Mural Unveiled: Four-month project finally finished

After four months of skilled work from mural artist Rip Cronk the mural outside of the LBCC Activities Center has been completed. To celebrate the finished art work, a dedication party was held outside the AC building last Wednesday, Sept. 28, in honor of Cronk and the students he painted.  

The stunning 27 foot mural was based on photographs taken by Brian Hausotter, who photographed LBCC sports teams over the 2015-16 school year.

“Getting to work with athletes and see them come to life was exciting,” said Hausotter.

Depicted from left to right, student athletes Samantha Rouleau, Kendrick Abraham, Kyia Duvall and Tyger Liner represent volleyball, basketball and baseball, respectively.

M’liss Runyon is chair of New Art Projects for the Arts & Aesthetics Resource Team (AART) for the LBCC campus. Runyon, and has been working on beautifying the LBCC college campus for the past three years. For Runyon the mural is a crowning achievement; years of marketing and coordination coming to fruition.

“Seeing it unfold was the most exciting part of the mural,” said Runyon.

Cronk has painted murals in the U.S. as well as in Switzerland. He has created close to 50 murals, but this is his first mural in Oregon.

The side of the gym was photographed and every brick numbered to work as a reference so that the mural would be the right dimensions. Rip uses his extensive experience as a portrait painter for the murals.

Transitioning from the portraits of the students to painting them on the wall of the gym had its difficulties.

“All were challenging for different reasons,” said Cronk.

Despite any difficulties faced in the long process, the brick walls of LBCC have been graced with a mural that will stand the test of time.