This past August, as students wandered into Harris for the first time this year, two new murals on each side of the cafeteria were there to greet them. By now, students have had the chance to really look at these pieces of art, study them, appreciate them and wonder how and why they got there. The murals are very different visually, but both ultimately convey a sense of unity and honor within the Connecticut College community. The artists, Cody Chase ’15 and Neta Nakash ’15, accepted awards on Friday, Oct.10 in recognition of their effort and ability.
Last December, the information regarding the mural competition was advertised every day in the “Today on Campus” emails sent to the student body as part of an SGA art initiative. The competition called for a mural that highlights either Conn’s relationship with New London or life at Conn in general.
Cody Chase opted for the second prompt and sent in her design over winter break. Chase interned in New London last summer and lived on campus. Starting the mural in late May and finishing mid July, Chase worked on the painting little by little. “The Harris staff was unbelievably kind and supportive to my cause, making it a truly enjoyable experience,” Chase said.
Walking into Harris, the mural that appears on the far right wall belongs to Chase. Chase’s painting features the Connecticut College logo of the tree of knowledge with birds flying away in every direction.
“My inspiration started with the tree. I was either going to start with a tree or a camel…trees are easier to draw,” Chase said. Chase wanted to display the many facets of the Conn experience into one artistic depiction, but faced the challenge of including everyone’s perspective on one wall. To narrow down her idea, she decided to focus on the original values that brought everyone to Conn in the first place. “The tree is a symbol of our school and an emblem of the living spirit we’ve created here,” Chase said, “The birds taking flight represent the students that leave the shelter of our school, carrying with them the lessons they learned here.” Chase’s goal was to create a mural that was simple, all encompassing and real.
Neta Nakash also saw the advertisements by SGA for murals to be painted and thought it would be a fun and challenging opportunity. As an Architectural Studies and Math double major with a Studio Art minor, Nakash combined her creativity and logic to create a geometric masterpiece on the far left wall of Harris.
Drawing initial inspiration from a mural she had seen in her high school public library, which featured ceramic tiles that covered an entire wall, Nakash let her mind wander as she came up with design we see today. Nakash fostered her ideas for her design from her interest and experience with public art and installation, as well as geometric patterning. After submitting her design in January, Nakash began painting in mid-August and finished in early September.
“It was such an enjoyable process because I learned a lot about public art and got to interact with our incredible dining staff,” Nakash said. She admitted that the most rewarding part about the entire process had to be seeing the reaction of students and staff. “Their acceptance of the piece made the entire experience truly special. I was especially touched when one student informed me that he even made my mural the background on his phone,” Nakash said.
Thanks to Chase and Nakash, students are no longer imprisoned by the plain, white walls that once enclosed Harris. The artwork is a beautiful, daily reminder of who we are as the Connecticut College community and the morals we should always be striving to exemplify. •
