A new mural is bringing visual interpretations of Columbus’ famous architecture to Northside Middle School’s library.
The 210-foot mural, with installation completed just before school started, features different compositions and color schemes created by 40 high school students and 65 college students from Ivy Tech.
“With my students, I wanted them to take inspiration from art and design in Columbus,” said Lloyd Brooks, program chair of visual communications at Ivy Tech.
The project began last fall in a collaboration between classes led by Brooks and Columbus Area Career Connection teacher Robin Cain
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Brooks and Cain received a $2,000 Welcoming Community grant through the Heritage Fund — the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County that helped pay for the purchase of materials, which included paper, ink for a printer and art supplies for students.
High school students, who were enrolled in a dual credit course for a fundamentals of design class with Ivy Tech, also visited different Exhibit Columbus sites around the city last year to generate ideas for the mural, Cain said.
Students examined different aspects of Columbus’ architecture, including showing how light and shadow played with lines and form — and included those interpretations in the designs.
High school students also went on an architectural tour around Columbus to come up with ideas.
The mural incorporates architectural elements in Columbus such as the First Christian Church skylight, the AT&T switching station, the Mill Race Park tower, among others.
“It makes it a much more inviting and dynamic space,” Cain said of the library mural after it was installed.
The 40-inch panels that make up the mural were put up individually in July by Cain and Brooks. That work took about three days to complete.
Victor Perez, Columbus North High School junior, created several designs for the mural, including one that features the Mill Race Park tower accented with a rainbow.
Perez also designed a panel with the colorful AT&T switching station in downtown Columbus.
“If you see something with a vibrant color, it comes out at you,” Perez said. “I feel when (students) look up, it will brighten up their day and put them in a magical kind of mindset.”
The library is more welcoming with the mural in place, said Abigail Ross, a Columbus East High School junior who is a former Northside Middle School student. Ross’ brother, Zachary, attends Northside and said students at the middle school are enjoying the new library space and the mural.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”By the numbers” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
210: Mural length in total feet
65: Number of students from Ivy Tech Community College who worked on the project
40: Number of high school students from Columbus Area Career Connection who worked on the project
40: Inches per panel of installed mural
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