Sunday, October 30, 2005
Artwork promotes Fitness Center
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Since August, students, faculty, and staff entering the Recreation and Fitness Center have been greeted by colorful paintings depicting fall activities of the Recreation, Fitness, and Wellness Department. The work was created by Raul Illarramendi, an art major from Caracas, Venezuela. “It’s a combination of art and promotion; a visual representation of our activities,” said Dave Enzler, director of Recreation, Fitness, and Wellness. Enzler and Illarramendi began discussing the project about a year ago. “Raul is a frequent user of the facility,” Enzler said. “We talked several times and considered different ideas, including putting a mural on the ceiling. Then we came up with the idea of decorating our entrance way.” The work consists of five panels in total, but only three will be on display at a time. The center panel portrays activities that take place in the Fitness Center all year. It is flanked by two panels that portray seasonal offerings. During the winter break, the fall panels will be exchanged for spring panels currently in storage. The fall semester panels portray people participating in activities offered by the RFC in fall, including canoeing, rock climbing, softball, and football. Enzler said the spring panels include images of basketball, volleyball, and outdoor activities. Enzler gave Illarramendi a list of RFC’s spring and fall activities, and the artist chose which he felt best able to paint. “We worked out which things we wanted for each season, and the rest was up to Raul. It’s all his design and layout,” Enzler said. Enzler described the first time RFC staff saw the murals at Illarramendi’s studio. “We walked in and there was silence for 30 seconds. He was very nervous to hear what we would think. When we told him how impressed we were, he got choked up. He almost started to cry, because he was so relieved. He’s very proud of the paintings and we’re thrilled to have them. They are a wonderful addition to our facility.” Illarramendi is studying abroad at the University of Saint-Etienne in Saint-Etienne, France. Heidi Gregori-Gahan, director of International Programs and Services, said he is studying French language and culture this semester, and will take art and art history courses in the spring. He plans to return in fall 2006. International Programs unveiled a mural created by Illarramendi on the Global Community Floor in Ruston Hall in September 2004. “It includes words in Esperanto, the universal language of peace. It’s a wonderful image of a figure leaping across boundaries,” Gregori-Gahan said. “When we tell people a student did the paintings they are impressed,” Enzler said. “We’re thrilled we can say with great pride that one of our students did this.” |
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