This metal mural was installed in 2023 just before the beginning of the school year. It was created by Kelly and Ty Tompkins of Hive Appeal and Neato Design Co., along with Wesley Spencer of SpenCo Metal Works.
The mural honors the life of Titus Kennedy, a student at Hayes who died suddenly in 2022 at the age of 5.
From the Neato Design website:
Bee the Sunshine is meant to be a bright welcome to the students and staff of Hayes Elementary each day and is a tribute to Titus Kennedy, a student who lived 5 ½ spirited and loving years full of excitement and hugs. For his love of strawberries and all living things, there are 5 ½ strawberry blooms and 5 ½ ladybugs, with the 6th ladybug there, just partially out of view. Oklahoma’s state wildflower represents Titus’s spirited nature, and the hummingbird (his favorite bird) symbolizes his speediness. We hope everyone shines like Titus did, always buzzing around giving hugs.
This multi-layered metal sculptural mural was designed and painted by us (as Hive Appeal) and built by SpenCo Metal Works as a way to honor Titus with a colorful, uplifting representation of what he loved, while preserving the vintage tile wall.
This project was partially funded through a grant from the Public Arts Commission of Enid (PACE).
