A La Porte Junior High School artist has won the opportunity to have her work on display for years to come at a local community center. 

Riley Crawford, an eighth-grade student, has created a mural design for the Jennie Riley Community Center based on a contest entry submitted to the City of La Porte and judged by a group of volunteers as a project of the city’s Youth Advisory Council. It is scheduled to be unveiled at a ceremony on May 21.  

“We appreciate Riley’s willingness to take on this fantastic project to partner with the Youth Advisory Council to beautify La Porte,” said Janci Alfaro, La Porte ISD’s coordinator of social emotional learning and student wellness. “Her selflessness and dedication exemplify her unwavering commitment to the entire La Porte Community.” 

On her inspiration Crawford said “What inspired me to draw this picture is that it has everything about La Porte. I drew the bass because Sylvan Beach is a big part of La Porte where people fish. Also, on Main Street people are eating crawfish during the crawfish season. The bridge symbolizes the connection between Baytown and LaPorte. The holding (of) hands means that people are all the same and are treated equally. I added a Bible verse because it gives encouragement.” 

The official unveiling will be held at 5:30 p.m. on May 21 at the Jennie Riley Community Center, 322 N. 4th St.