A Rainier Beach High School senior started an art club that produced the school's first large-scale mural in nearly ten years.
Laureyna Nguyen, a first-year member of the Seattle Public Schools Youth Arts Collective (YAC), founded the club to give fellow students a space to collaborate on creative projects.
The club's centerpiece achievement: a multicultural mural celebrating the diverse cultures and identities of the Rainier Beach community, according to Seattle Public Schools.
Nguyen, who has been drawing since age four, works across sketching, photography and hand-drawn animation. Visual arts teacher Nate H. introduced her to the YAC and encouraged her to apply. She started the club because she saw a gap.
"Not everyone is interested in things like sports or math," Nguyen said. "There are creative minds that deserve opportunities too."
The district published Nguyen's story on Friday, Sept. 18, during National Arts in Education Week. The Youth Arts Collective launched during the 2025-26 school year. It brings together student artists from different schools and disciplines to provide feedback on arts curriculum, explore career paths in the arts and advocate for arts education across the district. Nguyen joined the 2026-27 cohort.
The mural arrives at a moment of physical transformation for the 854-student school at 8815 Seward Park Ave S. Students moved into a new building after spring break on Tuesday, April 21, and the district held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 29 marking the completion of the multi-phase replacement project funded by the 2019 BEX V levy. A new Performing Arts Center opened in August.
Nguyen said she hopes to see more arts programming and pathways for students whose interests fall outside traditional activities. The district did not specify how many students participated in the mural project or describe its visual content.
No upcoming art club events or YAC meeting dates have been announced.
