A group of 22 McMurray and Chautauqua students created tile for a colorful mosaic recently installed in the Ober Park Metro Bus shelter.

Local tile artist Steve Roache worked with the students after school over the course of two months to create tiles representing the theme of “Our Island Home.” 

With Roache, the kids brainstormed Vashon-related tile ideas, mostly with a nature theme, and then made several tiles each, reflecting their ideas about the Island. 

Tiles could be any shape but square, Roache said, and they capture a variety of images of Vashon, including trees, a blue heron, the red bicycle in the tree, boats, soccer players, skateboarders and electric cars.

Roache designed the mural and spent nearly a week laying out the tiles the kids had made and then sorted them by color. When the panels were ready, he installed them in the shelter. He wanted the mural to be fairly simple, he said, so that people could understand the image as they were riding by. 

“I’m really thrilled,” he said, of the finished project.

Roache noted that no tiles were purchased for the project; instead, he and the kids used seconds from his business, Aruba Tileworks.

The project was funded by Vashon Artists in the Schools, a program of Vashon Allied Arts (VAA).

Wendy Finkleman, VAA’s director of education, noted that project was very much a group effort, but many children could not attend the photo shoot. They are Ella Maierhoffer, Emily Milbrath, Cayce Morrison, Jesse Taitano, Lila Wooden, Liam McConnel, Titus Battisti, Julian White-Davis, Iris Sackman, Taylor Eastly, Armondo Oatman, Siona Caldwell and Rody Farr, as well as volunteer assistant Diane Inman.