The project was initiated by the School of Art & Design, with support from the College of Arts and Media and Marshall University Research Corporation, with funding provided by National Endowment for the Arts.
The 51- by 35-foot mural tells the story of Marshall’s past, present and future, including symbolism for six interdisciplinary pillars of excellence. During the creative process, Westfall called for participation from School of Art & Design students, Marshall faculty and staff, and community members at various pop-up events, and she invited community members to vote on their favorite mural.
The project not only brings contemporary art to a public space, but it has given Marshall students and the community an opportunity to participate in creating a public artwork and get a closer look at working with polytab, the material used for the mural, said Mark Zanter, director of the School of Art & Design.
Westfall held a residency at the school’s Visual Arts Center in Fall 2025, and was a Joan C. Edwards Distinguished Professor in the Arts in Spring 2026. She has been installing the mural with the help of Signarama and is expected to install panels, do touchups and cover with a clear coating.
This project was made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and Joan C. Edwards Distinguished Professors in the Arts Endowment.
For weather updates and more information, contact Courtney Chapman of the School of Art & Design at courtney.chapman@marshall.edu.
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