Pearl’s paradise

Volunteer painters in front of the new kitchen mural, from left: Christian Cook, son of Matheny adult services instructor Claire Torsiello; Audrey Lee; Chiang; Amy Ho; Nicole Schroeder, daughter of Matheny personal care assistant Imelda Schroeder; and Brian Ho.

When Matheny’s dining room committee decided the children’s dining room needed a new look, they called on Pearl Chiang, a nurse at Matheny, who is also a professional artist.

Chiang created a concept called “Paradise” and then recruited young volunteers — including her son and daughter, Amy and Brian Ho — to transform the idea into a mural, using her sketch as a guide. The five teenage volunteers finished the mural in three days.