WUD Art mural adds color to the Humanities Building
By Francesca Bonifacio ’13
Erected in the 1960s and rumored to have been designed to “withstand attack,” the Mosse Humanities Building now lives in infamy as something of a blemish on the east side of campus.
It may come as a surprise that this labyrinthine eyesore – referred to by some as “the bomb shelter” – is actually home to some of the most culturally rich disciplines at UW-Madison. Housed within the walls of the Humanities building are classrooms where students learn about foundational works of philosophy; how to craft furniture out of wood; and techniques to capture the swells and dynamism of great symphonies.
Understanding that this huge grey mass planted on the corner of Park Street and University Avenue does little to honor the otherwise colorful world of the humanities, the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Art Committee pushed for something outside their usual programming and art installation. They made a case for a permanent mural to be installed to enhance the outside of the building.
Humanities Mural Project Student Leader and former WUD Art Director Carly Herzog.
Photo courtesy of Wisconsin State Journal
“So many people spend a lot of time in the Humanities building, a mural would just add something to it,” said Carly, Humanities Mural Project student leader and former WUD Art director. “A mural would adds character and a community element to an otherwise uninspiring facade. We spend every day in this building, and we what we do inside the building cultivates a creative and lively environment, so there’s a lot to be said about doing art outside of the gallery.”
Carly considers the process of deciding to do a large scale exterior mural an organic one, born out of frank discussion about how to visually showcase the rich humanities. She credits the immense talent that students in the Art Committee can utilize to draw more attention to the beauty within the Humanities building and to the expansion of public art on campus.
Keeping with the emphasis on community, the Art Committee is collaborating with local muralist and UW-Madison alumna, Sharon Kilfoy, to ensure their vision comes to fruition. Sharon’s works grace many of the public spaces around Madison, and she has recently led projects at the Omega School, Centro Hispano of Dane County, Madison Labor Temple, and Madison Social Justice Center.
Seeing herself as the “conductor of the orchestra” rather than the “composer of the symphony,” Sharon will guide anyone unafraid to get a little paint on their clothes to bring to life the vision that numerous members of the campus community helped to inspire.
Local artist Sharon Kilfoy’s works grace many public spaces throughout the Madison community, soon to include the Humanities Building.
Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin State Journal
After sending out a campus-wide survey inviting people to submit ideas, the WUD Art Committee was inundated with suggestions for content to be painted on the new mural.
“Someone wanted a fire-breathing dragon, but a lot of people said equality, people being together, people working together,” said Carly. “Diversity was a big theme, and working toward a common goal. There should be painting, there should be dancing, and all this other stuff, so we tried to incorporate as much of that as possible.”
Working with paneled boards and exterior paints generously provided by Wisconsin-based paint manufacturer Hallman/Lindsay, Sharon, Carly, and the art committee hope to kick off the project this summer and complete the mural by the fall, just in time to welcome students back. With such a striking visual celebration of the humanities to offset the Humanities building, Carly hopes to inspire the installation of more public art on campus and encourage fruitful dialogue between community members.
“I just think it’s a great avenue for discussion and for building a stronger sense of community, if we have something that we’re actually contributing visually,” said Carly. “I hope it’ll inspire other people to do the same and to take pride in the buildings they’re spending so much time in.”
