NVC Partners with St. PJ’s Children’s Home for Community Art Project

A powerful new collaboration is bringing vibrant color and a sense of comfort to the residents of St. PJ’s Children’s Home. Thanks to a dedicated partnership between Northwest Vista College (NVC) Fine Arts and St. PJ’s, the home’s walls have been transformed by six custom canvas paintings and two beautiful murals—all created and donated by NVC students and alumni.

The spark for the project came from NVC alumna Alyssa Raymond, who initiated the concept and partnered with the NVC Fine Arts department to bring it to life. Raymond took on the massive task of painting two large-scale murals directly on site at St. PJ's.

To expand the project's impact, NVC Fine Arts hosted an information session for current students and invited them to submit formal proposals, sketches, and portfolios. Led by Esteban Delgado, NVC associate professor and discipline coordinator for Fine Arts, a panel selected five standout student artists to design and execute individual paintings on canvas.

The selected students—Clarice Yu, Jenica Reyes, Josarrio Mendoza, Katie Capps, and Tennilel Rehm—worked closely with NVC art faculty throughout the process. Faculty members provided guidance and feedback to ensure every piece deeply reflected the project’s core themes: hope, resilience, and healing.

The project quickly became a community effort. While the five chosen artists focused on their individual designs, students enrolled in the Painting II course stepped up to assist with the foundational technical work—collaboratively stretching the large canvases and applying gesso (a primer used to prepare surfaces for acrylic or oil paint) to get them ready for the artists.

Recognizing the immense time, creativity, and emotional energy required for a project of this scale, Dr. Richard Drum, board member of Friends of the Arts and a longtime NVC community partner, generously provided funding to ensure that all five selected student artists received stipends for their contributions.

With all six paintings and both murals now successfully installed at St. PJ’s Children’s Home, the organizers are looking forward to celebrating this major achievement. Plans are currently underway for a small reception to be held in late summer or early fall, bringing together the artists, faculty, and the St. PJ’s community to honor the hard work and shared vision that made this transformation possible.

Beyond beautifying a space for vulnerable children, the project served as a powerful professional and personal development opportunity for the participants. According to NVC Fine Arts Coordinator Esteban Delgado, students gained vital real-world industry experience by building portfolios and presenting professional concept sketches throughout the collaboration.

“Through this experience, students also learned what it means to create meaningful artwork for their community, recognizing how public art can inspire, comfort, and positively impact the lives of others,” Esteban added.