VSU’s Odum Library Seeking Muralist for Art Project

VALDOSTA — Art in Odum is expanding, and Valdosta State University’s Odum Library is seeking proposals for a one-of-a-kind mural in its South Atrium.

Deborah Davis, chair of the Library Art Committee, certified archivist, and director of Archives and Special Collections at VSU, hopes the winning design will highlight the creative impact of libraries while inspiring and exciting the many, many students, faculty, staff, and guests who visit Odum Library every day — because libraries are where new ideas begin.

“We want the mural to invite, intrigue, and perhaps even confuse students who come into our area,” she says. “We want to make a strong statement about the centrality of ART as KNOWLEDGE. We’ve asked for themes like books, VSU history, knowledge, and learning, and we have indicated that abstracts are welcome. We really want this piece to be Art in Odum.”

Davis anticipates the mural to become a unique backdrop for students seeking that perfect spot to document their VSU experience with a selfie.

VSU’s Odum Library is a place for research and a place for discovery, a destination promoting education through the unexpected. It is also a place where the world of art appreciation goes hand in hand with the learning environment, which makes perfect sense to those who understand the correlation between art endeavors and cognitive abilities.

“We have been celebrating Art in Odum Library since 2011,” Davis shares. “The goal is to make art publicly available in unexpected spaces, so that it is experienced as part of doing something else, like studying or visiting friends. Some of our art is large and meant to be viewed across spaces, as part of the space itself, and some is quite small and rewards very close viewing. We have art from many styles and schools spread all over the library and in other buildings on campus.” 

The Odum Library South Atrium mural will become part of Art in Odum’s permanent collection, which includes hundreds of pieces covering a wide variety of media, aesthetic outlooks, and visual expression, as well as several centuries of creative expression. The library is also home to rotating gallery spaces that bring in fresh, new perspectives a few times a year.

Odum Library South Atrium mural proposals should be submitted to the Library Art Committee at art@library.valdosta.edu by Sunday, Oct. 31. There are no entry fees, and artists may submit more than one proposal.

The mural space is 24 feet 4 inches wide and 10 feet 6 inches high. It is made of medium density fiberboard with texture.

The winning design will receive $5,000 plus material costs not to exceed $500 and must be installed by August 2022.

Please visit https://www.valdosta.edu/academics/library/depts/archives-and-special-collections/exhibits/call-for-murals.php for submission and other guidelines.