“UR Bell Tower” was painted by University of Richmond graduate Cheryl Shanahan.
The artist passed the Boatwright Tower seemingly thousands of times during her tenure on campus in the mid-80s. It’s a lovely example of Collegiate Gothic architecture found throughout campus. The architectural style is what drew her to the university. The structure is instantly recognizable to Spider grads, parents, and supporters.
Cheryl started painting in 2020, more than three decades after she was a UR student. Her fundamental understanding of composition and value came from her extensive photography experience. When she was an undergraduate student, she was very interested in black and white photography, and the reference photo for this painting came from her personal archives.
Artist Website: https://www.cherylshanahan.com/
