SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The young Sioux Falls artist who was featured on the CBS Morning show and also on KELOLAND News after getting fined for painting graffiti along the city’s bike path is now doing things he never dreamt possible.
18-year-old artist Jaden Brunz is walking the halls of the Laura B Anderson Elementary School.
Not to attend class, but to finish this mural.
“So I am doing this painting for the school for the kids to brighten up the school a little more,” Jaden said.
The school hired him to paint this large mural after his story aired nationwide as part of the CBS Mornings series Beg-Knows-America, hosted by national correspondent David Begnaud.
It’s the schools motto; Be Safe, Be Engaged, and Be Respectful.
If you remember, Jaden broke the law with this graffiti earlier this year along the bike path.
But instead of getting mad, the mayor commissioned Jaden to do a piece of artwork for his office to help him pay his fine.
Jaden says that’s when his life really began to change.
“Oh it’s been pushing everything, without this story I don’t know where I’d be, I’d probably have a couple of jobs, but nothing close to where I am right now,” Jaden said.
Jaden has been hired to do other murals, but he just returned home from California where a woman hired him to help with a book.
“I’m going to be illustrating for a kids book about a dog and I went there and met the dog; such a good dog, he’s so cute I’m really excited to be part of that,” Jaden said.
His mom says Jaden has changed a lot since the story first aired.
“First of all he has paid jobs that’s the biggest thing,” Becky Brunz said.
She says Jaden has always been a hard worker, but now that he’s painting murals and getting paid for it, it’s what the family loves to see.
“One of the main goals for our long term is that every person in our family is doing work that they love, and Jaden is only 18,” Becky said.
Jaden says the whole ordeal that started as a negative has turned up all positive.
“It doesn’t feel like a job, I’m just doing what I like and getting paid for it, so that’s good,” Jaden said.
Jaden says he also completed his 50 hours of community service by doing a painting for Feeding South Dakota.
