Sunnyside High School art project showcases campus diversity

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The end of the school year may be fast approaching, but Sunnyside High School is sporting some new faces on the walls.

"The impact we have is to uplift people to have pride in who they are and just celebrate," photography instructor Tamela Ryatt exclaimed.

Students arrived on campus to be greeted by some of their own smiling faces, three months were spent putting together the guerilla-style art project.

"It took a lot of time and teamwork," student Charlij Vang said.

More than 2,400 square feet of paper and more than 60 gallons of wheat paste, made from scratch, went into showcasing the diverse student body.

Photographs were sized, tiled and sequenced to cover pillars, walls, even staircases - all inspired by world renowned artist JR of Paris.

"He goes into communities makes photographs and posts them at night and leaves them up for the community to experience and have conversations," Ryatt said.

It's a type of engagement photography that students wanted to share with their peers.

"We are really proud of who we are and what we represent," Vang said.

"I hope that people know that we are a school with so many different criterias," student Bjarne Nass added.

Nass, a foreign exchange student from Germany, is embracing the cultural diversity in the Valley. He says this project showcases the community he's grown to know and love.

"I mean compared to Germany, you can't really describe because it is so much fun here, and this is really a family," he said. "You feel the whole school is together."