Look up when entering high school art room

It has become a tradition for the senior class members of Melody Rempe’s art classes at Superior High School to paint a class ceiling panel. If one cranes their neck upward as they walk the corridor leading to the art classroom, they are greeted with the sight of a diverse assortment of brightly colored painted panels. Each of these panels was painted by a member of that year’s graduating class.

The members of the class or the individual artist select a theme which is then painted by the assigned student. There are 13 panels now installed. They will soon be joined by number 14.

Kiki Mikkelsen, the daughter of Jarod and Melissa Mikkelsen, was selected to create and paint the panel for the class of 2021.

Mikkelsen selected the battle with the COVID-19 virus as her theme. Her panel depicts a stylized sentient being with a ray gun aimed at a hovering corona virus. She conceived the concept of blasting the virus for the panel. The painting took more than a month to complete.

She notes the pandemic was always looming in the background of the class for their senior year. Her panel will rise to the ceiling after Tuesday’s Fine Arts-Honor Night program.

Mikkelsen is set to attend the Nebraska Technical College of Agriculture, Curtis, where she plans to major in agricultural education.