Students point to pieces of the mosaic mural they placed during the work on the project.
East York Elementary School unveiled its six feet high by 15 feet wide mosaic mural on Friday evening, December 18.
Willaim Matthew (Matt) Vaughan and Nancy Schaffstall Krasnesky are shown with the mural in celebration of the life of the late Martha (Marti) Schaffstall Vaughan.
Featuring the East York dragon mascot, artist Justin Ayala created a piece that emphasizes diversity and inclusiveness at the school entitled “We may be different and unique, yet we are one East York Family.”
Made up of broken pieces of tile, the colorful artwork was funded by a substantial contribution from William Matthew (Matt) Vaughan, the husband of the late Martha (Marti) Schaffstall Vaughan, a 32-year teacher in the York Suburban School District. The East York PTO, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the York County Cultural Alliance also contributed financial support for the project.
Matt Vaughan and Nancy Schaffstall Krasnesky, Mrs. Vaughan’s daughter and a York Suburban High School graduate, were on hand for the dedication in celebration of Mrs. Vaughan’s life-long love of education.
After the unveiling of the mural, the students eagerly rushed forward to show their parents which pieces of the mural they had placed on the wall outside of the school cafeteria.
For at least one family, the mural project was a multi-generation experience. Steven Scalet, a 1988 graduate of York Suburban High School, noted his 9-year-old daughter, Sophia, who goes to East York, his wife, Debby, and his mother, Louise, all worked on the mural together. “A great artistic and community activity,” he said.
The unveiling was held in conjunction with the East York Elementary School PTO’s Family Fun Night, which included cookie decorating and the Holiday Secret Shop.