For Jadalize Lamboy, a senior at Liberty HS who plans to study art education at Moore College of Art & Design, she jumped at the chance to be a part of a mural project at Moravian Village of Bethlehem, a 55-plus continuing care retirement community located just one mile from the National Historic Landmark District of Downtown Bethlehem.

“I thought it would be a really good opportunity to do a mural because I have never done one before,” said Lamboy.

The mural project is the brainchild of the residents of Moravian Village who wanted to bring to life the plain, cinder block walls in the underground parking garage elevator lobby of the Point 26 Suites. Resident Jerry Engle, also the chair of the resident housekeeping committee, created a sketch of his vision for the mural and presented it to the committee.

“To me, [the sketch] is me sitting in my living room looking out at the trees and flowers blossoming, bringing a brighter outlook on life,” expressed Engle.

The committee agreed that it would be a good idea to reach out to the Bethlehem Area School District and have art students from Liberty and Freedom HS make the sketch come to life in a mural project, especially since Moravian Village residents have a long-standing relationship with the school district and attend their arts and music performances, as well as visit the schools to help students learn to read, just to name a few.

“We have a great connection between the both of us,” Engle said. “I think that’s healthy for the City of Bethlehem.

It truly is a win-win endeavor, as the students can use the project to fulfill some of the required 60 hours of community service that they need in order to graduate, while gaining so much more than that in the process.

“I always love to have exposure of my students out in the public,” said Heidi Landis, who has been an art teacher at Liberty HS for 20 years. “It is a perfect way for them to work with the residents and have fun at the same time.”

The students began the project April 18 after school and will continue every Tuesday and Wednesday after school for a couple of hours, and plan to finish it before the end of the school year. They are creating a beautiful garden view landscape of a bright blue sky, billowing clouds, springy grass and bushes, cheery flowers, tall trees and more. Once the north garage elevator lobby is complete, the group will move on to do the same thing in the south garage elevator lobby.

For Kim Tanzos, an art and photography teacher, the collaboration of this project is what attracted her to be a part of it.

“I like the opportunity for [students] from both schools to come together,” Tanzos said. “I am not surprised at the kids that opted to do it. They are great artists and sweet kids.”

Jamie Toohey, photography teacher at Freedom, was the deciding factor for Nahla Brown, a senior at Freedom, to join the cause.

“Ms. Toohey is my favorite teacher,” Brown said. “I saw she needed help, so I said I would help.”

And Toohey is glad that Brown did, along with the four other students who are giving their time and talent on the project.

“I love how it is young people giving back to older people,” Toohey said.

Moravian Village’s executive director, Tracy Patton, couldn’t be happier to see this project come to fruition.

“I love it when a resident brings up a great idea and we get to make it happen,” Patton expressed. “It’s a great experience for students and a great introduction into senior living. Hopefully it’s the beginning of our next project.”