El Rito Elementary art teacher Jackson Dickstein shares: “This mural was executed by my five through nine-year-old students and I at El Rito Elementary. The paintings of local landmarks seen at the top of each panel were painted by me, and the figures and interactions painted below were done by my students. Every figure represents a self-portrait of each student engaged in something they struggle with, and in many cases how they strive to overcome that struggle. Examples range from “struggling to help my grandpa gather wood” to “remembering to give my goats water”. The fourth panel has been left unpainted by students. It depicts the ruins of the ancient indigenous settlement of Sapawe, located just outside of modern day El Rito. It remains untouched in honor of those whose struggles came long before ours.”
