It’s Friday, Feb. 15, and Tiffany Colburn’s class at the Sedona Red Rock Junior and Senior High School has turned into a studio. The students are painting a mural in the bathroom with the help of artist Joan Bourque and they are proud of their work. 

Two of them are posted by the door, making sure the flowers on each side of the frame look similar. Another two are inside, finishing some details on the fishes swimming in the sea they’ve painted and checking if there are enough stars in the sky. Walking in the bathroom, one feels like they’re going inside an aquarium — but also an astronomy center. 

Two of the walls of the bathroom turned into an ocean scene, with fishes, corals and a scuba diver in a wheelchair. The ceiling, however, became the sky; night on one side, day on the other. The latter even features a skydiver, who’s also in a wheelchair. These details, which may seem minor to many, are very important for this specific group of kids.

The mural, named “Ocean Togetherness in the Universe,” was created through the Unified Art Project. The group is part of teacher Tiffany Colburn’s Special Olympics team, in which disabled and non-disabled kids work together, joining forces to make projects like this happen. 

Bourque came in to help through the Artist in the Classroom program led by city of Sedona Arts and Culture Coordinator Nancy Lattanzi. Last year, the students painted a mural with all the things they loved about Sedona on one of the classroom’s wall. This year, they tackled the bathroom walls and ceiling with a mural that brought together different interests: Tropical themes, Hawaii and astronomy. Working with kids is a unique experience, Bourque said. 

“I guess the kids are more fun, they bring an element of surprise. They practice getting along, they practice respect. Because they do. They respect the fact that I come in and 

work with them,” she said. 

“First, they’re a little timid and, then, when they see one of their peers paint successfully, they jump up and do it.” 

Wilson said she agrees, and mentioned the importance of having an artist in the classroom working with the students. 

“They are so impressed with some of the stuff she’s taught them,” Colburn said. 

“Some of my kids, when they came in, were like ‘I can’t paint, I’m not good at art. What are you talking about, Miss Tiffany? Why are you going to make me do it?’” 

But they learned quickly and some even want to paint murals at home now. Others have used the techniques they learned in the past to improve this year’s mural. 

“This is a group project, making the murals, not just one person. Everybody works together and the lesson goes beyond the painting. It extends to the fact that one person will paint the background, the next person will put in detail,” Bourque explained. 

“I take them through the steps of the art process, where we talk about our ideas, how they’re going to look, what they’re going to say. The most important thing is nothing is final until it is over, we can change our mind.” 

Wilson said she will submit the finished work to the Special Olympics so these little artists can get some recognition. 

“In a week, we’ve gone and pretty much done it. We finished up the mural and it looks more amazing than I thought they were going to go and do,” she said. 

“It takes a wall that maybe we were feeling blah about and makes it to where it’s inviting and friendly.” Now, every time the students go into the bathroom, they will be transported to another place — somewhere they created themselves. 

“It’s soul-searching, it’s just soul-minded, to see them come alive is so wonderful,” Bourque added. “I’m amazed when we wrap it up and think of what they accomplished.”