Iowa State University


Inside Iowa State
Sept. 6, 1996

Sesquicentennial mural studio open to public

by Steve Sullivan
To commemorate Iowa's sesquicentennial, ISU has commissioned artist Doug Shelton, an Iowa native now living in Arizona, to create a new campus mural. A section of the Brunnier Art Museum has been turned into the mural studio, where Shelton, art and design faculty Brenda Jones and Donna Friedman and a group of art and design students will work on the project.

The mural studio will be open through Dec. 30 during regular Brunnier hours. In addition, the Brunnier will be open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Sept. 9 through Oct. 31, to give the public an opportunity to observe the work as it progresses. The museum's hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday; and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday. Admission is free.

The mural project was inspired by the Grant Wood murals in the Parks Library. Wood designed the murals, which were painted by students, during the 1930s. While the Wood murals depict Iowa State's early history as a land-grant university, the new mural will celebrate and reflect a vision of Iowa State's future. Shelton has created an initial design for the approximately 22 x 20-foot mural. The mural design will evolve during its creation.

A team of Ames High School artists also will work in the Mural Studio and interact with Shelton and the ISU group. Dorothy Gugel, Ames High School art teacher, and a group of her students will create a mural to be installed at their school.

ISU's sesquicentennial mural will travel the state before a scheduled March 1998 installation at a university site yet to be selected. The installation date commemorates the 140th anniversary of ISU's founding.

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