Mural to adorn Lake Placid High hallway

When students return to Lake Placid High School in August, they will see Albert Einstein and Marie Curie in a different way.

Members of the Lake Placid Art League have been painting an extensive mural - covering the development of science - on one of the walls in a hallway at the high school. The mural is approximately 55 feet long and about six feet deep.

Six to eight people have worked about seven hours a day Monday through Friday on the mural for the past couple of weeks, according to Llewellyn Rinald. It is expected to be finished this week.

The mural is a timeline beginning with the big-bang theory, dinosaurs, astronomy and includes the work of Galileo, Leonardo da Vinci, Curie, Einstein and James Audubon. The space program is also depicted.

Rinald, who is a member of the Lake Placid Art League, explained that her daughter, Mariposa Rinald, is a teacher and heads the science department at the school. Mariposa approached the art league and said the hallway looked blah and "needs a little something," according to her mother.

The organization's board approved the idea and agreed to spend up to $500 for paint.

The artists had to sand the lockers lining the wall before they started painting. Lockers have not been used at the school for more than three years because they are not conducive with the number of students there.

Rinald said the wall is "very textured with a lot of bumps and bubbles." She noted that the wall angles out in a couple of places.

Rinald, who has worked on murals before including one at Lake Placid Elementary School, said a few students have seen the mural.

"They think it is great," she said. "They knew some of the things on the mural."

"It's awesome," said Michael Haley, the school's principal.

Rinald said she hopes other departments become interested in murals. Haley said he wouldn't mind seeing more murals in the school.