At 4:00 p.m. on March 17, 2019, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School National Art Honor Society revealed a mural to honor the lives lost on Feb. 14, 2018. The mural is located at 2449 NE 13th Ave, Wilton Manors, Florida.

NAHS first decided to start this project when former art teacher Lauren Rosa proposed the project after receiving the opportunity to paint a memorial mural for the 17 victims of the MSD shooting.

The students started in May 2018 and finished in early March 2019. The opportunity was presented to all NAHS students, but senior Emily Melamed took over the project after Rosa left to teach in Japan at the end of the 2017-2018 school year.

“For me, it was more about how together as a club we were able to create something that was solely meant for symbolizing peace,” Melamed said.

Before starting the project, NAHS contacted the victim’s families requesting their favorite picture of them that they could replicate for the mural, as well as their favorite color to use for the background of the painting.

“It was a way for me to give back to the community while also allowing myself to heal through art. Art has always been a passion of mine so using it as a way to remember the lives lost will always hold a special place in my heart,” senior Alexa Rappaport said.

NAHS was able to work on the mural whenever they wanted to. Most members spent their free time on the weekends working on it.

“I mostly worked on the mural on weekends. It was really special being able to work on such an amazing project. It was a great way to express my feelings and love for the seventeen fallen eagles through art. I’m so happy I could be a part of it,” senior Emily Hollander said.

Now that it is finished, the mural is open for everyone to visit. NAHS hopes for this to be a comforting place to be when remembering the lives taken on Feb. 14, 2018.