By ERIN BOWLEY | April 15, 2026

When students walk into the school now, the first thing they see is a towering Blu‑Jay sculpture; bold, bright and impossible to ignore. What most don’t realize is that it began as a simple sophomore‑year art assignment back in 2023. For senior Gage McGinnis, it became a three‑year commitment that transformed both the school and himself.

McGinnis first took on the project as part of a Genius Hour assignment in his Advanced Art class, where students are encouraged to pursue a creative idea of their choosing, using different techniques. While most students selected smaller, semester‑long projects, McGinnis went in a different direction.

“I came up with the project not knowing it would take as long as it did to complete,” McGinnis said. “Every year you’re required to do a Genius Hour project that’s supposed to last one year. The project I chose ended up being my Genius Hour for the past three years. I never thought in my wildest dreams it would take three years. I expected one-year tops; obviously that didn’t happen.”

Pleasanton art teacher Mrs. Julie Laver remembers being excited from the start.

 “When he told me about the project, I was super excited to see him get it started and work through all of the problem‑solving that the project entailed,” she said.

McGinnis began with a wire frame and added papier mache, but the material wasn’t giving him the size or structure he envisioned. Wanting a bulkier figure, he switched to spray foam. Several cans later, he carved the foam into the three‑dimensional form he wanted.

Once the life‑size body took shape, he crafted the shoes from cardboard and filled them with plaster for weight. To emphasize the Blu‑Jay’s strength, he built weights; also, from cardboard and plaster, and placed them on the figure’s back.

The head of the sculpture had its own history. It was originally created by Laver and a few students for a different project that was never finished.

 “The head was started a few years prior using an old mascot head,” Laver explained. “I had done most of the reconstruction to make it look more like our current mascot, but I also had help from several students.”

After three years of work, revisions and persistence, the sculpture is finally complete.

 “There are quite a few things I wish I did better or different,” McGinnis said, “but overall, I am pleased to have finished it after all this time.”

Laver and McGinnis wanted to thank a few students for their help along the way; including Brayden Johnson and Brannon LeBoeuf. 

Now standing proudly in the school’s commons area, the Blu‑Jay has become more than a project grade; it’s a piece of the school’s identity. Students pass it every day without realizing how many hours went into its creation. But for McGinnis, it’s a reminder of what patience, creativity and three years of determination can build.