2008 Woodie Awards
One painting worth a hundred stories
A guide to the Campus Center mural history and its symbols
Doug Moore
Issue date: 4/3/03 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 1
The Ed Worthman Mural is one of the most historically significant artifacts on campus, yet many breeze past it everyday on their way to the cafeteria. Now that will be removed and placed in storage, it's overdue that students learn its importance to Lakeland's history.
The mural was painted by a man who made a lot of contributions to Lakeland's art and music departments. Worthman was an art teacher at the Plymouth High School in the early 1960's when he was first asked to start teaching one course out here at Lakeland College. The course was part of a required humanities credit that included either a music appreciation class or an art appreciation class. It was taught in the Old Main building.
Almost immediately Worthman saw a need to expand the art and music curriculum at Lakeland. He started a painting with watercolor course and a sculpting course. Both were popular. He slowly increased the amount of time he spent on campus and eventually quit his high school level teaching so he could move here under a contract.
Worthman continued to push to enlarge and improve the art program at Lakeland and when The Center Building was finished and the cafeteria was moved there, Worthman was able to set up in the basement of the WAK building where it had been. He then managed to get such things as the school's first kiln for pottery. Later, Worthman was instrumental in helping design and build the Verhulst Building.
Worthman was by all accounts a very dedicated teacher who believed that all students had an ability to create and appreciate art. He would take the time to focus on each individual student in order to bring out their hidden talents. He wanted each and every student to learn a strong understanding of art and culture. He was a very good artist and teacher.
The mural he painted was for the graduating class of 1974 and has a lot of symbolism. Everything in the mural is meant to represent some part of the school up to that time. Everything-from the sea gulls in front of the bow of the ship representing hope, peace, and freedom for the German immigrants, to the clouds representing God's power and spirit in the school's motto-symbolizes something significant to Lakeland.
The mural is like a small visual history lesson on the school. It has portraits of the founding fathers and shows the campus as it looked in the 1800's. The mural also shows something of the curriculum at the school at one point. The school had four major educational divisions: social sciences, natural sciences, humanities, and general studies. These courses are represented by the old tattered book of knowledge in the middle of the mural.
The mural was painted by a man who made a lot of contributions to Lakeland's art and music departments. Worthman was an art teacher at the Plymouth High School in the early 1960's when he was first asked to start teaching one course out here at Lakeland College. The course was part of a required humanities credit that included either a music appreciation class or an art appreciation class. It was taught in the Old Main building.
Almost immediately Worthman saw a need to expand the art and music curriculum at Lakeland. He started a painting with watercolor course and a sculpting course. Both were popular. He slowly increased the amount of time he spent on campus and eventually quit his high school level teaching so he could move here under a contract.
Worthman continued to push to enlarge and improve the art program at Lakeland and when The Center Building was finished and the cafeteria was moved there, Worthman was able to set up in the basement of the WAK building where it had been. He then managed to get such things as the school's first kiln for pottery. Later, Worthman was instrumental in helping design and build the Verhulst Building.
Worthman was by all accounts a very dedicated teacher who believed that all students had an ability to create and appreciate art. He would take the time to focus on each individual student in order to bring out their hidden talents. He wanted each and every student to learn a strong understanding of art and culture. He was a very good artist and teacher.
The mural he painted was for the graduating class of 1974 and has a lot of symbolism. Everything in the mural is meant to represent some part of the school up to that time. Everything-from the sea gulls in front of the bow of the ship representing hope, peace, and freedom for the German immigrants, to the clouds representing God's power and spirit in the school's motto-symbolizes something significant to Lakeland.
The mural is like a small visual history lesson on the school. It has portraits of the founding fathers and shows the campus as it looked in the 1800's. The mural also shows something of the curriculum at the school at one point. The school had four major educational divisions: social sciences, natural sciences, humanities, and general studies. These courses are represented by the old tattered book of knowledge in the middle of the mural.