Two weeks ago, the staff, students and parents of Kempsville Elementary were pleasantly surprised to find the eight poles lining the roof of the front entrance were being repainted a creamy tan.

Some thought at first it was just a welcome change of color over the drab, plain white that had been on the poles for decades.

Within a few days, however, it was clear the poles had instead become yet another creative canvas for local artist and muralist, Matt Jackson.

This was not Jackson’s first visit to transform once-white surfaces of Kempsville Elementary. He first came in 2006 as an Artist in Residence working with KES art teacher Kathy Geisaka and the KES 5th grade art club. At that time, Jackson painted four large, seasonal scenes of Powhatan life in the cafeteria, as well as a large, Virginia-themed mural on another cafeteria wall. Jackson sketched a long, pencil version of one of his murals for the KES art club to paint as well, to experience hands-on what it’s like to be a muralist.

In the years since, Jackson has also painted at KES a large floor-to-ceiling soaring bald eagle over a Powhatan stretched-deer skin on a wall near the gymnasium, the “Little Indian” mascot inside the school’s foyer. A small “Kempsville Indians” logo mural inside the school office was also painted just this year.

The new poles outside the front entrance of Kempsville Elementary have been transformed to resemble wood-carved totem poles, complete with the faces of two Powhatan women, and all kinds of animals, including a turkey, wolf, beaver, turtle, and many others. Jackson says there is no other school in our area that he is aware of that could have front entrance poles and a Native-American theme to feature the totem poles so well. These poles, like many of Jackson’s murals, are truly unique works of inspiring art.

Jackson began painting murals ten years ago in a local Tropical Smoothie Cafe where he worked at the time. The PTA president of Fairfield Elementary School walked into the cafe and upon seeing Matt working on the cafe’s mural, arranged for Matt to paint murals in Fairfield Elementary. From there word spread among parents and principals and so have his murals. Matt says he has painted murals in 46 schools in Hampton Roads, as well as several other community places. Matt owns the mural company, Dreams 2 Reality. You can see some of his work at this temporary website, http://www.d2rmurals.com.