Last week a mural, created in an extracurricular effort by De Anza students, was unveiled on one of the walls in the L Quad. The mural, created in 2001, had been covered until it’s recent unveiling due to weather damage to the artwork. The mural, titled “Sublimnalities”, was created using acrylic on wood, and weather changes easily damamged it. Authorities on campus decided to cover in an effort to reduce further damage. “There was rain damage, and it is in a spot where the sun hits heavily, so there was sun damage also,” said Eugene Rodriguez, art instructor who headed this mural project. “We are in the process of receiving quotes for restoration,” said Jeanine Hawk, VP of Finance and College Services. Restoration is just set to begin, “The damage is not corrected yet, it’s just getting started.” said Rodriguez. “Sublimnalities” was the first mural to be put on campus walls, but it is not the last. “This mural opened the door for more artwork to be placed around campus,” said Rodriguez. The high demand from students to create more public art caused Rodriguez to institute a mural class, where students will spend all quarter creating one mural. A second mural, titled “What Does Justice Look Like?”, has already gone up on one of the PE buildings and this quarter marks the start of a third mural, poised to be placed in the A Quad. The Art on Campus Committee plans to have at least 5 murals around campus, with Rodriguez heading the classes to create all of them. “We are identifying areas on campus for public art,” said Hawk. Art on campus is important to everyone. Although some of the images in the finished murals can be considered by some as controversial, it will not prevent the art from going up. Art student Jay Collins, working on the current mural, explains, “Our job as artists is to show both reality and hope.” Eugene Rodriguez seconds that opinion, “We need more discussion. How do you teach people to change the world if you don’t show what needs to be changed?” Over the next months, De Anza’s students and staff will be seeing a lot more color on the walls of campus. “I want everyone to know,” says Rodriguez, “there will be art all around campus!”