Aptos Jr High Public Art Club Brings Mosaic to Soquel Drive

By Jessica Johnson

There is an African proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Aptos Junior High School art teacher Susan Megorden and Aptos resident Denise Elerick now know it also takes a village to create a community art project.

Several months ago, Elerick and Megorden joined forces with the shared vision of bringing a student-made mosaic to an unsightly retaining wall on Soquel Drive. The wall used to be a bus stop across from Mar Vista Elementary School that has since been relocated. The abandoned space has become a blemish and a magnet for graffiti.

That’s all about to change. On April 9 and 10, Megorden and her Public Art Club students will install a gorgeous hand-made mosaic along the wall. The installation will be the celebration and realization of a months-long project spearheaded by the joint efforts of Elerick and Megorden.

Elerick’s children attended Mar Vista and Aptos Junior High, and as a local mom she has driven by the unsightly wall several times a day. Curious about the possibility of beautifying it with a mural she contacted Santa Cruz Metro. “They said it was abandoned and I could do anything I wanted with it,” she recalls.

A friend wisely suggested she contact the county before she actually took action, so Elerick reached out to District Supervisor Zach Friend’s office. They referred her to the Public Works Department who, in turn, referred her to the County Parks Department where she finally connected with Program Coordinator Kathy DeWild. DeWild thought it was a great idea and was instrumental in getting the project approved.

The original plan was to paint a mural on the wall, until an artist friend mentioned that murals required regular maintenance against normal wear and the weather.

The friend introduced the idea of a mosaic and suggested Elerick talk to Susan Megorden at Aptos Junior High.

Elerick reached out to Megorden who thought the project would be ideal for her Public Art Club. The club consists of 20 – 25 students who meet twice a week, and has brought several mosaics to the junior high campus. Bringing a true art piece to the greater public was met with excitement.

“They were thrilled!” recalls Megorden. “For this to go out into the community is really wonderful because a lot of our kids are Mar Vista kids and their parents and brothers and sisters are going to see this every day.”

The Public Art Club has been working diligently to assemble the panels that will be installed on the 14-foot long wall. The flower tiles were made by Megorden’s 7th grade art and ceramics students, the river rock was donated by a local business, and the broken mirror pieces came from a chipped mirror Elerick had in her garage for 18 years.

Aptos Junior High School Principal Rich Moran is excited for the students and the community, “We are giving back to our community, we have a ton of kids here who were Mar Vista Sea Lions. It is such a win to give that experience to our students and to show our community that we care enough to contribute – not only in terms of what we are trying to do academically and socially — but beyond what we are trying to do on campus. It’s awesome.”