Photo Feature: Art in the Public Realm

Stencil on the floor of the Wriston Ampitheater.
Stencil on the floor of the Wriston Ampitheater.

Art in the Public Realm, the studio art topics course offered this term, focuses on educating students on how to make public art and the responsibility that comes with engaging the public eye. Co-taught by Rob Neilson and Tony Conrad, the class focuses on a variety of mediums including sculpture, monuments, guerilla art and more.

The course recently hosted University of Wisconsin Professor and public artist Nicholas Lampert, whose work is focused on public justice and ecology, topics often ruminated over on the Lawrence campus. Lampert led the students in a lesson about sustainable stencils. The product, created using only soil and water, is an alternative to the typical spray paint graffiti which is damaging to the environment. Additionally, it is easily washed away from the surfaces where it is applied.

Junior Holly Butterfield explains that “the stencil that he brought in is actually from a past project he worked in. We didn’t really have any affiliation with the message.” She goes on to acknowledge that ”I guess that was a little irresponsible, that we were posting this message that we didn’t necessarily have the context on but he seemed like a good guy.”

Stencil, having been partially washed away, on the wall of the Sculpture Studio.
Stencil, having been partially washed away, on the wall of the Sculpture Studio.

Photos by Sadie Tenpas