“Welcome to Upland” — the words that travelers and members of the Upland community will regularly pass by as a part of the downtown’s new, developing mural. The design will be located on the south-facing wall of Witters Bullpen.
The idea for the project stems from both the Student Body President’s Office and the local Upland community in efforts to beautify the area and increase community engagement, Elisabeth Nieshalla, student body president, and Ashley Tiberi, president of Our Town Upland, said.
“I'm excited with this [Main Street] Mile [Initiative] project that Taylor has going on as well,” Alex Reno, Upland Parks Department president, said. “It's just going to add something to downtown, add some extra life and color to downtown. With all the different projects happening down here, it makes me excited to see if we can bring some life back to downtown.”
The mural is set to be revealed on May 3, accompanied by a celebration from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at NearSpace Park — all are welcome to join in the festivities.
Designed by Birrama Creative, the piece will be painted by Taylor students as a gift to Upland and will be funded primarily through the Student Body President’s office budget. The preparation comes as part of the office’s initiative to hone in on community engagement, having been developed since August.
The concept was developed after several meetings between Taylor and various Upland members, community leaders and nonprofits. The common consensus was that the Upland community desired something simple that represented the area, Tiberi said.
“We really wanted to get the town involved in this as well and not just have it be a decision that us students make, but [rather] make something that the town is actually going to really appreciate and enjoy,” Nieshalla said. “That was something that was really important to us to gain feedback from the town before just painting a mural.”
Tiberi described the mural as “Upland-centric.” It will avoid using logos of any kind.
She hopes this new addition to town will inspire community engagement and business growth, shaping downtown to be a place where people intentionally seek to spend time.
“It'll just be one more piece of the puzzle of downtown Upland being a place where people intentionally go to spend time,” Tiberi said.
In addition to community engagement, Tiberi hopes the mural will allow both Taylor students and members of the Upland community to experience one another in a new way that is mutually engaging, exciting and hopeful.
“The goal is for the mural to serve as a symbol of goodwill and partnership from the student body of Taylor University to the town of Upland,” Nieshalla said. “We [students] are temporary four-year residents here in Upland, and so many of us benefit so much from living here and engaging in what this town has to offer — the beauty and the quaintness.”
Nieshalla hopes the project will help both students and the Upland community recognize how much they have to offer one another.
The mural is intended to be a partnership between the town and the University — an opportunity for mutual participation, Tiberi said.
