Exactly one year ago, Friday, schools in Madeira were closed. Primary school principal Chris Flanagan has died, suddenly leaving behind his wife, four children and hundreds of grieving students.
“He was the all-in director,” Superintendent Kenji Matsudo said. “He was the one who threw water balloons off the roof.”
But this Friday was different. Not because it was “walk to school” day and strollers and footsteps filled the sidewalks of the suburban community outside Cincinnati. There was something special happening at the school.
The band’s horns and drums greeted the high school students as they filled the auditorium. They greeted and took selfies with the Reds mascots, Gapper and Rosie Red.
The Reds and PNC Bank chose Maderia to host three murals as part of an ongoing partnership with mural artist Brent Billingsley. Billingsley and his team have already gone to eight schools to work directly with students to create murals that reflect those communities.
Most of the approximately 450 secondary school students in Madeira wore t-shirts that they created with the Billingsley team. In the crowd were Emma and Molly Flanagan, Chris Flanagan’s daughters, as well as his wife.
Principal David Kennedy gathered the children at the foot of the stage and explained that Billingsley normally does just one mural for one district, but Kennedy fought to get three: one for the elementary school, one for the middle school and one for the high school.
“We get through things together,” Kennedy said.
The murals focused on growth and hope. The first showed third-grader Virginia Yankie, daughter of Jessica and Paul Yankie, holding a seedling in her hands. Virginia couldn’t take her eyes off the glowing painting and smiled widely as the crowd of high school students cheered for her. The second showed two high school students caring for a waist-high seedling.
The third showed a group of high school students gathered under a full-grown tree, and in the center were Emma and Molly.
“How come you weren’t moved?” PNC President Warren Weber asked afterward.
Weber said his best days as a banker, the ones he will remember, have nothing to do with banking. He said Madeira had a very difficult year and hopes this will help with recovery.
The mural took about four weeks to complete, and about two dozen students helped Billingsley and his team with the painting. Emma and Molly also helped.
“PNC Bank and the Reds don’t send us to school to create murals,” Billingsley said. “PNC Bank and the Reds send us into schools to build relationships.”
He said the work also creates smiles and helps people heal from things they didn’t even know were hurting them.
“You can tell by the energy, the smiles, the tears, we just did something here,” said the artist.
After the opening, students crowded onto the stage and in the front rows for a large group photo before heading back to class. Most seemed genuinely excited.
After the children left, Danielle Flanagan took the stage and faced portraits of her daughters.
Danielle said the past year has been difficult, but the Madeira community has been her family and helped her and her children get through it.
“Chris loved people,” she said. “He loved making sure they felt loved, known and seen. He loved what he did every day.”
Billingsley, his team and students created a fourth mural. This was not for public display. Behind the stage, Danielle saw her late husband’s portrait for the first time. The work featured dozens of smaller images of him working with students.
“The theme of light and hope,” Danielle said. “It’s what gets us through each day.”
This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer: Murals dedicated to the late Madeira school principal, Chris Flanagan
