Thanks to the work and artistic talent of a local artist and alumnus of San Tan Charter School, a wall in the school’s weight room now features a mural.

As Kristofer Sippel Jr., athletic director at San Tan Charter School noted, one of his goals this school year is to add more branding to the walls in the athletic building.

“We started with some wall wraps in our locker rooms and weight room, but there was a blank spot on one of the walls in our weight room,” he said, adding that he immediately knew who to contact about painting a mural on the wall to liven up the space.

“Eli Vargas and I both graduated from San Tan Charter School in 2020, and I was always aware of his talents as an artist,” Sippel said.

“I have kept tabs on his social media page and have watched his brand grow over the past year or so and thought this could be a win-win for both sides.”

Sippel ran the idea of asking Vargas to paint the mural past Bobby Davis, the school’s strength and conditioning coach.

After getting enthusiastic approval, Sippel contacted Vargas, who is a self-taught artist and full-time college student, about the idea.

Vargas, who was happy to hear from his high school friend, agreed to work on the mural.

“Kris and I were definitely in conversation about what San Tan would like before I started mocking up anything,” Vargas said, adding that it only took a couple of drawings until Sippel, Davis and other staff at the school approved the design.

“We decided on the ‘ST’ logo that resembles the likeness of a trophy, then some added graffiti. I would say that graffiti or font lettering is a normal part of my studio practice so it felt right.”

Once the design was approved, Vargas got to work painting the black and yellow mural, which is about 3 feet by 4 feet. It took me about two weeks to complete, Vargas said.

Sippel said that he, and everyone at San Tan Charter School, are thrilled with the finished artwork.

“The mural turned out amazing," Sippel said. "Bobby Davis and the rest of the coaches and the administration love it, the kids love it, and some of the parents in the community reached out via social media saying how cool it was.

“It was a great opportunity, and I believe it worked out for both sides.”

The mural was such a success, Sippel said he and Davis would like Vargas to create and paint a much larger mural in the main gym.

“I always love going into other schools’ gyms and seeing something that pops off the walls," Sippel said. "Eli and I feel we have an opportunity to create something like this that our community will love for years to come. Plus, it will continue to add character to our gym."

Those interested in seeing more of Vargas' work can visit https://eliasvargogh.xyz/ or his Instagram page @eliasvargogh.