Music notes and theater dialogue echo into the distance. Wins and losses fade from memory. But an extracurricular activity led by Makenzie Nolan has posterity.
The outgoing Edina High School senior started Edina Visual Arts 360 to give artists their own club. EVA 360 constructed a 10-foot by 23-foot mural of students displaying their other talents–playing sports, performing, studying, etc.
“It’s how they made their mark as Hornets,” Nolan says.
The five-panel mural is prominently placed in the main hallway between the high school and Valley View Middle School. The goal is to let students know that Edina High School is also a place for artists.
When Nolan moved from St. Louis Park, Edina’s focus on academics, sports, music and theater was apparent. “But the visual arts really are lacking,” she says.
EVA 360 had 10 active members in its first year, and Nolan hopes that underclassmen continue the group and increase its membership next school year. If and when EVA 360 reconvenes, they will have Nolan’s big presence to fill.
“She takes in experiences and wants to share them with others,” says Rachael Pream Grenier, Edina’s youth service manager. “She does that through art. She is very creative and passionate.”
