Nearly 300 students at Prescott Elementary School voted Friday, Sept. 4, on the color palette for a new mural headed to the Parkrose School District's office building.
The mural is a partnership between the district and Project Color Corps, a nonprofit that creates public art with under-resourced schools and communities. Malik Lovett, a designer at ZGF Architects, created the mural's design. Students, families and neighbors can help paint it during a community event Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the district office, 10636 NE Prescott St. People of all artistic abilities are welcome.
KGW first reported that students learned about color theory and previewed the finished design at an afternoon assembly before casting their votes.
Fifth grader Neve Arnold Lackey said she planned to vote for blue and green. "The blue makes me feel calm and the green reminds me of nature," she said. Seeing the mural come to life, she added, will make her feel connected to her school community.
Rodda Miller Paint donated materials for the project, according to a Project Color Corps post on LinkedIn. The nonprofit said it still needs community sponsors and funding to finish the work.
Parkrose is one of six Portland-area school districts that receives money from the city's Arts Access Fund, powered by the Arts Tax. The fund distributed $8.1 million to Portland-area K-5 schools for art and music teachers' salaries in the 2025-26 school year.
The mural also arrives during a tight stretch for the roughly 2,800-student district. Sharie Lewis, then the district's director of business services, told Education Week in October 2025 that Parkrose planned to budget zero dollars for several federal funding streams because of uncertainty over future appropriations. By January, Lewis told Education Week that potential mid-year cuts could cost the district $250,000 to $2 million from its $41 million general fund.
The Sept. 12 painting event is free. Project Color Corps is seeking sponsors and donations to bring the mural to completion.
