Two murals painted in the fall 2024 semester were just the beginning for a new collaboration and art project on campus.

Students from any major at El Camino College are encouraged to submit mural proposals for a campus-wide project led by the Art Gallery and the Associated Students Organization.

“For the murals, say, in the math building or the science building, we wanted to have students who were in those programs come and work with a fine arts student,” Michael Miller, director of gallery and museum programming, said.

The idea to create a series of murals for buildings on campus is credited to Dulce Stein, former ASO senator of Fine Arts.

With plans to create more murals underway, the gallery and ASO delve more into why it is important to have art in more spaces at ECC.

“It’s kind of a cross-pollination of students in different divisions, different fields, working together and team building to create something for the campus,” Miller said.

The Art Gallery and ASO have already completed two murals: one located inside the ASO conference room in the Communications Building and another in the elevator hall between the Distance Education Center and the Schauerman Library.

ASO members said students can expect more campus art soon as they hope to focus more on it next semester.

“Art expresses creativity, and I think being able to do that together did allow [ASO members] to bond with one another and learn more about each other [by] working through the art,” Dylan Brunkhardt, ASO senator of Business, said.

Temporary murals are a way to bring new life to these buildings, especially since buildings on campus have unpainted gray concrete walls, including in the Math, Business and Allied Health Building.

“I think seeing art on our campus, especially art made by students, really helps our school feel more like a community and a collaborative space,” business major Peter Distefano, 20, said.

With lots of open space for consideration, the gallery has received numerous proposals.

Miller said division deans will select the mural proposal they like most for their building and then the Art Gallery will create it with student volunteers.

Students who help create the murals will be credited for their contribution, providing them with the opportunity to showcase their art and gain valuable experience.

“It says something to leave a legacy for the campus and build pride for El Co,” Miller said.