The Art You Walk By On Your Way to Class

A closer look at the everyday sculptures, murals, and installations across BU

By: Cecelia Gordon

Graphic by Gemma Murphy

Last Tuesday, I followed my normal routine. I woke up, stopped in the dining hall for breakfast, and then headed over to my COM101 class. The T was down, so I had to walk. I was in a hurry, and the sidewalks were packed— there was lots of foot traffic. When I got to the College of Communication, I noticed something I had not noticed before: a fountain that looked like a piece of public art. Its shape intrigued me, and I couldn't believe I’d missed it for so long. On my walk back, I decided to slow down and focus on the art that usually goes unnoticed. I soon realized that it can be easy to miss some of the things that make Boston University so special. The art of Boston University tells a story.

One of the most powerful art pieces at the Kilachand Center, located at 610 Commonwealth Ave, is the “Blue-Green Brainbow.” Artist Carson Fox created this huge piece of wall art using thousands of individual pieces of cast resin. The blue and green colors enhance the room, offering a contrast to the surrounding white walls. The most special part of this piece, however, is the meaning behind it. Fox was interested in the scientific work at the Kilachand Center, and was heavily inspired by a specific technique where scientists use fluorescent proteins to help identify connections between neurons. Her work not only adds color to the building but also gives scientists a sense of connection and pride in what they are studying.

Positioned at the center of Marsh Plaza, framed by Marsh Chapel and the College of General Studies, stands Sergio Castillo’s sculpture, “Free at Last.” The 20-foot steel sculpture has 50 intertwined birds flying upward, representing the 50 states of America. This statue was dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr., who graduated from BU. The title comes from the end of King's famous “I Have a Dream” speech. This piece is particularly unique because instead of being a sculpture of King himself, it's a sculpture of what he was able to do: create peace. It symbolizes the diversity at BU and the connections that are made with people from all over, becoming a part of the history and identity of the campus itself.

A little over 10 years after “Free at Last,” Castillo created yet another important piece of public art. His other piece, “Explosions,” is located right in front of the Metcalf Center for Science and Engineering. Because Castillo's MLK memorial had become such an iconic campus landmark, Arthur Metcalf commissioned another one of his sculptures to stand outside the building bearing his name. He believed that it showcased something that looked like electrons colliding. Students coming in and out of the center might not always notice it, but like Fox’s artwork, it symbolizes what they are studying and is connected to the physics and movement of particles.

Murals speak very loudly, but they can also be easy to ignore if they are a part of an everyday walk or, in this case, if they are a little harder to spot. “Kaleidoscope” by Alexander Golob is located in the CFA parking lot at 855 Commonwealth Ave. It is large and colorful, but farther away from the street. At the time that Golob painted the mural, he was a fine arts student at BU. The mural consists of many sharp-edged shapes that represent recognizable BU landmarks. Instead of just painting them how they normally look, he painted them to look like you would be viewing them out of a kaleidoscope—hence the name. More than just a mural, it encourages anyone walking through campus to view their surroundings through a fresh lens.