Painting on Walls
Painting on Walls is a collaboration between students at Case Western Reserve University and the public art and urban planning non-profit LAND Studio.
The project began as an art history course and has since transformed into a longer-term project.
Since antiquity walls have been sites for decoration, for mobilizing political action, and for coalescing community. Walls in Cleveland are no exception. The course explored the history of public mural painting from antiquity to the present day but it did so with an aim toward actively contributing to the civic life of the city.
Students with LAND Studio to develop the next stages of the Inter|Urban mural project. Established in 2016, the Inter|Urban project pairs artists with recipients of the Anisfield-Wolf book award to produce wall paintings that engage issues related to race and social justice.
Together, LAND and the Anisfield-Wolf recipients have made Cleveland’s public transit system the site of humanities in action! This course introduced students to the theory and methods of the public humanities and service learning, but it will also serve our larger university and urban community by bringing research into practice.
