VCU art students use James Branch Cabell Library as canvas

By Malorie Burkett and Jonathan Dahl

The grown-up version of coloring on the walls has turned into a valuable and treasured asset of Virginia Commonwealth University. A group of art students from VCU's Communication Arts mural painting class have completed a masterpiece in the James Branch Cabell Library that showcases VCU's cultural diversity as well as familiar university and Richmond landmarks.

Located on the walls above the stairwell connecting the first and second floors of the library, the mural was conceptualized, designed and painted by the students under the guidance of Janet Gilmore-Bryan. The site was chosen because of its central location and visibility to users on both the first and second floors.

"The mural was designed to reflect the diversity of Virginia Commonwealth University in all its myriad ways -- its architecture, its people, its academic programs, its community and its history," said John Ulmschneider, university librarian. "Like all academic libraries, James Branch Cabell is a center for student academic life, so it is appropriate that the library reflect in this mural the great diversity and energy that surrounds it."

Ulmschneider also said the mural adds color, energy and whimsy to an area dominated by computers and carefully harmonized design.

The mural includes people, buildings and spaces found on both campuses and around downtown Richmond. Some of the highlights include the James Branch Cabell Library, Tompkins-McCaw Library, University Student Commons, Siegel Center and the Egyptian Building.

In addition, the students included some familiar faces, such as Teresa Pollak, legendary artist and founder of VCU's School of the Arts, who is shown reading the latest issue of Blackbird- VCU's online journal of literature and the arts. The design also includes some of Richmond's other recognizable residents such as a blue heron by the James River and the 14th Street bridge manatee.

The students spent the entire Spring 2004 semester cleaning and repairing the wall's surface, priming the walls, transferring the mural design to the surface using a grid pattern and painting the mural- all primarily done while working on scaffolding one story off of the ground.

Although this is the first mural on the Academic Campus by Gilmore-Bryan's mural painting class, previous mural painting classes have been painting murals at various locations including the VCU Medical Center, since spring 2000. Mural locations include the pediatric ER, Hospital Hospitality House and the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. In addition, Gilmore-Bryan's previous classes completed six murals for the Virginia Holocaust Museum, the Instructional Visiting Nurses Association, Virginia Home for the Boys and the Fan Free Clinic.

"We hope the mural will convey a sense of VCU's unique culture and energy to everyone who comes into Cabell Library, and we hope it will impart to them the sense that they are part of, indeed creators of, that culture and energy. So far it looks to be a smashing success," said Ulmschneider.

Glimore-Bryan's next mural painting class will begin work on their next project this fall- a mural for the new School of World Studies located at 312 N. Shafer St.

To view a history of the library mural project on the Web, visit the VCU Libraries Web site at www.library.vcu.edu/jbc/mural/.