AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa State University College of Design seeks community feedback on the winning entry in phase one of its "Unity Mural" competition. That feedback will determine whether the mural will actually be installed.
The mural is meant to illustrate and reinforce existing ties between Iowa State students, the greater university and the community of Ames, while inspiring more substantial linkages among these groups in the future, said Tony Borich, president of the student Design Council. The proposed location for the 20-foot by 8-foot mural is a concrete wall near the entrance to the College of Design Building.
"It's appropriate that this artful expression of the union of the city and university is proposed to be located on the Karol J. and Lila Furman Kocimski Auditorium. Karol and Lila were long-time members of the Ames and university communities and cared deeply for the well-being of both. Hundreds of students from across campus pass by this spot every day, and it seems a perfect place to express these high ideals with this public work of art," said Mark Engelbrecht, dean of Design.
Open to all Iowa State students, the competition was sponsored by the Government of the Student Body, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Design Council, and Office of the Dean, College of Design.
Six teams submitted entries, which consisted of a scale illustration and a narrative description of the proposed project. The top three designs are:
- "Towards a Legacy," by Kerry Anne Callaghan, junior in art and design, and David Miller, senior in architecture - $1,000 award
- "CommUNITY," by Kim Costello, sophomore in art and design, and Kim Topp, freshman in art and design - $300 award
- "Enigami," by Robert Arlen, senior in art and design; Carrie Rochholz, senior in English; and Michael VanDyke, senior in art and design - $150 award
All six entries are on public display in the college's Lyle E. Lightfoot Forum (first floor) through April 20. Comments about the winning entry, "Towards a Legacy," may be e-mailed to Engelbrecht, mengelbr@iastate.edu, through 5 p.m. April 20. No phone calls, please.
"Towards a Legacy," features images of familiar Ames and ISU landmarks and activities, zip codes, and maps of the community from 1915 and 2005, as well as quotations about the connections between Ames and the university from Mark Engelbrecht, dean of the College of Design; Pamela White, interim dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences; and Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco, all overlaid on an image of the College of Design atrium. An elderly person and a child are intended "to represent those who have built the ISU and Ames legacy as well as those who have yet to leave their mark," according to the narrative accompanying the design proposal. The overall design "depicts ISU and Ames in partnership, growing together and thriving with one another."
Jurors for the competition were Lynette Pohlman, director of University Museums; Sophia Magill, outgoing Government of the Student Body president; Tom Hill, vice president for student affairs; Dean Morton, campus architect; Dean Biechler, lecturer in art and design; and Brenda Jones, associate professor of art and design.
In phase two of the competition, the Unity mural is intended to be painted on special panels that will be attached to the side of the College of Design's Kocimski Auditorium. It will be recycled after a three-year period. The college will decide whether or not to proceed with phase two by May 1.