Graffiti wall offers artistic display of opinions

Filled with phrases in all languages, meanings and colors, the 20-foot wall that occupies space throughout both the IU campus and Bloomington provides a place for passersby to write down opinions using various artistic mediums.\nThe project, “Writing on the Wall,” is part of IU’s Moveable Feast of the Arts Program and ArtsWeek 2008. It asks people to consider two questions: What is democracy and what does it look like? The walls are a collaborative project led by Betsy Stirrat, artist and director of IU’s SoFA Gallery, local artist Joe LaMantia and IU’s Office of the Vice Provost for Research.\n“Doing this wall will make people start thinking about what democracy really is,” LaMantia said. “(The word democracy) is used so much, I feel it has lost its meaning. This gives definition to the word or experience of democracy.”\nLaMantia said that he has received no negative response from the community, and has had about 400 people write their thoughts on the wall.\n“I am overwhelmed with the response given to this project, from both the students and the people in the community,” LaMantia said. “The stories people have told me in what they write are just amazing.”\nIn addition to having a large number of participants, LaMantia has received a vast variety of responses. Many languages fill the wall, including Korean, Chinese, German, Spanish, French, Arabic and Hebrew. Sophomore Madeline Wolfe, who volunteered to help with the wall, said the variety of languages have encouraged others to write because messages in their native languages inspire them to write something in response. \n“There’s a varying amount of perspective from people from different cultures,” said junior Jeremy Doyle, who also volunteered to help with the project. “It should broaden (people’s) horizons. If one person says something and another person feels the same way, then a loosely associated bond can be formed. A bridge of the gap can be made.”\nThough the campus-located wall has recently been removed from the Herman B Wells Library, it will reappear at the Kelley School of Business from Nov. 12-28 and the School of Education’s indoor atriums from Dec. 3-14. A second wall is located in front of City Hall.\nIn addition to involving the two walls located within Bloomington, the project will involve walls located at each of the IU campuses. LaMantia said it will also include panels created by five local graffiti artists from IU-Bloomington and the community, which when combined will form a 40-foot by 8-foot mural.\n“In belonging on the wall, you’re one part of a big puzzle or story,” LaMantia said. “That’s the beauty, working with a lot of people, doing something together. It’s empowering.”