Photo courtesy of JUNIATA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT Madhavi Howard, a 12th-grader at Juniata High School, puts the finishing touches on the Juniata County Courthouse in Mifflintown.

MIFFLINTOWN — Jon Laidacker doesn’t hail from the Juniata Valley, but that doesn’t mean the well-known muralist certainly hasn’t left his mark — with his creative and lifelike murals — around the area.

Now, the Philadelphia-based artist is helping Juniata High School art students create an extraordinary art for the school and community to enjoy.

“This mural is far more than paint on a wall,” Juniata High School art teacher Rachel Shepler said. “It stands as a living archive, a student-led tribute to local heritage, and a lasting symbol of the powerful connection between art, education and community.”

The project kicked off this spring when the art students collaborated with Laidacker on a mural that honors the identity, creativity and history of Juniata County. Students were involved from the earliest design phase, helping shape the concept and select the imagery that makes this public artwork both personal and timeless.

“The mural is designed to feel like stepping into an artist’s studio in the middle of creating a piece about our county,” Shepler explained. “A beautifully painted wooden shelf features a blend of old and new: vintage paint brushes, handwritten notes, black-and-white photographs with warm tones, ripped notebook paper held by tape, and modern items like an Apple Pencil, iPhone, earbuds and a Sharpie.

“The use of shadows and glazing techniques creates a realistic trompe l’oeil effect, adding depth and encouraging viewers to explore each detail,” Shepler added.

The mural almost seems to come alive as each photograph tells a story. The tones and textures add a sense of warmth, nostalgia and reverence. A central theme of education runs throughout the piece, highlighting the power of learning both inside the classroom and through the people and places that shape our community. Every object and portrait carries meaning, honoring individuals whose contributions are truly timeless.

“To help viewers connect with the imagery, a visual guide identifies key historical figures and locations depicted in the mural,” Shepler said.

Students were especially inspired by a presentation from Jessica Eaton Guyer, curator of the Tuscarora Academy Museum and County Advisor for America250PA.

“She shared local history, folklore and stories that deeply enriched the students’ work,” added Shepler, who seemed to enjoy creating the mural as much as her students.

Spencer McLaughlin, a Juniata County Historical Society volunteer, also assisted with painting, alongside school faculty and staff, making this a true community effort.

McLaughlin painted an image of the Red Banks School in Licking Creek, while Guyer worked on the cupola of the former Tuscarora Female Seminary in Academia.

Students also were thrilled to take part in the project.

“It was really fun and relaxing to make and it was a lot bigger than I expected at first, but it was a very fun thing to do. I’d like to thank everyone for this opportunity!” said Juniata High School ninth-grader Selena Fultz, who worked on painting the Pleasant View store.

Meanwhile, 12th-grader Madhavi Howard worked on putting the finishing touches on the Juniata County Courthouse in Mifflintown.

“It was lovely getting to work on a project with so many people,” Howard added. “I particularly liked the woman dancing in the frame, how she moved out of the frame and her outfit.”

Another senior, Emily Rook, was closing in on details of the Red Bank School section. “I would say that I really appreciate all the hard work that went into planning everything and all of the artists that made everything possible,” Rook said. “I really enjoyed painting the mural with all my classmates and seeing it all come together. I liked how everything could be a part of it no matter the artistic ability but still create something detailed that is personal to our area. I also loved all the details in the mural itself and I hope lots of other people will enjoy it as well.”

It should be a magical moment while all of the many pieces of the mural are assembled.

“The mural uses the principle of movement to guide the viewer’s eye, creating a dynamic sense of flow through repeated forms, directional lines, and visual rhythm,” Shepler added. “The result is a composition full of life, energy and unity.”

Shepler and the students began planning the mural project about a year ago. Students in grades 9 through 12 are involved, along with teachers and local dignitaries. “Our goal was to include as many people at Juniata High School as possible,” Shepler said.

Now that the main painting phase is complete, Laidacker has taken the mural back to his Philadelphia studio to apply a custom glaze for added texture and depth. He will return to the Mifflintown school at the end of summer to install the completed canvas directly onto the brick wall in the main hallway of Juniata High School.

It all started with Shepler’s admiration for the artwork of Laidacker, who has roots in Northumberland County. He started doing residencies in 2013 and has worked with mural arts since 2005.

“With the Perry County Council of the Arts, we work with an artist in residency,” Shepler explained. “I have been admiring Jon’s work for a long time and have seen a lot of his murals in neighboring counties.”

“We get to select which artist we want to work with,” Shepler added.

The choice was really a no-brainer. She said she took information from Guyer’s visit and discussed with students how they can represent that history in the mural.

Laidacker has designed a mega mural monster for one 86,000-square-foot package for garages at the Philadelphia Airport as well as another near Lincoln Financial Field for the Philadelphia Eagles.

He worked with students for about 10 days to come up with a concept for completion of the mural.

“We had initial brainstorming meetings at each school,” recalled Laidacker, who also worked with East Juniata High School on its mural. “Once they were done, I took all of those ideas, went back to my studio and started putting a couple different designs together.”

Laidacker designed some sketches based on their suggestions, modified the design until the students agreed with the design then enlarged it to scale and digitally broke it down into a color-by-number format. The final step was to print it out in sections on polyester paper.

“I mixed all the paint colors needed by hand for the piece — 90 colors total — and they painted it,” Laidacker added.

From a paint standpoint, Laidacker said Juniata High School’s design was slightly easier than the one he did for East Juniata High School, which had a total of 130 colors.

“We have about 120 students involved in this project,” Shepler said. “Every art class I teach participated — from art and sculpture to painting and ceramics.”

Positioned in this central location, the mural will be seen daily by students, staff and visitors attending school events.

“This project taught me so much about the mural process, and I’m honored to have worked alongside Jon and so many other talented individuals,” Shepler said. “The students loved learning through the experience and took great pride in completing it. It was truly a memorable and meaningful journey.

“Once the mural is fully installed, I hope to build on this momentum and explore other opportunities for public art projects in the area because there’s so much creative potential in our community,” Shepler added.

The size of the finished artwork will be about 10 by 20 feet, and funding comes from the school district and the Perry County Council of the Arts, Shepler said.