All too often, displays of art are often overlooked by the public eye, and I have come to the realization that works of art displayed on our university’s campus are no exception. I have enjoyed accepting the invitation to look at many works of art around campus, including the Runquist murals, throughout my participation in two Arts & Administration courses. I think it is a valuable ability to look at such an academic-driven place as a source of aesthetic beautifications, offering enhancements of civic beautification, improvement, and identity.
The Works Progress Administration (WPA), as negotiated by the New Deal’s Federal Art Project wished to support this movement of advancing the presence of art in public areas. In addition to this increased exposure, the movement also offered civic improvement by employing many impoverished artists, and it is truly great to be able to see an example of this movement within our campus limits. Improving civility by offering job opportunities to artists like these is a practical way of embracing different economic statuses and uniting all members of a society. As the murals in the Knight Library wish to “encourage ongoing dialogue and exploration” of many historic and present-day issues, their presence is improving the discussions of the public viewers (Maruska, 2013).
Not only does this open discussion serve to improve the society surrounding it, but it also provides an opportunity to enhance civic identity. These murals explore many “notions” from the 1930’s, as well as depictions of “figures and ideas about race and ethnicity” that were valid in the time of the murals’ creation, but may not be considered so accurate anymore (Maruska, 2013). The history of our society is particularly important to the identity that we all share today. Arthur and Albert Runquist explore the development of the realm of art in their piece “Development of the Arts,” which is found in the East stairwell. Within this piece are eight panels, each depicting a different era of artistic advancements – early and late primitive periods, Egyptian period, Greek period, Medieval period, the Renaissance, a period of campus development, and modern art period (Maruska, 2013). The panels include forms of art from cave paintings and pottery to the creation of the human figure and finally, the cinema and radio.
The second mural, “Development of the Sciences,” which is found in the West stairwell, also contains eight panels, reflecting similar time periods as the “Development of the Arts” mural. These panels depict scientific advancements of the following time periods: Stone Age, Iron Age, Early Egyptian, Greek Period, the Renaissance, the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries, a period of campus development, and a modern period. While exploring the identity of this culture, the artists delineated different forms of scientific advancements, including fire-making and cultivation of foods to Newton’s law of gravity and finally, the gas engine and x-rays (Maruska, 2013). The compilation of these advancements has produced a society that can identify with dramatic scientific drive and intellect. So much of our research is centered on medicine, astronomy, and all other realms of science.
I think many can attest to the idea that placing a greater number of art pieces in publicly available places beautifies an area. Throughout this course, we have focused on defining what is and is not art, and one quality that has been consistent through all readings and other assignments is the quality of art to produce in viewers an aesthetic reaction. Again and again, we see this defining characteristic, and it certainly applies to the two Runquist murals. These two pieces have soft colors and shapes that are easy on the eye and act as a focal point for library-goers. The two murals present an aesthetically pleasing representation of the development of the arts and sciences – two subjects heavily emphasized at our university. In a building full of books, desks, and often times, long faces, the Runquist murals beautify the area and transform it into something more pleasant.
Maruska, B. (2013). A Response to the Runquist Murals. http://blogs.uoregon.edu/runquistmurals/. March 15, 2014.
