08/26/2026
Students at W. W. Robinson Elementary have some new artwork to admire and interact with this school year! Local artist Ennedi Shtanko completed three 3.5'x12' murals over the summer that now hang near the main entrance to WWR and along the kindergarten and first grade hallways.
"All three murals were inspired by the landscape around us - the mountains, forests, farms, and beautiful colors that make up the Shenandoah Valley," said Shtanko, who is currently serving as the Art Teacher at Signal K**b Middle School. "When I was a student, I remember thinking that the only thing I didn't like about school was that I couldn't be outside, surrounded by nature. With that in mind, I wanted to bring a little bit of that outside world into the hallways. Even if students only spend 60 seconds walking past a mural, I want them to have a chance to enjoy the colors, recognize something familiar, and feel a little bit transported outdoors."
The murals, which each took about 25-30 of actual painting time to complete, feature beautiful landscapes and vibrant colors to catch the eye of passing students and staff alike. And if that wasn't enough, two of the murals also contain hidden elements to encourage interaction and reflection when admiring them.
"The mural I call 'Misty Mornings' has hidden letters throughout it. I may have gotten a little too good at hiding them though, because I painted a couple of duplicate letters as I was finishing the details when I couldn't find them myself," said Shtanko. "A teacher walking by actually spotted a second 'W,' which seems appropriate for W.W. Robinson.
"The farm-inspired mural, 'The Early Bird Gets the Worm,' has hidden numbers 0-10 for students to find. I even painted a few flowers that don't seem to 'fit' in with the others in the painting, which was intentional. They represent those students that don't always seem to fit the mold. I was definitely one of those students in school, so those flowers are for us."
A former W.W. Robinson student herself, Shtanko said the hidden letters and numbers are meant to add another layer of fun and give students something they can quietly search for while waiting, changing classes, or simply taking a little mental “reset” when they need one.
"There’s also a really special connection to this project for me. The last time I sat in an art class as a student was right here at W.W. Robinson," said Shtanko. "I never could have imagined back then that the things I learned in those classrooms would eventually become a career, lead to my own successful art business, and bring me back to these same hallways as the artist creating these murals.
"So, in a way, this project feels like coming full circle. I’m quite literally living the dream and it started at W.W. Robinson!"
