Campus receives $5,000 to help with mural project

MVNU received a $5,000 grant to move forward with the “Shine Forth Mural Project.”

Director of Intercultural Life Jim Singletary is helping junior Michaela Hughes develop her plans for a mural to cover the wall outside of Foster Hall in Ariel Arena.

Hughes presented the mural idea more than a year ago, seeing the project as a way for students on campus to connect and express themselves.

“The idea was really personal for me, because I’ve dealt a lot with fear of opening up and expressing myself to people,” Hughes said. “It was really something kind of like my testimony; I wanted to do something that I knew would uplift people.”

The $5,000 diversity grant is from The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC), an organization that serves as the liaison between donors and universities. Libbey, Inc. and Timken Steel Corporation donated the money.

Even with the grant, it will take a while for the project to come together, Singletary said.

A team of art students is working on a design for the mural. The project will be reintroduced to campus after the design is done and approved, Singletary said.

MVNU students then will be invited to make the design a reality.

Hughes hopes students will want to get involved, and will find the project meaningful.

“The idea of creating a mural requires so much work from a lot of people,” she said.

She looks forward to “seeing people working together to build something” and hopes they get a sense of accomplishment from being part of the finished product.

Project leaders aim to finish the project by the end of spring semester.

“Our hope is to have a product to unveil by the end of April,” Singletary said.

Hughes hopes the finished piece will inspire all students on campus to follow their dreams and find success.