The Murals of Pitzer College

Learn about the murals that make Pitzer College's campus so unique, embodying the spirit of student engagement and artistic expression found in our campus community.

tree of life mural featuring tree trunks in the shape of human forms

"I always tell my tours that the murals you see around campus will give you a greater sense of the true Pitzer student and community member better than maybe my words can. The murals tell the story of who we are, what we stand for, and what matters to us!"

Dey Wallace-McKinstry ’25

Psychology and Political Studies major

150+ Murals Created at Pitzer Since 1973

Students have been leaving their mark on the College landscape since the early 1970s.

History

Murals are an integral part of the Pitzer College campus landscape. The first mural was painted in 1973 by Yandos Rios, and in the 1990s, murals became a lasting unique feature of the College's environment. 

1970s: Early Beginnings

In 1973, Peruvian artist Yando Rios and a group of students painted the college’s first mural atop Avery Hall, often called “Serpent Mural.”  Although the original mural was painted over, Rios recreated it again in 1997. Roof access to Avery Hall is prohibited, but the mural can be seen in aerial photographs and drone footage of the campus. 

 

mural detail of a woman with long brown hair flying through a blue expanse
Detail of Yando Rios' recreated mural on the roof of Avery Hall. 

1990's: The Mural Revolution

Fast forward to the true beginning of the Pitzer community's artistic revolution. In the middle of the night in 1996, Aaron Rhodes '98 & Darci Raphael '98 created an unauthorized mural over Mead Hall's main entrance. 

 

aaron rhodes does a handstand next to Darci Raphael in front of a colorfule mural of dancing human figures
Aaron Rhodes '98 and Darci Raphael '97 pose in front of their unauthorized mural located over Mead Hall's entrance in 1996. 

After much community discussion and town hall meetings, it was decided that the mural could stay. The conversation led to the creation of a Public Art Policy and a campus Outdoor Art Committee, later renamed the Campus Aesthetics Committee, paving the way for the murals seen on campus today.

 

a mural showing scenes of Pitzer's past, present, and future
Pitzer's "Past, Present, Future" mural was created by students in 1997 in collaboration with visiting professor and artist, Paul Botello for a class entitled, "Murals, World Wall Art."

In 1997, visiting professor and renowned muralist Paul Botello taught the class "Murals, World Wall Art," resulting in Botello's Interhueman mural on Mead Hall and the student-led Past, Present, Future mural located on the outside of Benson Auditorium, truly ushering in this new form of student engagement. 

 

colorful mural with figures of people, celestial shapes, and a being in the center surrounded by concentric beams of color
Mead Hall's "Interhueman" mural by Paul Botello, executed with the assistance of students in 1997. 

Present-Day

two student walk past a colorful abstract mural
Two Pitzer community members walk past "Grey Ghost" by Esther Cohen '24, a mural representing the interconnectedness of life. 

If you have an idea for a mural, it can be proposed to the Campus Aesthetics Committee, a group of students, staff, and faculty that oversees the Public Art Policy on campus. 

Proposed murals go through a review process, and if and when approved, artists are given a deadline to complete the artwork. 

What will you paint at Pitzer?

 

Mural Gallery

Browse a selection of Pitzer murals past and present that have helped make our campus environment so unique.

Explore Gallery gallery_thumbnail
a mural of two heads, one with its eyes covered, and the other with it's mouth covered by the stripes of a flag a mural of a large hand holding a test tube with symbols of pollution and skull figures around it. a mural of a cartoon illustration of a robot, monster, and alien with the words "be your own weird" above them a mural of a portrait of a woman with the words "Support, trust, empower survivors os sexual violence" on a bright multicolored background a colorful mural of a nature surrounding a lake with half an orange floating in it what text with the words " you are of this place" on a black brick wall a mural of a barbed wire fence with an orange bird flying above the fence a mural of hand offering a spray of flowers with the words "nonviolence is a weapon of the strong" underneath A mural painted in honor of Pitzer alum Graham Derzon-Supplee a mural of colorful graffiti writing on a black background and a small floating angel flying above them Dolores Huerta poses with her mural at Pitzer College a black and white mural of moon and two human figures mural of a monster face with an snake tongue on a black background black and white portrait mural of Vincent Chin a painting of a desertscape with a mine underneath mural of three hands doing activities related to recycling mural medallion in yellow, blue, red, and white. Mead dorm balconies with murals two students paint a mural on the wall A student walks past two colorful murals

Featured Mural

a mural showing the creation story of two sisters, with human figures circling a body of water

"To Be Visible," 2019-20

To Be Visible commemorates local singer, scholar, and activist Aleyah Toscano, who served the community through the Native Youth to College scholar program and pays homage to murdered and missing indigenous women. It depicts the Tongva story of “No-Moon” and “First-Moon," twin sisters whose story is used to teach women how to protect and empower each other.

Artists: Jackie Contreras '22, Joe Galarza, and Violet Luxton '11

Take a Virtual Tour

 

The Free Wall

a student walks past a heavily graffitied wall.
A student walks past a recent iteration of Pitzer's "Free Wall."

Pitzer's Free Wall, located on a north-east wall of Mead Hall, is the one location on campus where students are free to create public art without going through the Aesthetics Committee process. This wall is ever-changing and provides a glimpse into current events and topics important to the student community. 

Decommissioned Pitzer Murals

Not all of Pitzer's murals have survived throughout the years. Due to demolished building structures, weather erosion, or time-limited approvals, some murals no longer exist. The Claremont Colleges Digital Library has an extensive archive of Pitzer's murals, past and present. 
View the Archive

 

Pitzer's Murals in the News

Shelby Ottengheime wears a red, blck, and white striped sweater while standing in front of succulents.

Featured

Shelby Ottengheime ’23 Embraces Art, Archaeology, and Japanese American Heritage

Discover how Ottengheime taps into ancient and family history as a muralist, art galleries fellow, and anthropologist