Lewelling In Bloom


mural at Lewelling elementary

MilwaukIe, OREGON


Over the summer of 2023, Seth Lewelling Elementary School in Milwaukie, Oregon went into full bloom thanks to muralist Emma Berger! Through the month of August, Emma tackled a nearly 3,000 square foot wall, transforming the school’s exterior gym wall into a flowering paradise.

The mural includes the school’s small pond and its resident ducks. There are all sorts of animal life to find while exploring the piece, including lizards, birds, snails, and mason bees that were included to honor principal Mason Branstetter.

The new mural has been a dream project for the Lewelling Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). After 7 years of bake sales and fundraisers, the PTO was able to raise enough funds to support a mural at the school. Lewelling’s mural selection committee wanted to create a piece of community art with vibrant colors, and a project that would also allow for students to participate in the design development.


ABOUT THE ARTIST

Emma Berger (Flat Rabbit Studio) is a muralist, illustrator and tattoo artist based in Portland, Oregon. With training at Pratt Institute in NY and experience with set design and painting, Emma’s soft botanicals and boundless imagination made her the perfect fit for this massive mural job.


ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Photography by Sara Sjol for Portland Street Art Alliance