The Board of Architectural Review approved a proposed mural to be painted on the side of 1515 University Avenue at a meeting Tuesday. James Zehmer, a 2002 graduate of the Architecture School, was the project manager of the 1515 renovation and is helping plan the mural project. He attended the meeting to answer the Board’s questions about the mural.
The mural will consist of a collection of blue and orange circles spiraling outwards. Zehmer said the mural is intended to represent University students.
“One of the notions was that the different circles kind of represent different students at U.Va. and they're all slightly different but they kind of all have a commonality of going to school here and the common goal of graduating,” Zehmer said.
The mural will be located on the side of 1515 facing the alley. Its aim is to brighten up the space and to represent the University and community. The mural is also meant to be a backdrop for students taking photos.
“We … explored this space as a great space for a mural because it's just blank wall space and he wanted to do something really colorful,” Zehmer said. “He wanted to do something with some geometric shapes. I think part of his idea was that it could kind of be like a social media posting background.”
The mural will be painted by artist Tripp Barnes from South Carolina, who was hired by the Seven Society to do the mural.
“To show their support of this new student center on ‘The Corner’, the Seven Society of UVA has hired mural artist Tripp Barnes to paint several murals inside the building and one on the exterior of the building,” the application for the mural read.
Barnes will also be painting several murals inside of 1515.
“He's doing a large one on the right-hand side right as you walk in,” Zehmer said. “Mock ups of that I've seen … a lawn with student silhouettes and things and then kind of radiates back with different colors into the mountains. Kind of a naturalistic scene. He's doing a large scale portrait of Tina Fey down in the basement. And then also looking at doing some silhouettes of musicians that will kind of go over the stage.”
The mural had to be approved by the BAR because 1515 is located in an Architectural Design Control District. This means that the area in which 1515 is located has historical or architectural significance and is subject to certain local zoning laws. This includes requiring approval from the BAR before make changes to the building’s exterior.
The BAR showed very little opposition to the mural, and some members expressed their excitement for a mural outside 1515.
Barnes will being work on the murals in the beginning of July. The murals are set to be finished by the beginning of the fall semester.
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