Airway Heights VFW holds mural painting contest

The Horton-Strength Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3386 in Airway Heights came up with an idea to help involve kids in the arts that would also decorate their building at 1307 Loffler St.

The organization sent out a letter to surrounding schools that invited students to create murals to display outside their building. The murals had to be done on 4x8-foot sheets of plywood and could be constructed in either portrait or landscape orientation. The only other requirement was that it had to have an Americana or military theme that would be able to stand up to the weather.

"I think it turned out great," Fred George, a member of the VFW said. "It is exactly what we wanted. We plan on doing it again and the schools that participated really enjoyed it."

If schools chose to participate, the VFW donated $125 to the art department to cover the cost of materials. Four schools entered the competition, including Sunset Elementary, Medical Lake Middle School, Cheney HomeWorks! and Great Northern Elementary.

The four submitted murals are now on display at their building and voting is open until the middle of May.

"Anybody can come in to vote," George said.

The painting that receives the most votes wins $400 while the other three earn the rest of the monies split evenly at $222.The winner is set to be revealed at the VFW's Memorial Day service on May 28, which features free food to people that join.

After the winner is announced, the murals will be hung around the outside of the building. They will be rotated throughout the year so that the paintings won't be damaged from direct sunlight.

"We hope to get more participation next year," George said. "But I think the kids did great this year."

Grace Pohl can be reached at grace@cheneyfreepress.com.