Santa Ana mural honors arts school and dance company anniversaries

A mural nearing completion on 4th Street in downtown Santa Ana celebrates the 40th anniversary of Orange County School of the Arts and the 50th anniversary of dance company Relampago del Cielo, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Muralist Eric Michael worked with students from the school on the project.

The project brings together arts students and an Orange County-based professional ballet folklorico company, with actual company dancers depicted in the mural. It also honors Santa Ana’s longstanding support for the school, school President and CEO Teren Shaffer told ABC7.

Michael collaborated with Orange County School of the Arts students to create the mural, ABC7 reported. The work incorporates a papel picado design that reflects its Mexican cultural influences.

Michael told ABC7 that a student helped him with that design. The project pairs the decorative motif with images of dancers from Relampago del Cielo.

The dancers portrayed are actual members of the company, according to ABC7. Relampago del Cielo partnered on the mural as it marks its 50th anniversary.

Shaffer said the collaboration also celebrates the school’s 40th anniversary. He described the mural as a dedication to Santa Ana for welcoming the school over the years.

Shaffer told ABC7 he had watched the work develop over the past few months. At the time of the report, the mural was nearly finished.

Michael told ABC7 that working at this scale fulfilled a longtime aspiration to put his art on a wall.