Miami students lead a masterclass in mural art for Newport, Kentucky
Students gain real-world experience through a shared artistic vision that beautifies a local community
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Published
Miami student complete painting on a section of the mural that will be transported and installed in Newport. When complete, all five panels of the mural will total approximately 9’ x 50’
Miami students lead a masterclass in mural art for Newport, Kentucky
•
Published
It was Newport on the Levee that came to Miami with the art commission.
They were seeking a way to beautify the city with a new mural that would sprawl across an area on the Levee. The Department of Art was contacted, and Miami students immediately got involved.
They were seeking a way to beautify the city with a new mural that would sprawl across an area on the Levee. The Department of Art was contacted, and Miami students immediately got involved.
Students paint a section of the mural in the art studio (image by Jeff Sabo)
“I asked the students, and everybody seemed very excited about taking a mural class,” Stillion said. “I was excited about the hands-on experience they would get.”
So Newport representatives met with the students, discussed their objectives and expectations, and even asked a local historian to speak to the class about the space. Meanwhile the students took notes, asked questions, and brainstormed ideas.
Preliminary plans were worked and reworked. Sketches were drawn and redrawn. Concepts were presented to the client, and eventually a design was approved.
“It was a really interesting challenge to get 17 students to come up with a cohesive design,” Stillion said. “But they took into consideration everything the client said. And once they got the thumbs up from Newport, then we had to start painting.”
A masterclass in experiential learning
“This was at the top of my list for experiential learning,” said Chelsey Pauley, a Studio Art and Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship double major. “I've never done commission work on this scale before. There were so many gears turning. It taught me so much about how to work with people.”
While sketching and painting, the class worked on a polytab material called “parachute cloth,” which meant they could draw and paint the entire mural while staying on campus. And they worked on smaller sections, which, once complete, could then be transported to Newport on the Levee, where it would be installed like high-tech wallpaper.
Students also worked on each section in small groups, and each group could rely on the individual strengths of each student. Those that were skilled with drawing and perspective, for example, took the lead on outlining characters and backgrounds, while those skilled with color and technique spearheaded the painting and shading, and so on.
“It was really, really neat being able to see everybody's skills come together,” said Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship major Riley Johnson. “There were a bunch of different majors involved, too, not necessarily just the arts, which allowed for people who weren’t used to this kind of thing to get hands-on, apply their skills, and just have fun painting. There were a lot of different perspectives, and that was really fun.”
A student works on installing a mural panel in its location at Newport on the Levee (image by Michael Stillion)
‘It’s like a big puzzle’
Because it was painted on several large sections of parachute cloth, the mural would have to be assembled into its eventual whole after each section was completed, which meant everything needed to be perfectly aligned.
Ultimately, it would include five interconnected panels, and each panel would include several sections of polytab cloth.
“They had to be very precise with how they drew out and painted the design,” Stillion said. “They had to be very precise with how everything lined up on the wall. They had to take a level, make sure that the first piece was as square as possible, and then double check the level of the second. And once you got a couple pieces going, you could tell it's going in the right direction. It’s like a big puzzle.”
So far, only one completed section of the massive five-part mural has been installed in Newport.
Cold weather at the end of the semester last fall forced a slight delay for the remaining four sections. Once the weather gets warmer, however, the students will go back to the Levee to complete the project.
“They ended up making a really superb finished product,” Stillion said. “They're very proud of it. In the spring, we can get the remaining sections installed over a few weeks, and then maybe we’ll have a nice celebration.”
Until then, the experience itself has already been a rewarding and transformative journey.
“This project really matches with my aspirations and passions in life,” Johnson said. “Being able to have this hands-on experience with an actual client – while you’re doing the work, and also practicing teamwork – I think that embodies what college should be like."
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg. Interested in learning more about the Department of Art at Miami University? Visit their website for more information.
