Up against a wall

The stucco wall on the west side of the Kappa Sigma fraternity house is, to be blunt, ugly.

But for Penn professor Amy Hillier, this wall is a blank canvas, "begging" for what is fast becoming a hallmark of Philadelphia's neighborhood and downtown revitalization: the mural.

But Hillier doesn't want just any mural greeting students on Locust Walk; she wants one honoring W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the most renowned black scholars of the late 19th and early 20th century. Du Bois penned his famous treatise on racial inequality in America, The Philadelphia Negro, while on a fellowship at Penn.

Only one thing stands in the way of Hillier's vision - Penn doesn't do murals. The University has never allowed a mural on a campus building.

So when Hillier presented her idea to University Architect David Hollenberg, she was expecting to "run into a wall."

To her surprise, his response wasn't no, but it wasn't yes, either.

Hollenberg, who took the job at the start of the semester, said the University chose to "stay away from" the issue in the past.

He didn't know of a precise reason why Penn has no murals. But handing over limited space to just one artist might set a dangerous precedent.

If the University has just one or two spaces, Hollenberg asked, "how would we decide" who gets to paint a mural?

"Would it be right if it was the first person who walked in?"

There are few University buildings like the Kappa Sigma house with exposed walls, the result of tearing down an adjacent building.

Murals on similar blank walls have been successful in improving rundown areas in Philadelphia, Hollenberg said. But this is "not necessarily the case at Penn," he added, since the University does not need the same kind of revitalization.

Penn might not need murals, but Jane Golden, director of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, said in an e-mail interview that the surrounding community certainly wants them.

Golden said "many requests from students, professors and from community members" were made in the past, none of which Penn embraced.

The University is "open to change," though, Hollenberg said, and both Hollenberg and Hillier anticipate a number of conversations before any decision is made.

The University is no stranger to in-your-face public art displays, however. Just last year, the Plateau installation on 40th Street sparked debate about the University's aesthetic taste.

But Hillier says her proposal is not only about adding new art to the campus. It pays tribute to Du Bois, whom she says Penn has yet to fully honor.

Although Penn named one of its 12 college houses after Du Bois, this is "not something people visiting campus are going to notice," Hillier said.

A mural is "bold," she said, and Du Bois, who was "larger than life, deserves a larger than life tribute."

Du Bois College House Faculty Master Rev. William Gipson agreed that Penn should "take advantage of every opportunity to raise the profile of [Du Bois's] relationship to our University."

Gipson added, though, that a more fitting tribute would be to strengthen University programs in sociology and other studies Du Bois championed.

"We're very proud at W.E.B. Du Bois College House to bear his name, and we like to believe we carry on his spirit in our academic endeavors," said Gipson, who is also the University chaplain.

The party most immediately affected by any decision to paint a mural - the brothers of Kappa Sigma - say they are open to the idea, according to fraternity President and Wharton senior Dan Spelman.

Any decision about a mural would have to go through the national Kappa Sigma office, which holds the lease to the building. Spelman said, however, that he doubts they would reject it.

Until the University makes its final decision, Hillier said she's prepared for either response.

Hillier said she trusts that the University is not just stalling, but she's prepared to mobilize support "to show people care."

Comments (10)

[QUOTE id="d43cae19-9e69-49b0-9c82-94d440bc8cac"]Murals are unspeakably tacky for an Ivy League campus, or any campus. Brick it.[/QUOTE] Hi John, You may have a point. Generally speaking, a mural with intense, garish, color might appear "tacky" in the midst of sober, campus surroundings. However, a mural with a limited, high contrast palette ... monochromatic tones... would be a very powerful visual experience; resulting in something more tasteful than a pushy blast of primary & secondary hues. I am an Afro American artist, an art history literate Penn alum and muralist.

It's cheap and there isn't alot of it around this particular Ivy League campus.....

I agree with "penn student" .. I really don't think DuBouis is a wise choice. I would have different artists and students submit proposals before going through with this.

Dr. DuBois is as important an intellectual voice in US history as John Dewey or William James. There is no better subject for a mural and Penn ought to do it.

Murals are unspeakably tacky for an Ivy League campus, or any campus. Brick it.

I always associated DuBois with Harvard, so I looked him up on Wikipedia. I found: "After graduating from Fisk University in 1888, DuBois took a bachelor's degree cum laude from Harvard College in 1890 (Harvard having refused to recognize the equivalency of his Fisk degree), and in 1892 received a stipend to attend the University of Berlin. While a student in Berlin, he travelled extensively throughout Europe, and came of age intellectually while studying with some of the most prominent social scientists in the German capital, such as Gustav von Schmoller. In 1896, DuBois became the first black person to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University. After teaching at Wilberforce University in Ohio and the University of Pennsylvania, he established the department of sociology at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University)." So, it looks like Penn cares about him because he was a professor here. Whether or not we need a mural of him is another story. Perhaps it would be a bit tacky, but our fixation with Franklin seems tacky at times too.

If the University has just one or two spaces, Hollenberg asked, how would we decide" who gets to paint a mural?" gee, i mean, if the the university has just one or two lots, "how would (they) decide" who gets to design a building; build a building? It's really amazing that anything has ever been accomplished at this university if that is the attitude. Agree or disagree with the mural, i hope this is just a poor use of quotes when it comes to the university. Else, i hope that guy isnt near as dumb as he sounds.

i can think of about 100 more people who were more "bold" and "larger than life" than w.e.b. dubois. and for god's sake, he's already got his own college house. how much tribute does he need? and why this campus? you don't see college houses and murals honoring du bois on every other campus. there isn't some standard that we have to live up to. if you actually look a little further beyond philadelphia, the words "mural" and "civil rights act" aren't entirely inseparable. regardless, mural art is nice, but it would look tacky in our campus setting. just put brick over it before our university's walls become canvasses for social activism graffiti.

I agree with A, as well as alum. Dubois was a great man who contributed much to society through literature and his helpful nature. Besides, murals and Philadelphia are practically synonymous. They are what Philly is about; they help make Philly even more beautiful, and we are recognized around the nation because of them. Penn always claims to have Phillys best interests in mind, and as a Philly native I know that a mural of dubois would be a very positive addition to this campus. Also to the person that suggested we grow some ivy: while it is pretty, I dont believe its very practical because I'm pretty sure that I've heard that after time, it starts to destroy the integrity of a building.

I don't understand when this article reports that Penn has never had murals. Doesn't anyone remember the famous Rebus mural? It was painted on the side of a building (now gone, now Aresty Institute) at the eastern foot of Locust Bridge. It was interesting and handsomely painted: a rebus for all the different subjects a student could study at Penn--Biology, Astronomy, Mathematics, Engineering, Economics, Fine Arts, etc. etc. Also, from that same foot bridge, one could look at all the murals painted on the walls of the Bookstore (-- now Huntsman Hall). These murals were ever-changing, done by students to promote their fraternities or to announce events -- or to simply make comments about current events. The layers of paint grew so thick on that wall they started falling off. I was sad to see both murals go, and am still wondering why this article is reporting on murals as if they never existed at Penn, or were never allowed.

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