Students from the Monroe County Community College Art Club unveiled a project Friday, May 1, they’d been working on for a little over a year: a four-panel mural for the campus’ Heck’s Market food pantry in Founder’s Hall.
“There’s nothing like a picture to describe where things are,” said Therese O’Halloran, MCCC’s art department head. “It’s kind of like a landmark for Heck’s Market, definitely.”
The students gave a presentation describing their process, from initial ideas to stumbling blocks. They gave a special shout out to David Larkins, the faculty art advisor, without whom they said they wouldn’t have been able to complete it, as well as O’Halloran.
“If it wasn’t for them, we’d probably still be in the planning stages,” said Malaia Merillat, one of the mural’s main artists.
The mural was heavily designed by the market’s varied history. The pantry was named after an old market that used to be in downtown Monroe. The mural is an attempt to combine the past and present, as can be seen by the multiple establishment dates along the side and the hanging Front Street sign.
The five artists, Merillat, Jessica Janus, Benamin Fry, Jojo Mills, and Melissa Smith, will be honored with a plaque naming them next to the mural.
— Contact reporter Connor Veenstra at CVeenstra@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: MCCC art students unveil mural for campus food pantry
Reporting by Connor Veenstra, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
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