Members of the house should work together to create a design for their mural. The design should utilize the paint that is available to order from the Department of Residence Service Center located in Helser Hall. Paint color options are specified in the house mural request form. The artwork should be endorsed by a 2/3 majority (or greater) of the house residents.
The proposed design and completed request form must then be given to the Resident Assistant (RA) of the house. The RA will take the design to the hall director and/or graduate hall director that will review with the residence life coordinator for their area.
If approved, the RA should review the request form, verify the paint colors, quantity, and size (pint vs. quart). The completed form, along with a picture of the proposed mural’s design, should be sent to the Department of Residence Service Center at dorservicecenter@iastate.edu.
Once the paint and supplies are obtained, a staff member in the service center will reach out to the point of contact identified on the request form to coordinate paint pick up from the service center during business hours. Students have six weeks to complete the mural and all painting must be finished no later than the Sunday prior to prep week of each semester. Murals are to be painted in the framed area in the den of each house.
House members must take necessary precautions to protect the surrounding walls and flooring around the mural from paint spills using the supplies provided by the DOR Service Center. Light switches and covers, pipes, outlets, fire pull stations, etc. should not be painted. If an item is located within your frame (such as a whiteboard, fire extinguisher or other removeable objects), residents will need to complete a service request, and the item will be moved if able.
When painting is complete, the RA or a house representative should return all supplies (including both partial and empty paint cans) to the Service Center in Helser Hall for proper storage or disposal.
Murals must be finished within six weeks of picking up paint from the Service Center. If the mural cannot be finished within six weeks of picking up the paint, an extension must be requested by contacting the Hall Director. The mural may be painted over if it is not complete in a timely manner, or an extension is not granted.
Murals should not be in conflict with the University’s mission, values and goals. The artwork falls under the definition of public art. Therefore, the University has the right to restrictions.
House murals must comply with the University policy on harassment. Artwork may not be derogatory or obscene in nature, and must not conflict with the University’s mission, values and goals. Alcohol labels, bottles, and other depictions of alcohol or drug products may not be used in any way.
Due to the costs associated, house murals can be painted a maximum of once every two years. This information is tracked by the DOR Service Center via TMA. If a situation arises in which a mural has been defaced, it is up to the Hall Director and RA to work with the house to decide if that mural can be repaired. If the group decides that the mural is not repairable, the Hall Director must submit a work order to have it painted over.
The Department of Residence will provide the supplies needed to create the mural (brushes, paint, painter’s tape, drop cloth, etc.). Paint color options are outlined on the mural request form. Students need to specify which colors they would like, what size (pint vs. quart), and how many on the form. Students are encouraged to be conservative with their paint order as we can secure more if needed. Additionally, students should consider the option of combining colors to make smaller batches of alternate color options (for example, combining red and white paint to create pink). If residents would like to use supplies not provided by the Department of Residence, students need to go through the process and approvals to purchase those utilizing their house funds. Paint should be stored in a secure location during the mural painting process. Once the mural is complete, unused paint and empty paint cans must be returned to the Service Center for proper storage and disposal. Paint should never be poured down drains.
Cleaning up is the responsibility of the house. If damage occurs (to carpeting, etc.), the house will be assessed all repair/clean-up costs