BipARTisan: The art of give and take

Armed with paint and differing points of view, six artists are conducting a live experiment in getting along. A wall within the main academic building is their canvas and test-tube for this months-long experiment, titled, “bipARTisan.” No telling what it will look like when they’re through.

It's a test of how people with different visions can create something together.

The idea is to see what emerges as the artists repeatedly return to the mural, one or two at a time, and paint on the wall. Or re-paint it. They'll return every few days, giving the paint time to dry in between, and allowing visitors to see the work in progress. Each artist can paint over what's been previously painted; there's no plan for what they'll end up with.

They've invited Chancellor Pat Spakes to wield a brush and contribute to the mural, if she wishes.

The six artists, Pam Keeley, Deborah Lawrence, Linda Davidson, Stevie Webb, Kevin Wildermuth and Ellen Ito, have very different styles. But they draw common inspiration from “the way our government is so polarized it can't work together,” said Claudia Gorbman, professor in the Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences program, and a member of the campus Art Committee. “Their project is a lesson in whether people can work together.”

The mural is in the student study area behind BHS 106. Visitors are welcome to watch the work in progress and take photos, although the artists request that people not try to engage them in conversation as they work. The work is expected to be completed by mid-March.

The artists will receive $1 in payment for the mural. Instead of splitting the dollar six ways (that would be 16.6 cents each), they plan to frame the dollar bill in unity at the end of the project.

After that, the university has the option to keep the mural or paint over it.