Discover why a “fun-raiser” at the Parkrose School District office is leaving a lasting mark on the neighborhood …
Along the side of a maintenance building at the Parkrose School District office on N. E. Prescott Street, families gather to help paint the new community mural during the September 12 “fun-raiser.”
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
On a Saturday morning in early September, the usually quiet Parkrose School District office parking lot along N. E. Prescott Street turned into a bustling outdoor art studio.
With rain in the forecast for September 12, organizers moved the event forward into the sunny morning hours, but that did not dampen enthusiasm – more than three dozen adults and kids arrived, ready to transform a blank wall into a colorful community landmark.
Showing backpacks they are giving away are volunteer Gabrielle Enfield – along with Project Color Corps Portland Chapter Project Manager Puji Sherer – during the mural “fun-raiser” at the Parkrose School District office on N. E. Prescott Street.
Project Color Corps volunteers laid out paints, brushes, snacks and beverages, while families clustered along the side of the large district building, carefully filling in the chosen design. Volunteers took their time, paying close attention to edges and lines to leave a crisp, clean pattern on the long wall.
Students help choose the colors
Parkrose School District partnered with Project Color Corps to create the new mural, designed with input from local students. The nonprofit works with schools to turn plain exterior walls into bright public art that reflects the community.
Painters are already at work on the long exterior wall, and the mural’s bright color progress is clear by mid-morning at the Parkrose School District office on N. E. Prescott Street.
In the days leading up to the event, Parkrose students helped guide what would appear on the wall. During a special assembly on Friday, September 4, students viewed mural concepts developed from a school-wide survey and then voted on their preferred color palette.
As part of the process, they took part in an interactive color seminar that explored how color affects emotions, environments and the sense of belonging.
Painting are Parkrose neighbors Michelle Tursi and her kids, district students Ava and Amelie, as they help fill in the new community mural at the Parkrose School District office on N. E. Prescott Street.
According to the organizers, the finished mural is intended to be more than just a colorful wall. It is presented as a highly visible expression of student voice, neighborhood pride and the belief that young people should help shape the places where they learn and grow.
Superintendent calls it a community “fun-raiser”
Parkrose School District Superintendent Michael Lopes Serrao reflected on the project as families painted at the district office. Watching volunteers work along the wall, Superintendent Lopes Serrao explained, “We are doing a community mural that has been contributed by a nonprofit organization that has worked with our district.”
With brush in hand, Parkrose School District Superintendent Michael Lopes Serrao helps paint the new community mural at the district offices.
“The students from Prescott Elementary School had an opportunity to be part of the design and the choice of the color scheme, and so we invited folks out from the community to come out and paint with us today,” Lopes Serrao told East Portland News.
Lopes Serrao characterized the event as something more than a traditional fundraiser. “I call it fundraising,” he reflected. “It is creating fun events for folks in the community, bringing people together. I think this is an important part of the educational experience, but more importantly, it is a way to bring neighbors together to be proud of something that we have done together.”
Taking a break from painting, volunteers and families find the snack table a popular stop during the Parkrose mural “fun-raiser,” where Project Color Corps volunteers keep everyone supplied with treats and beverages.
Lasting impact on a Parkrose thoroughfare
Standing back to look at the emerging design, the superintendent pointed out that the mural’s impact extends beyond the painting day.
“I think the result obviously is something that we can be proud of for a really long time, and obviously this is a really picturesque piece along Prescott, which is a main thoroughfare in our neighborhood,” Lopes Serrao observed. “So I think it is something that will be remembered for a really long time.”
As the mural took shape, other volunteers staffed tables where students and families picked up backpacks, snacks and school supplies. “We are thankful for the folks here who are providing donations to kids,” Lopes Serrao noted, pointing toward the busy distribution area.
During the community mural project, Mohammed and Malik pause for a photo while painting their section of the design.
Art, learning and neighborhood pride
Organizers framed the mural as both art and lesson: Students had already explored how color can shape mood and a sense of welcome, and the wall now carries that lesson out to the neighborhood.
By the time the painting wrapped up, the long exterior wall of the Parkrose School District office building along N. E. Prescott Street had become a bright visual statement for people driving or walking through the Parkrose neighborhood.
Throughout the morning, his careful brushwork continues to add fresh color and detail to the growing mural.
For students who helped pick the palette and for neighbors who took a brush in hand, the mural now stands as a shared accomplishment at the district’s headquarters.
For more information about similar projects, and to learn about the group’s work in schools and neighborhoods, visit Project Color Corps online at: https://www.projectcolorcorps.org/.
© 2026 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
