A picture is worth a thousand words. But, for students at Syracuse University, a mural is worth even more.

Madelyn Minicozzi, one of the 13 Fast Forward grant recipients, created the Mural on the Mount project as a lasting statement to unite and inspire all generations of SU students.

Her winning idea of turning the Mount stairs, which lead to Flint and Day halls, into an art installation features a collection of artwork from 54 independent students and organizations, which have begun the process of painting the steps.

The contributors have been painting on average six hours every Sunday for the past four weeks to meet their final deadline of Nov. 2 for Family Weekend.

“It’s important because it is very informative. There are so many things that I noticed I missed my freshman year because there is so much on campus. I hope this really helps students see all of the different organizations,” said Minicozzi, a sophomore industrial and interaction design major. “It is better than seeing something halfway through the year and thinking, ‘Oh, I could have done that.’”

Although the deadline is approaching fast, Minicozzi hopes the art project will grow as a living art installation on campus.

“My goal for the Mount steps is not for it to be done on Nov. 2, but for people to contribute to it in the future,” she said. “I want it to be a landmark. I want it to keep evolving.”

Minicozzi said her idea for the Mount project sparked from her own experience living in Flint Hall her freshman year and from her functional sculpture professor, Jude Lewis. As an associate professor of art, design and trans-media, Lewis taught her that things do not always have to look like their function.

“I thought, ‘How can I take this negative experience of walking up the Mount, which nobody likes to do, and make it something fun and interesting?’” Minicozzi said.

During the summer, Minicozzi created a website for students and organizations to submit their designs. When classes started, Minicozzi went through the submissions and had a goal of choosing 45 designs to decorate the Mount stairs.

After looking through the submissions she received, Minicozzi found “that cutting someone from the stairs is like cutting them from the university” and ended with a total of 54 designs.

Daniela Lisa is the social chair of Nourish International and is one of the people working on the mural. Lisa, a sophomore marketing and finance student, said choosing a final design was a collaborative effort of the group, as the club wanted to illustrate what they stand for as an organization — working on sustainable projects in developing countries.

“Because we go abroad to do sustainable development, we decided to do the country we have a partnership with,” Lisa said. “We did an outline of Uganda, and in the district that we actually go, we put a heart around it to show that is where our heart is as well.”

Tina Mastrull, a senior illustration major and a drum major in the SU Marching Band, is painting on behalf of the band. She said the mural is a lasting way for incoming students to become aware of the opportunity to join the band when they come to campus.

“We are trying to leave a general impression of who we are and get people’s attention,” Mastrull said. “Hopefully this can be an indirect way of recruiting people and having students become interested in us and maybe joining us.”

For Indigenous Students at Syracuse University, the mural acts as a platform for students to become more aware of Native American presence on campus and in the community.

“Nobody here actually knows who is Native American and who is not, and no one wants to ask,” said Kristen Pyke, a senior psychology major and president of the club. “To have this on campus and be more encompassed lets other students know that we are actually here.”

Published on October 23, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Alexa: adiaz02@syr.edu | @alexalucina