A mural coming to the south wall of Zion Lutheran Preschool in Manheim will showcase community, collaboration, music and science. "Reach for Stars," created by Jason and Katherine Horst of Horst Arts, will add beauty to the space and highlight some of the history of the town.

As Jason explained, the preschool wanted a mural with this theme, and as he began to work on the project, he learned of Lancaster Marimba Ensemble's interest in creating a mural to celebrate Manheim's own Clair Omar Musser, a master of the marimba.

"When we learned that Musser also worked for NASA and even built a one-of-a-kind celestaphone, with the frame and the bars forged from 678 pounds of meteorites, the collaboration made sense even more," he said.

Stephanie Smith, director of the Lancaster Marimba Ensemble, came on board to help with the project as well. She explained that Musser's final design project was the celestaphone, which combined his interest in music and outer space and which resembles a pedal glockenspiel.

Smith noted that Musser helped to propel the marimba into the spotlight as both a solo and ensemble instrument.

"(Musser) was a marimba virtuoso, composer, conductor, teacher and designer of mallet instruments and is hailed as the largest influence on marimba performance in America," she said. "Musser organized large marimba orchestras of 100 or more performers and crafted beautifully artistic marimbas for them."

Participants in these orchestras hailed in part from the Lancaster area, as Musser recruited his childhood friends to perform, she noted, adding that after the concerts, the marimbas and performers made their way back to the Lancaster area, where they continued to play, give lessons and create a culture of appreciation for the marimba.

The Lancaster Marimba Ensemble has been performing since 1991 and currently features five regular performers, including Smith, who is also the ensemble's director.

Coincidentally, the ensemble has three current members with ties to Manheim, two of whom have or had children who attended Zion Lutheran's preschool.

"We are excited about the incorporation of marimbas in this mural not only because we are passionate about the instrument and its connection to Musser, but also because we value the philosophy of learning our children have experienced at the preschool," Smith said. "Music is part of their curriculum and opens doors and creativity for young minds."

The Rev. Kate Warn, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, said adding a mural to the preschool's site became a goal of hers after she saw the Manheim Made by Hand mural celebrating glassblowing that Horst Arts created in 2024.

"That mural celebrated the history and the strengths of the Manheim community in a wonderful and colorful way, and I thought Manheim would be enriched by other public art projects," she said. "I also began to wonder what might be possible for the Zion Lutheran Preschool building."

The preschool has served children and families in Manheim since 1969. Warn views the mural as a celebration of the school's legacy as well as the legacy of Musser, who grew up just down the street from Zion Lutheran Church, located at 2 S. Hazel St.

She's especially excited about the mural bringing art right to the children, ages 2 to 5, who attend the preschool.

"When school is in session, students and their families will wait and walk past the mural each day as they prepare to enter the preschool building," she said. "The mural is designed to be accessible to the kids, interactive and an encouragement to imagine that they can 'reach for the stars.' When the mural is completed, the preschool students will have opportunities in their classes and with their families to explore the images and to talk about what they see."

Jason noted that when creating a mural, it's important to consider the location and how the space will be used.

"While the mural will feature very large objects and themes, there will also be fun, smaller elements included at a preschooler's eye level," he said. "Plus, the two windows located in the middle of the wall will be integrated in a very fun way."

Katherine described the vision for the mural as one that makes a visual impact but also connects to audiences of all ages.

"It's playful, it's magical and it's a joyful expression!" she said. "It's a celebration of kids, nature and the legacy of music - reaching all the way to the sky and beyond. It's supposed to grab your attention and make you smile."

The Horsts hope work on the mural will begin by late summer or early fall, ideally in time for October's Musser Marimba Festival. As work gets underway, they are excited about yet another collaboration with students who are part of the National Art Honor Society at Manheim Central High School.

"These students will learn about the mural creation process and will gain valuable experience from assisting with the painting of the mural," Jason said.

The timing of the mural's creation will depend on funding, and organizers of the project are currently raising money for the work. To donate, visit http://www.zionmanheim.com and click on the "Online Giving" tab.