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# Mural project in schools nearly complete
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/mural-project-in-schools-nearly-complete/
- Published: 2002-12-04T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T01:03:40.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Education, Malibu, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

A district-wide art project will get its last brush stroke this week when a local artist paints the last of 11 murals at the elementary schools.

Malibu muralist David Legaspi III is painting his final mural at Grant Elementary School this Friday. The mural is the last piece of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s United Art Mural Project, created to reinforce the importance of the arts in education. Each of the 11 elementary school’s murals represents the basic subjects of the elementary school curriculum. Grant’s mural theme is social studies, with a focus on local history.

The United Art Mural Project was designed to emphasize district unity, express each school’s individuality, and further their sense of community. Each mural is a collaborative effort between Legaspi III, who has donated his time and materials to the district, the children, parents, teachers, and volunteers.

The murals are tied together by a common image of ethnically diverse school children in the act of painting the mural, symbolizing the artistic efforts of the students at each of the schools.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District believes in preserving the arts in schools. Studies have shown that arts education strengthens student problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as well as levels the field across socio-economic boundaries for learning. Students involved in the arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, according to the district. They continue to outperform non-arts students on the SAT, in math and reading, and perform four times as much community service, according to the district.

Grant Elementary is located at 2368 Pearl Street.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 4, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/120402.pdf?ref=smdp.com)