Orlando students help create Mills 50 Walking Art Tour

ORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida middle school students recently partnered with Mills 50 for a Walking Art Tour.

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On May 7, the seventh and eighth-grade Lake Highland Preparatory School students saw their finished work come to life.

They took leadership and entrepreneurship classes with the Mills 50 Board of Directors and Promotions Committee to help tell the stories behind the art.

The students interviewed the artists for their inspiration behind each piece and their advice for young artists.

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These details were then put on a website with QR codes linking to the art.

City Commissioners Patty Sheehan and Robert Stuart joined the students to see their work.

Two artists, Dueling Dragons Mural artist Steve Nedley and Mills Monsters artist Genevieve Bernard, were also there.

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Sheehan worked with the city of Orlando to make murals permanent works of art.

“The murals are a vibrant part of downtown,” said Commissioner Sheehan. “It’s great working with City staff on ordinances that enhance the downtown experience. I’m so glad the students have adopted these murals and are talking about the importance of celebrating art, not destroying it.”

The students also had a special experience with the murals.

“Something cool about working on this project was learning more about the different art in Mills 50,” said eighth grader Maleah Petion. “I really liked learning about [the ‘Dueling Dragons Mural’] because it showed unity and teamwork between the police department and youth groups.”

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