Kathleen Pickering, Belen Public Library director and Community Services administrator, artist Jo’l Moore, and arts educator Paula Castillo are excited to announce the completion of a collaborative library mural with fourth-through-sixth grade students from Central Elementary.

This fall, NASA@ My Library selected the Belen Public Library to be part of an education initiative to increase and enhance the community’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) learning opportunities.

Pickering and Castillo partnered to bring this opportunity to Central Elementary students. After a series of workshops and a special visit by the New Mexico Space History Museum, students at Central created art to examine their understanding of the universe in the context of their hometown of Belen.

Moore has translated the student’s work into a permanent mural for the Children’s Room at the Belen Public Library.

“It makes me happy whenever the Belen Public Library can bring ideas and energy together for the benefit of Belen’s residents, especially the children,” Pickering said.

Titled “You are a Bright Star,” the mural will be unveiled at 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 29, in conjunction with a show of the student inspiration for the work on exhibit in the public meeting room.

Sponsors of the project include the American Library Association, Facebook Data Center in Los Lunas, Belen Art League and the Friends of Belen Harvey House.

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The Valencia County News-Bulletin is a locally owned and operated community newspaper, dedicated to serving Valencia County since 1910 through the highest journalistic and professional business standards. The VCNB is published weekly on Thursdays, including holidays both in print and online.