Renovation of a 100 year old building
Scroll to the end for pics!
In 2023, the University of Colorado began a major renovation of the historic Hellems Arts & Sciences Building. Built in 1921, Hellems introduced the Tuscan Vernacular style that went on to define the campus. The $105.2 million project—funded 60% by the university and 40% by the State of Colorado—will improve accessibility and create modern learning spaces. Because state funding requires a 1% investment in public art, I was thrilled (and lucky!) to be selected as one of the commissioned artists.
Applying
After submitting an online application, I was invited to present a concept to the project’s review board. Inspired by the building’s exterior stonework, I proposed a series of stylized portraits of current students, faculty, and administrators, anchored by a large “cornerstone” painting to express a central theme. The goal was to bring a warm, human presence to the space. Within a week, I was awarded the commission to create work for the two 20-foot central halls.
Planning
Months of planning followed—figuring out sizes, quantities, and spacing so dozens of individual paintings would read as a single, cohesive piece. I settled on a 3:1 ratio, with each collection measuring 16 x 5½ feet. Color selection took weeks: thanks to a summer sale, I expanded my palette to 26 colors, carefully chosen to echo the building’s stonework and unify the entire installation.
Execution
Nearly 70 paintings required serious organization. My dining room became a studio and storage hub, complete with modular shelving and extra easels. My talented friend Kathy Duke prepped each canvas with hardware, security brackets (per university request), and a pristine white base coat. I sketched, refined, and transferred each composition to canvas, while a meticulous numbering system kept every piece on track.
Installation
We rented a large transit van and drove west for 2½ days—an unforgettable journey across wide-open prairie skies. On site, we worked around active construction crews, fueled by daily Starbucks runs from the student union. Installation required careful measuring, drilling, leveling, and patience. Every painting had to align perfectly. It took a full week—and when the last piece went up, we paused to take it all in.
I’m deeply grateful to Kathy and my nephew Nathan for their hard work, creativity, patience, and great company. This project was a joy because of them, and I’m already looking forward to the next public art adventure.
Artist Statement: “Decisions”
The format for this installation is inspired by the building’s exterior stonework. Its layout and color palette were intentionally crafted to echo the Tuscan Vernacular architectural style first utilized on the Hellems Building and later embraced as a defining visual identity throughout the university’s development. This choice connects the artwork to the campus’s physical history, acknowledging the decisions made decades ago by architects and planners—decisions that shaped not only the appearance of the university but the character and atmosphere students experience today.
The stylized figures represent real students, professors, and administrators sourced from the university’s web and social presence. While not portraits, each figure is rooted in an actual member of the campus community. Their placement throughout the composition creates a visual presence of humanity—welcoming, observing, and reflecting back the energy of those who pass through this highly utilized building. In doing so, the figures remind viewers that a campus is built not just of stone and structure, but of the people whose choices fill those spaces with meaning.
The title, “Decisions,” is an acknowledgment of our unique human capacity to choose—sometimes quickly and instinctively, other times after long consideration—and the ripple effect those choices have on both the individual and the community. A student deciding on a major, a professor reshaping a curriculum, or an administrator choosing how to allocate resources each alters the trajectory of campus life. Small decisions also matter: choosing to introduce oneself to a stranger, joining a club, asking a question in class, or seeking help when needed. These moments, while seemingly ordinary, can lead to lifelong friendships, new ideas, or opportunities that shift a person’s direction entirely.
On a broader scale, decision-making shapes the university as a collective body. Choices about what programs to build, what traditions to uphold, and how to respond to challenges—social, cultural, academic, or global—impact not only current students but generations to come. The installation invites viewers to consider that progress is rarely the result of one monumental action, but of many individual decisions accumulating into shared momentum.
Ultimately, this work reflects the belief that every passerby carries the potential to influence the world around them. Within the walls of this building, thousands of decisions are made each day—some practical, some deeply personal—and each contributes to the living narrative of the university. “Decisions” asks viewers to recognize the power of choice, the responsibility it carries, and the quiet, ongoing ways those choices shape our collective future.
