Alameda Artworks Art Student Mural Project For Memory Care Community
- alamedaartworks
- May 15
- 6 min read
Updated: May 15
Alameda ArtWorks Art Student, Keane Wong, designed eleven murals featuring iconic American landmarks aimed to enhance sensory stimulation and improve the well-being of memory care residents.
Pictured Above: Keane Wong, Original blank wall for murals, applying preliminary color blocks, in his Eagle Scout uniform and at work on the murals alongside his Alameda ArtWorks student team at Palm Villas in Campbell, California. Volunteers from L to R: Eoghan McCullough, Designer Keane Wong, Art Teacher Pat Johnson, Allison Sexelby, and Caila Bigelman.
Keane Wong, a 16-year-old high school student from San Jose, spearheaded an inspiring mural project at Palm Villas, a residential care community specializing in memory care for seniors with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Working with Alameda ArtWorks art teacher, Pat Johnson, Keane designed his original “Heritage Horizons” mural series, consisting of a collection of 11 scenes of iconic American landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Grand Canyon, and the Statue of Liberty and scenes from national parks including the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Mount Rushmore, California Super Bloom, Northern Lights, Wild ponies on Assateague Island, and a Hawaiian Beach These murals are designed to provide sensory stimulation and enhance the living environment for Palm Villas’ memory care residents.
The project covering an expansive 15 by 180-foot wall—roughly half the length of a football field—was completed in the summer of 2024 under Keane’s supervision with the assistance of his team of Alameda ArtWorks art students, parents and his fellow Eagle Scouts.
“We are incredibly grateful to Keane and his team for their vision and efforts in bringing art to our community,” said Palm Villas co-founder Mike Sneper. “Art in memory care environments has been shown to have significant benefits, including enhancing sensory stimulation and boosting mood. We’re excited to see the impact this mural series will have on our residents’ lives.”
Keane Wong’s Vision and Artistic Journey
Keane Wong, a long-time member of Troop 219 of South San Jose Scouts and student at Oakwood School, worked daily for a full two months to complete this project, which fulfills his requirement for the prestigious Eagle Scout rank, attained by only about 5% of Scouts. For his Eagle Scout project, Keane wanted to combine his passion for visual arts with a meaningful community contribution. “I wanted my project to reflect who I am and what I love,” said Keane. “Using my artistic talents to benefit the community seemed like the perfect way to achieve that.”
The previous summer Keane participated in a mural project under the guidance of Pat Johnson, his portfolio development art teacher, Pat Johnson, at the Hearts and Minds Activity Center in San Jose, where he designed the Monterey Bay Kelp Forest mural and was a member of the artist team completing two more murals of the California Super Bloom. That project was initiated by Pat Johnson with funding from the Integrated Project Management Company’s public service arm, “International Project Mercy.” The success of this first mural project started Keane’s journey into public art. Successful mural collaboration. When Palm Villas co-founder Mike Sneper saw the murals at Hearts and Minds, he invited Ms Johnson to bring the talents of her talents to the memory care center in Campbell. “We were so impressed by their earlier project that we were eager to have them help us beautify our community,” said Sneper.
The Mural Series: Inspiration and Impact
Keane Wong was immediately recruited by Ms Johnson to design the full mural series as both a community service art collaborative and to fulfill his Eagle Scout project requirements. Keane’s inspiration for the mural series came from his love of travel and his deep appreciation for the diverse landscapes of the United States. Originally from Singapore, Keane was captivated by the natural beauty of America during family trips across the country. This led him to design murals of landmarks and natural wonders, bringing familiar and meaningful imagery to Palm Villas’ residents.
“The ‘Heritage Horizons’ mural series is about offering views of the world to the full-time residents of Palm Villas as a window on the world that they can no longer travel,” Keane explained. “Many have moved from different parts of the country or have traveled widely, and I hope these images will evoke positive memories and provide them with something beautiful to look at.”
Above: Original Thumbnail Sketches for 11 History Horizons Mural series.
The project has not only allowed Keane to hone his artistic skills but also pushed him to develop leadership and project management abilities. He single-handedly color-blocked all the main sections of each individual scene, applied preliminary base colors, and then guided his team of student artists to add detail and depth to each unique landscape. “This project has been a great learning experience,” Keane said. “I’ve had to balance the artistic and logistical aspects, manage volunteers, and work on a larger scale than I’ve ever done before. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished.”
The murals have already had a profound impact on the residents of Palm Villas. One resident, who spent much of his life in Arizona, finds comfort in the Grand Canyon mural outside his window. Another woman, who used to keep her blinds shut, now enjoys the view of Niagara Falls depicted in one of the murals. “It’s so rewarding to see the residents connect with the artwork,” said Keane.
Pat Johnson, Keane’s mentor and supervising artist, praised the project’s success. “Keane’s dedication and vision have been remarkable. The murals not only showcase his artistic talents but also bring joy to the residents who view them. This experience has helped Keane grow as an artist and a leader, and it will undoubtedly benefit him in his future endeavors. Projects of this scope are one of my goals for the portfolio development art classes I offer at the Alameda ArtWorks. Such opportunities provide my private art students with invaluable experience in group collaboration, and are remarkable additions to their art resumes and portfolios, which set them apart as they complete their applications to go on to study at major art schools across the country.”
Mural Team Credits
Design Lead: Keane Wong
Supervising Artist: Pat Johnson
Contributing Artists: Caila Bigelman, Dara Runova
Student Artists: Keane Wong, Junna Hashimoto, Allison Saxelby, Claire Saxelby, Mikayla Shelton, Eoghan McCullough.
Supporting Volunteers: Rose Barber, Genissa Carrete, Alex Sanchez, Benjamin Jasso, Lennon De La Cues, Lesley Stahl, Noah Stahl, Clara Stahl, Kotomi Otaki
About Pat Johnson
Pat Johnson is a seasoned art teacher and professional artist with decades of experience teaching at Pratt Institute, SVA, and FIT in New York. She earned her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York, built the digital arts programs at Miami Dade Community College in Florida, served on the faculty of The Kodak Center for Creative Imaging in Maine, founded and managed the Guerilla Studio digital printing workshop at the Annual Siggraph Conference for 10 years and co-chaired the animation program at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. For the past 15 years, Johnson has taught private art and portfolio development classes in all mediums at her San Jose studio, The Alameda Artworks, serving students of all ages. She has been instrumental in Keane’s artistic growth, and their collaborative mural projects are a testament to her guidance and mentorship.
About Keane Wong
Keane Wong is a talented 16-year-old artist from San Jose, California. A junior at Oakwood High School, Keane works in various mediums, including charcoal, oil painting, digital animation, and murals. His artwork has been displayed at venues such as the New Museum Los Gatos, Las Laguna Art Gallery, and The Alameda Artworks. Keane has earned recognition in multiple art competitions, including the 2024 Creative Youth Awards and the 15th University Art Open. He is also an active member of Scouts BSA Troop 219 and the Order of the Arrow, the national honor society of Scouting.
About Palm Villas
Palm Villas is a family-owned residential care community specializing in memory care for seniors with Alzheimer's, dementia, and other forms of memory impairment. Founded by brothers Garry and Michael Sneper, Palm Villas is committed to providing compassionate, personalized care in a warm and nurturing environment. With locations in Campbell and Redwood City, Palm Villas is expanding its services to Saratoga.
For more information, please contact:
Pat Johnson, mspatart@gmail.com
Palm Villas, (408) 559-8301, michelle@palmvillasfamily.com
