The Wright Theater will soon be looking a little more colorful than usual. This fall, the theater’s eastern wall will be decorated with a 1,300 square foot mural depicting a new and dynamic image by Vermont artist Sabra Field ’57.
The image, entitled “Cosmic Geometry”, is a grid-like piece of art comprised of cellular, plant, animal and architectural patterns grouped in themed quartets. The message behind the artwork is that the human and natural worlds are connected by the same forms and patterns, though it can also be interpreted as a call to action; for humans to re-examine our connection with nature, and to help preserve it for future generations.
Wright Theater’s makeover is part of the Middlebury Mural Project, which is the brainchild of Kate Lupo ’10. She started the project in September 2009 after gaining approval from Field, President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz, Middlebury College Committee for Art in Public Places (CAPP) and the Town of Middlebury. Lupo, who was an art history major, a Middlebury mamajama and the head of the SGA Environmental Affairs, also helped raise a 100-foot mural in her hometown. She sees murals as educational tools that can teach viewers valuable, unspoken lessons and was also inspired by public murals created during the Great Depression, which, Lupo said, “provided hope and inspiration during a dark time in America’s history.”
Lupo said she specifically chose the eastern wall of the Wright Theater because of its potential as a canvas. “I walked by the Wright Theater so many times and it was just a big beautiful blank wall that could become a gorgeous work of art. I said to myself, ‘I think I can do this.’”
At its completion, the project’s total cost will be $25,000. CAPP, a committee of Middlebury staff who are responsible for the creation and maintenance of all public art on campus, has committed to pay for half of the costs. Lupo also won a $500 grant from dosomething.org, an organization that gives financial aid to young people with large nonprofit projects. The rest of the costs will come from fundraising done by Lupo and Peggy Smith ’57, a friend of Field’s.
Lupo said that, initially, she was considering using another image by Field that would feature windmills and her iconic Vermont imagery, but “Cosmic Geometry” seemed more exciting and had a different design than most of Field’s other artwork. “It’s also [Field’s] favorite and she’s really happy we chose it,” Lupo said. She also said that since Field is an alumna of the College and a local Vermont favorite, the mural would help unite the college and the town. As a mural aficionado, Lupo enjoys working primarily on murals with environmental themes, so “Cosmic Geometry” was an ideal image to display on the theater’s blank wall.
“Cosmic Geometry” will be painted by Colossal Media, a professional mural company based in New York City, and will be completed by mid-October. The mural is slated to last for up to five years in the current agreement with the Middlebury CAPP Committee for Art. After completion, it will be one of the largest murals in the state, and there will be an opening celebration later on in the fall that will include both the town and college communities.
After the finalization of her project, Lupo will be working as the Coordinator of the Westport Youth Film Festival in Westport, Ct. She would like to thank all those who collaborated with her on the project, including Liebowitz, Richard Saunders (the chair of CAPP), as well as her mentor, Special Assistant to the President Dave Donahue.
Lupo plans mural makeover for Wright
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