There’s some FIERCE Tenney Tiger school pride taking place at recess, thanks to a stunning mascot mural and smaller paintings that have transformed students’ play space!

“It’s just AWESOME!” beamed Supervising Principal David Hill, noting that the artwork has brought an exhilarating feel to the previously dull school courtyard where kids from kindergarten to grade eight enjoy free time.

What seemingly showed up out of the blue one Monday morning actually took over a year of planning and three full weekends of painting by artist/creator and Methuen mom Jennifer Loiselle. 

“Last summer (in 2023), I was looking for something artistically to do. I was at a local playground with my kids (seventh-grader Liberty and kindergartner Jackson) that had a few elements that were painted on the courtyard and I thought, ‘We should do that in Methuen!’ … I came home excited about it and started to look into it.”

Envisioning a whimsical, playful and colorful space, she wrote up a proposal, secured grant money from the Methuen Cultural Council and connected with Superintendent Brandi Kwong. She went before the School Committee, then to the Tenney Student Council and finally Principal Hill.

“It was a fun and cool experience,” Loiselle said, noting that drawing the tiger head alone took her 8 hours. “I don’t think when I started that I had any idea how long it would take to get the project going, then how much time it would take to paint.”

With help from high school and Tenney student volunteers, and big support with tables, supplies, etc., from Tenney custodian Barry Rubin – who also painted – the project came together quickly.

“The kids were great!” smiled Rubin. “(The mural) is a big thing here. I love it! The hardest part was dealing with the wind. But the kids were SO excited!”

Loiselle provided the outline for the tiger and a United States map, plus a Positive-Affirmation Hopscotch space and other artistic elements. They also painted the basketball area with bright orange – where tiger stripes will be added. There’s still more work to be done, as Loiselle is recovering from a sprained shoulder. But kids and grown-ups alike are thrilled with the colorful additions!

“A happy coincidence was that the PTO put on wonderful Trunk-or-Treat after we had done a bulk of the painting,” Loiselle said. “For me and my family, it was really cool to walk over to the upper school and see everybody checking it out. I heard kids saying, ‘Mom, this tiger just showed up!’ To hear that wonderful, positive feedback was really cool.”

Methuen Public Schools Fine Arts Director Cheryl Mancini is thrilled with the project AND that it was jump-started by a community member.

“(Loiselle) put a lot of thought and time into this project! As a school community, we really value a family member doing that,” Mancini said. “(The artwork) just made the whole area more vibrant and more child-friendly. It was just a piece of asphalt with a basketball court and now it’s got representation of the school and games, and it’s really cool. … It’s a great example of partnership between the schools and the community. It was a true collaboration and she did a wonderful job taking the lead, and I was so happy to assist her on the school side of things (planning, supporting her with staff, making sure there was access to tables, bathrooms, etc.).”

“I love how it came out. I took a step back from that and I was happy because I knew the kids would be happy,” Loiselle said. “No matter where your group of friends might hang out, you’ll see it and hopefully be inspired by it.”

Loiselle did double-duty on one of those painting weekends, also artistically energizing the crosswalk at Lowell and School streets, next to the Methuen Senior Activity Center where she works as activities director. The crosswalk is now white, enhanced with colorful shapes and curves.

“It was one of the first public (art) projects I had talked about with Mayor Perry,” Loiselle said. “It’s a side street in an area where you have the senior center and some bus stops. There’s high foot traffic, but not a lot of car volume,” Loiselle explained.

This one took even longer, due to the need for a traffic study and meetings with city development, planners, DPW and police “to get all the permissions and make sure it was within the guidelines.”

She painted this one solo, but acknowledges help with her projects. She specifically thanks local school and community leaders, the Methuen Cultural Council, volunteers and all who offered encouragement, especially the Essex County Creative Institute where fellow artists “motivated me to go for this large-scale art project.”

“I love my job and being able to do this for the community, and see them enjoy it every day,” Loiselle said.