The new mural is set to debut on an elementary school on Earth Day
NORWALK, CT – PaintCare, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the convenient recycling of leftover household paint, has teamed up with Keep America Beautiful to create a new community mural on an exterior wall of the Kendall College and Career Academy in Norwalk, CT. Local artist and founder of Art Monster Studio in Norwalk, as well as the Love More Than Ever street art movement, Fivefingaz has been selected to design and paint the mural, which will be unveiled on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22.
The project brings together local organizations, the local art community, and students to celebrate creativity, paint stewardship, and collaboration. Sponsored by PaintCare, the mural will be created by reusing leftover paint collected in the PaintCare program, demonstrating how materials can be put to meaningful and beneficial use such as supporting community-focused beautification projects.
Sketch of proposed mural design provided by artist, Fivefingaz.
“Coatings help make our schools, homes, and communities stronger, safer, and more lasting, and this mural is a powerful example of that impact,” said Michael W. Johnson, President and CEO of the American Coatings Association. “By partnering with Keep America Beautiful and Norwalk-based artist Fivefingaz on this Earth Day project, we’re celebrating the coatings industry’s commitment to innovation, stewardship, and creativity, while showing students firsthand how sustainability and art can come together to serve their community.”
The mural will be prominently featured on an exterior wall of the Kendall College and Career Academy, one of 11 elementary schools throughout the district, where it will be highly visible from Fillow Street. By reimagining a school façade as public art, the project strengthens connections among students, educators, and neighborhood residents through a shared creative space.
“Community-driven projects like this mural show what’s possible through meaningful partnerships,” said April Wennerstrom, Senior Director of Operations at Keep America Beautiful. “As a twenty-year resident of Norwalk, I’m thrilled to see this project come to the community and Kendall College and Career Academy through the amazing partnership with PaintCare, Keep America Beautiful, and Norwalk’s own resident artist, Fivefingaz; it not only beautifies a highly visible neighborhood space, but also empowers students to see how their ideas, creativity, and commitment to the environment can have a lasting impact.”
Notably, a significant portion of the paint used for the mural will come from leftover paint collected through PaintCare’s recycling and collection efforts, demonstrating how materials can be responsibly reused, and highlighting a circular approach that puts materials back to work in the communities they serve.
“Since launching in 2013, PaintCare has made responsible paint management convenient and accessible for residents across Connecticut,” said Laura Honis, Connecticut Program Manager for PaintCare. “With more than 150 drop-off sites statewide, 100 percent of households live within 15 miles of a site, and the program has collected an estimated 4.5 million gallons of leftover paint.”
Reflecting the neighborhood it serves, the mural is the result of direct collaboration with the Norwalk chapter of Keep America Beautiful, PaintCare, and the local community. Five’s design draws inspiration from sketches and ideas contributed by students at the school. The mural incorporates bold colors, uplifting imagery, and themes of technology and nature, reflecting both student input and Five’s signature style.
“I love being able to help spark creativity in others,” said Fivefingaz. “Collaborating with students on this mural makes it truly theirs. When they walk past this wall, they’ll know they were part of creating something meaningful for their school and the greater neighborhood.”
Created by paint companies through the American Coatings Association, PaintCare was established to manage leftover paint in states that enact paint stewardship laws. Following Connecticut’s passage of a stewardship law in 2011, the organization now has 157 recycling drop-off sites across Connecticut, including two in Norwalk, and has managed paint from more than 700 municipal household hazardous waste and paint collection events.
PaintCare manages leftover paint that the program collects according to “highest best use,” prioritizing reuse and recycling into new paint whenever possible, to minimize environmental impact. To learn more about PaintCare and find a local paint drop-off site nearest you, visit www.paintcare.org/CT.
The mural will be officially unveiled at 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, in celebration of Earth Day. Members of the media are invited to attend, with interview opportunities available with PaintCare staff and artist Fivefingaz. Photos of the mural will be available after the unveiling.
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About Keep America Beautiful®
Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful strives to end littering, improve recycling, and beautify America’s communities. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.
About PaintCare® in Connecticut
PaintCare is committed to making it easy and convenient for households, businesses, and institutions to recycle postconsumer (leftover) paint in states with paint stewardship laws. A nonprofit organization created by paint companies, PaintCare sets up drop-off locations for leftover paint, arranges for recycling and proper disposal, and conducts public education. More than 4 million gallons of paint, stain, and varnish have been managed by PaintCare’s Connecticut program since its launch in 2013. For additional information, visit www.paintcare.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram @WeRecyclePaint.