As if the famous graffiti artist Banksy himself snuck into the DeChiaro College Center, a new mural appeared almost overnight, surprising students and staff alike as the Loyola Art Club painted on the hallowed halls to promote sustainable living.
Student artists crafted and curated an abstract depiction of Baltimore’s water system to advertise for one of the college’s many reusable water bottle filling stations. Samantha Khazanov ‘19 said, “I never even knew there was a water fountain in this corner of the student center, and I’m a senior.” Other students agreed that the newly lacquered mural makes the once dark corner of the Sellinger VIP Lounge elevator pop in vibrant hues of blues.
Loyola’s Art Club was first approached to make the mural by the Environmental Action Club (EAC). The EAC wanted the project to raise awareness for Loyola’s relatively recent water refilling fountains. According to the EAC, these stations will motivate students to use their own reusable water bottles instead of making plastic waste with one-time use bottles and cups.
“We’re grateful that Loyola’s starting to make positive changes to promote greener thinking. But it was unfortunate that this particular fountain was hidden since it’s in our campus’ main building,” said Jenna Christiani ‘19, the EAC president.
After the Environmental Action and Art Club joined forces, the depiction of the Baltimore skyline next to the Chesapeake Bay was conceptualized.
Art Club president Tonia Murphy ‘19 said, “We wanted the design to be eye-catching to students walking by while also being understood as an environmental piece about the movement of water from the sky through the city and, ultimately, down into our bay.”
According to Murphy, the addition of character to this corner has increased traffic to the fountain. When the club first started painting, they were infrequently interrupted by thirsty passersby. But as their painting was coming to an end, the club noted that several more people came up to use the fountain.
Art Club member Evan Skalski ‘19 said, “I am glad to be a part of leaving something that will last long after I graduate. A lot of people stopped by while we’ve been finishing painting to say how much they like it and that they just realized there’s another fountain here. So, I think we’ve done a good job for the natural environment and Loyola’s environment.”
Feature Image: Courtesy of Serena Chenery and Tonia Murphy.
