Visual and Performing Arts students at Daemen College have completed a mural project at the Matt Urban Center that was put on hold last spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The course was part of Daemen’s extensive Service Learning Program, which engages students in both local and global community projects.
In September, with appropriate safety measures in place, students completed the mural based on a design selected by the director of Hope Gardens.
“The fact that the students chose to finish the project as soon as it was safe to do so during the pandemic and even after the spring semester had ended speaks volumes about the integrity of Daemen students and the professionalism and creative vision of our visual and performing arts department,” said Dr. Robert Waterhouse, chair of the department. “The students did this out of the goodness of their hearts as it was beyond the course requirements after the pandemic hit.”
Participants in the community mural project include Jakez Dubois of Centereach, animation major; Eileen Hill of Endwell, animation major; Emma Lonnen of Albion, graphic design major; Madalyn McCutcheon of Buffalo, art major with a drawing/illustration specialization; and Isaac Vazquez of Buffalo, art major with a drawing/illustration specialization. The project was conceived and taught by Casey Kelly ’08, former Daemen assistant professor of graphic design.