Students finish mural in Black Forest

One side of a workshop now bears images of last year’s wildfire in Black Forest, courtesy of an art honors class at Pine Creek High School.

The workshop, near the intersection of Brentwood Drive and Black Forest Road, is owned by Nigel Thompson. He lost his home in the fire and temporarily lived in a mobile home with his family — including his daughter, Elizabeth Thompson, one of the art students.

“I thought it’d be kind of nice if the side that was facing the street got spiced up a bit,” he said. “And I knew one of the art teachers there, and she was very enthusiastic about the project.”

The students volunteered weekends for the past month, with Nigel providing painting supplies and lunch. Students finished the project Saturday.

“(The fire is) not just something that happened one summer,” Elizabeth said. “People still remember it and it’s still a constant factor in a lot of our lives. The community reaches beyond just where the fire happened. The people of Black Forest are not alone.”

Nigel said although painting the mural was his idea, the students chose the images of devastation and recovery.

As a reward for their work and dedication, the students will be rewarded with a trip to an art show in Denver next week.