For an artistically motivated school, the aid of an inspirational environment is just what young visionaries need to find a spark of originality and motivation that they can share with their university.
When coming to the University of Montevallo, people can see the environmental and historical beauty that our campus has to offer. From our antique buildings, such as the residence hall of Main, to our entertaining spook sites, like the illustrious King House, Montevallo will offer something memorable for its residents. Without these majestic campus buildings, this city loses a part of its character. However, is the beauty on the outside reflected just as equally as on the inside?
The residence halls of our campus are greatly responsible for the status it gives this school. As students, many would consider these halls as home. This is where we sleep, escape from the hectic world and live our lives. We see many halls, mostly those of sororities and fraternities, with colors of gold, soft warm toned carpets and defined colored borders, but what about the main halls?
Much of the residence halls come with white tiled floors and off-white walls. It is said that color affects people’s moods in a lot of ways.
When asking a professor of the Art Department, Kelly Wacker, about the impressions of these seemingly bland halls, she tried to look at both sides of the issue.
Wacker said that while many may have a problem with the sterile walls, it still remains a neutral color. “It is institutional, which in terms of uniformity is a good thing, but when it comes to sparking creativity, there is no feeling of inspiration, energy, etc.”
Yet what colorful atmosphere can be offered to students? She explains that warm colors can be stimulating for some students, which may influence their more artistic ways of thinking, although it might not work for others.
Wacker also says that she believes, with the proper coordination and funding, the Art Department of Montevallo might just be willing to help support a project of this kind, “especially if the art students were paid–because artists are too often asked to work for free.”
