Big, ugly, red construction walls. These eight-foot-tall eyesores stretch throughout Grounds from the Aquatic and Fitness Center to Lambeth Field. While the walls serve to block out noise, advertise for fraternity functions and give stray dogs places to mark their territory, the Student Arts Committee has found another use -- some of these walls now are displaying elaborate works of art.
The idea of making the red walls across from the McIntire School of Commerce into artistic displays took root last year. Heeding the suggestion of another student, former arts committee chair Moira Fogarty received permission from the Public Arts Committee and the President's Office for the committee to begin the project.
Moira "got a lot of support and encouragement from other students who didn't want to graduate with plain red walls," current arts committee chair Rebecca Menges said.Entirely funded by the arts committee, the project aims to add to the aesthetic beauty of Grounds and make the construction sites more pleasing to the eye, Menges added.
After project approval, the arts committee asked students to submit designs for the walls based on a Grounds theme.
The arts committee made the decision on which artists were chosen for the display.
After starting the painting last summer, Menges said the group was trying to get the artists finished by Homecoming Weekend. Due to unfavorable weather and hectic student schedules, however, some of the painting is yet to be completed.
Finished murals such as third-year Architecture student Alex Dunham's painting of a recreational autumn Lawn scene, however, provide quite a site for passersby.
"I just thought 'What better thing to paint than the Lawn?'" said Dunham, who also works as a University Guide. "At the time when I was thinking about what I wanted to do, I was caught up in a lot of things involved with touring people around the Lawn. It came to mind as the first thing."
Under deep blue skies and puffy white clouds, Dunham's painting portrays students throwing Frisbees and footballs over the five wall panels depicting the Lawn.
"My informal working title for this was 'The Lawn at Work,'" Dunham said. "Rather than think of the Lawn as the scholastic side of things I thought of the Lawn as a place for people to play. It's kind of a pun of the word work. It's the Lawn as a play space instead of the original school."
Instead of copying a photograph, Dunham painted his entire work from memory. While not completely accurate to the finest detail, Dunham's painting depicts the Rotunda, columns, pavilions and walkways.
"I spent a lot of time out there learning about it," Dunham said. "I've seen it a lot -- images from every angle."
Dunham uses illusion of perspective techniques in the painting to compensate for its spanning of walls.
"I thought a perspective would be pretty cool," Dunham said. "Only the inner parts of the boards are painted. There's a gap and that would be filled in if it were a full-length painting. It's almost like a triptych panelized painting."
Fourth-year College student Shep Nickel produced three different scenes on the walls. Creating his paintings from a background grid, Nickel's work consists solely of orange, blue, black and white shades.
"On the two side panels I did traditional U.Va. images," Nickel said.
Nickel's left panel painting, produced in orange hues, presents the viewer with three notable University landmarks -- the chapel, the serpentine walls and the Newcomb Hall windows.
His right panel, painted in shades of blue, stately depicts the Rotunda and a Romanesque god-like rendition of Thomas Jefferson's statue.
The third panel contains more of a personal touch.
"In the center panel, I'm doing portraits of students," Nickel said. "Mostly they are just going to be of my friends. Hopefully I will add myself." His center panel consists of students drawn in black and white contrasted against a bright orange and blue background.
Nickel, a human biology major, enjoys art as a hobby and hopes to complete a studio art minor.
"This has been fun to do and have displayed in public," he said.
Fourth-year College student Andrea Greenwich brought about a rendition of the Rotunda in a different light, depicted in vibrant colors of red-orange and blue. Her interpretation of the Rotunda uses more rounded edges instead of straight lines.
"It's not necessarily the way people normally see things," Greenwich said. "I like having varying gradations, manipulating the basic colors."
Despite the fact that few people know she produced the painting, Greenwich said she likes having her art on display.
"It's kind of funny walking by and hearing someone comment on it," Greenwich said.
Third-year Architecture student Beth Haber presents a unique view of the Rotunda along the wall. Her abstract painting depicts the setting as a series of arches, words, columns and handprints in gold, green and blue colors.
"I think they were going for a series that goes from really abstract to really realistic," Haber said. "I'm on the abstract end."
It seems the project has had a good response thus far. Students around Grounds appreciate the newfound sources of art.
"I like the painted walls. It definitely adds to the surroundings," first-year Engineering student Adam Cohn said. "They are better than plain walls. It makes the construction seem a little more bearable."
Staff members said they enjoy the change in scenery.
"I like the fact that people can use the walls for artistic expression -- people of all different shades and political expressions -- whatever they want to put on here," said Ass. Dean of Students Phoebe Haupt.
According to Menges, there is a possibility of expanding the paintings beyond the vicinity of Peabody Hall.
"If we can, it would be great to expand it," Menges said. "It's determined by how much time these walls are standing up."
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