health science classes.

“When the freshmen come and take the tour of the school, that’ll be kind of a visual representation of what the class is,” Bailey said.

The librarians have asked the NAHS to paint the lockers between the East and West Malls to look like book spines. The students have some freedom to choose what books to paint, but the librarians want to include classics and influential books.

To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby are just two of the titles they have already chosen.

“It’s just another way of recycling what we have here and making it look a little different and interesting instead of just empty lockers,” Mrs. May said.

In addition to murals around the school, the city has asked the NAHS to paint the two tunnels through the Ten-Mile Creek Greenway that goes from Gallaher View to the Wynnsong theatre in hopes that student art will improve these dark and graffitied areas. The NAHS has not yet planned these designs.

“There’s nothing wrong with making something look a little different than what you’re used to seeing,” Mrs. May said. “And maybe it inspires people.”