Roar! School spirit is shining as new sculpture unveiled at St. Helens High School

A new metal sculpture is gracing the entrance to St. Helens High School thanks to the help of a local artist.

The artwork depicts a male and female lion, honoring the nickname of the school’s mascot, a Lion.

St. Helens local Paul Coca, a production and illustrator with Michael Curry Design, said the origins of his project date back to last winter.

“Last December, St. Helens School District Superintendent Scot Stockwell contacted me, that they wanted to have some kind of art installed at the entrance of the high school,” Coca said, noting that school was seeking artwork that was “sculptural and three dimensional.”

Coca said he was able to develop a design that would work well and bring aesthetics to the overall design of the school.

“It’s in the shape of two lions, a male and a female lion,” Coca said. “That design was actually my wife’s idea, to include a female lion into the design.” The idea, according to the Cocas, was to produce a more inclusive piece of art.

Coca, who has lived in St. Helens on and off the past several years, has a connection with the high school.

“I went to high school there, back in the '80s,” he said. “I had done the mural, which is on the outside of the school (parking lot area) … Having seen what I did with that mural, they were quite happy and it got really good public response.”

Coca said reaction to the recently-unveiled sculpture has been positive.

“There have been really favorable responses to this sculpture,” he said. “A lot of people really enjoy the fact it has an aspect of the male and female, a feminine quality incorporated into one design. I think a lot of people appreciate that inclusivity.”

Coca said he’s not sure, however, if he’ll be doing anymore school projects in the near future.

“No, not that I’m aware of,” he said. “I didn’t even know the sculpture was going to be a thing until I was asked last December. I just kind of played it by ear.”

Stockwell, the school district superintendent, praised Coca’s project.

“Paul Coca is a brilliant local artist who happened to graduate from St. Helens High School,” Stockwell wrote. “He is an accomplished artist and author representing some of the best our community has to offer. When we initially began discussing what the lion statue would look like, Paul’s name was immediately brought up, and he did not disappoint.”

The school district, in announcing a YouTube video on the sculpture earlier in September, said of Coca, “Watching him breathe life and depth into the sculpture was truly awe-inspiring, turning it into a vibrant symbol of our school spirit. This is more than just art; it’s a powerful connection between our past and present, brought to life by one of our own.”

Coca said he’s happy to share some of his talent with teachers, students and visitors to the school.

“I think it’s great. It’s nice to have something I worked on that’s visible to the public,” he added.