With emphasis on becoming the best land-grant university in America, Iowa State students can now view ISU’s vision into the next century through a mural at Parks Library.

In a special ceremony Sunday afternoon which attracted more than 150 people, the mural “Unlimited Possibilities” was formally dedicated.

Artist Doug Shelton was awarded the most recent campus mural public art commission in the spring of 1996. Unlimited Possibilities was ISU’s contribution to the Iowa Sesquicentennial celebration.

The title of the mural refers to the life of the student as well as the life of the university, according to a press release. Not only does the piece illustrate the university’s goal to become the best land-grant university in the nation, it also shows an ethnically diverse group of students using the knowledge they gained while at ISU.

The mural, which was commissioned by the University Museums as part of the Art on Campus Collection, is a collaboration involving Shelton, two ISU art faculty members and nine ISU art students.

Students, faculty and staff can view the 22 by 20-foot mural on the second-floor rotunda room of Parks Library. The mural surrounds the entrance of the periodical room and is illuminated by the rotunda ceiling.

Speakers for the dedication ceremony included Olivia Madison, interim library dean, ISU President Martin Jischke and Lynette Pohlman, director of University Museums.

In a press release, Pohlman said the mural observes a significant milestone in ISU’s own history.

At the ceremony, Pohlman explained the significance of details in the piece. She said there were items on the mural that had changed from its model.

“It was ultimately up to the artists to make the final decision,” Pohlman said.

The large blue curtains on the outer edge of the mural represent first-place ribbons and blueprints. The color blue stands for a winner, while blueprints are the basis from which things are formed.

In the lower left-hand corner a student is holding a piece of earth in the shape of Iowa. Pohlman said this detail means Iowa’s future is in the hands of the youth.

The student working on the large computer screen is working on the wheels of change.

Dean Biechler, one of the nine ISU students to help in the mural’s production, said artists who help with the mural were witnessing history.

“It was a tremendous task to make the mural look like it was painted by one person, not 12 different people,” he said. “The students who formed friendships with others who have worked on the mural have stayed in contact with one another.”

On an average, Biechler said students worked about 30 hours a week on the mural, in addition to their class load.

Biechler also noted the diverse group of students in the mural, saying the mural is about students. He said there was a special effort made to have a Native American representation in the mural.

“Ultimately it was Doug’s concept and his responsibility to bring this to a finish,” Biechler said.

During his speech, Biechler thanked the University Museum and all the people who helped sponsor it.

Unlimited Possibilities was commissioned by the University Museums as part of the Art on Campus Collection. It was funded by the University of Museums, Office of External Affairs, the Fisher Representatives System Artist-In-Residence Fund at the ISU Foundation, Majorie Morrison, Cornelia and William Buck and the Estate of Alice Davis.