HWS News
24 October 2024 Art on the Move Across Campus By Colin Spencer '19
SPARK course inspires dialogue through a new mural.
Expanding on last year’s efforts, students in Associate Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Intersectional Justice Michelle Martin-Baron’s SPARK! course, “HWS Public Art for Community Transformation,” have added a mural that encourages conversation about migration.
During the first few days of Orientation, new students painted butterflies of various species over a map of the world that is displayed in the Warren Hunting Smith Library alcove. The different butterflies represent the migration of people and animals across the globe, along with showcasing different butterfly species.
“Since it’s in a central location on our campus, it makes people think about the significance of migration and what migration really means,” says Kirsten Roman ’26, of Los Angeles, Calif., a student mentor who assisted Martin-Baron in planning and painting the mural.
Roman also helped update the HWS Public Art Map this summer, a project initiated by Umama Ahmed '24 and Elisa Ribordy '24 last year.
In addition to global migration, the mural represents first-year students’ journey to HWS. “This course has helped me feel a lot more comfortable with my surroundings,” says Caitlyn Geary ’28, of New Hartford, N.Y., who helped paint the mural.
William Sander ’28, of Washington, D.C., also contributed. “The people here have been welcoming and we have tons of activities which is great.”
Through the SPARK! course, students created the mural and visited murals in Geneva and the greater Finger Lakes region. Artist Victor Pultinas ’08 assisted Martin-Baron as a co-instructor and collaborator.
Top: Students walk by the mural in the Warren Hunting Smith Library's alcove.
