Art education grad Kelly Mazzucca ’24, returned to campus on Sept. 4 to celebrate the opening of the new mural outside of the Art & Interactive Multimedia Building with members of the campus community and her family.
Mazzucca, who now teaches art at Holland Middle School in Trenton, designed the mural titled “Everything But Normal.”
“It embodies the transformative power of education, depicting a pearl — a symbol of wisdom, and transformation — being delicately passed from one hand to another. This exchange signifies the passing of knowledge, the nurturing of talent, and the empowerment of individuals through creativity and connection,” described Mazzucca in her artist statement. “Utilizing a vivid dynamic color scheme, the mural breathes life into its surroundings, energizing an environment of inspiration.”
The semi-permanent mural is located at the southwest side entrance of the AIMM building near the faculty/staff parking lot and will be on display until May 2025.
Mazzucca’s mural is one of four projects produced by students enrolled in Eddie Villanueva’s AAV270/370 Mural Art course last spring. In addition to the semi-permanent installation on the building’s exterior, there are three permanent murals in the building’s interior stairwells.
Students were tasked with creating mural proposals that would support the unveiling of the School of Arts and Communication’s mission statement, “transforming lives and communities by fostering creativity, communication, connections and careers.” Students, staff, and faculty were invited to vote for their favorite works that they would like to see on display.
The students were given approximately three weeks to develop their proposals, and once designs were selected, the students had three weeks to prep their surfaces to be painted, transfer their designs to the large scale, mix their colors, paint their murals, and seal them with protective varnish.
“The main takeaway that I wanted students to get out of this class was that mural art has the ability to fundamentally transform people and their communities,” Villanueva said. “When people see themselves represented in the art that surrounds them, it changes the way those inhabitants see themselves for the better.”
Abigail Hall ’25 (Graphic Design), Kira Rubiano ’27 (Fine Arts), Shane Tomalinas ’26 (Fine Arts) and Jenna Mulcahy ’24 (Art Education) worked alongside Mazzucca on the outside mural.
“When we combine our strengths, we can achieve remarkable outcomes,” Mazzucca said. “This project demonstrated the power of teamwork and the incredible impact art can have on a community.”
“The reaction from the community was the most rewarding aspect,” Tomalinas said. “We often create art for ourselves, but doing it for others is truly transformative.”
– Kaitlin Bavaro ’25