Mural madness

All photos credited to Lauren McElroy

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about Eagle Rock High School’s newest burst of color. Several murals will soon be appearing around campus, including one for our very own school newspaper, The ER Scream. The creative force behind them is none other than Lauren McElroy, CEO of LStar Murals, whose vibrant works can already be seen throughout Eagle Rock.

McElroy has already completed the Journalism mural and will soon be collaborating with the Filipino Club, the Hispanic Heritage Group, and the Sexuality and Gender Acceptance (SAGA) club to create three more. Each project will be developed in close partnership with the students.

“It’s a totally collaborative process,” McElroy explained. “I go in with an open mind and want to get feedback--what the important points are for the group, and develop something together.”

Originally, all four murals were intended to debut last spring as part of “May Mural Madness,” a plan spearheaded by Mr. Oliveros. But district approval took longer than expected, pushing the bulk of the work into the new school year. This means students will now get to watch the creations come to life in real time, a fitting way to begin the start of fall semester.

Interestingly enough, this isn’t McElroy’s first time working with student artists. In 2022, she led a mural project at Eagle Rock Elementary, guiding a school-wide brainstorming session. Still, she says the high school collaboration has been unique, and really enjoyable. 

McElroy’s first brush with mural painting came in high school on the East Coast, where she was hired to paint for a water ice shop. She didn’t pick up the art form again for 15 years, until a job at Trader Joe’s in Los Angeles reignited her interest.

While McElroy’s current work is primarily for schools and businesses, she occasionally accepts personal commissions, such as nursery murals, a practice she says honed her precision early in her career. Outdoor and large-scale projects, however, allow her more room for expressive freedom. For McElroy, painting in a school setting is more than just decoration, it’s a way to connect with the next generation. Her ultimate goal for the murals is to leave an emotional mark on campus.

“I always want to instill some positivity and hopefulness in all my murals. I also want this aspect of like charging other people’s creativity so kind of igniting a spark and challenging people to look at the world around them a little differently… mainly provide hope and inspire creativity.”