100-foot children's book mural unveiled at Manlius Pebble Hill School

A 100-foot mural inspired by children’s books is now on public display in DeWitt, turning a private-school art project into a new stop for Onondaga County families. The hallway-long piece, created by Syracuse-based artist Julianne Teres, was unveiled Saturday during the Festival of the Arts at Manlius Pebble Hill School.

The mural gives visitors a visible, walkable work of art that connects reading and creativity in one place. For parents looking for a low-cost, kid-friendly outing, the installation offers a reason to stop in DeWitt, take in the artwork, and use the books-and-illustration theme to start conversations with children about reading.

Manlius Pebble Hill School is an independent tuition-based Pre K-12 school in DeWitt, with one report putting enrollment at about 330 students. The mural’s public display extends the school’s arts profile beyond its campus, placing the work in the broader Onondaga County cultural scene rather than keeping it behind school doors.

That public-facing role fits the school’s recent investment in the arts. Manlius Pebble Hill opened a new $7 million arts and athletic complex in 2017, signaling that visual art, performance, and student activities have become a larger part of the school’s identity. The mural adds a new layer to that effort, especially for families who may know the school by name but have not seen its campus arts spaces.

The installation also arrives as the school has been active around literacy and reading. Manlius Pebble Hill recently hosted a screening and discussion tied to The Right to Read, underscoring a focus on books and early literacy that matches the mural’s children’s literature theme. In that sense, the artwork does more than decorate a hallway. It gives Central New York families a public, local, and easy-to-visit piece that ties together art, books, and reading in one place.