Vibrant New Mural Pays Tribute to Columbia’s 135th Anniversary

Photo"A Path Forward" mural by Illustration alum Mac McGuire ‘24 honoring Columbia's 135th anniversary
Mac McGuire Mural Chicago
Illustration alum Mac McGuire ‘24 creates her first major mural for Columbia College Chicago as the lead artist.

As Columbia College Chicago celebrates its 135th  anniversary, the college unveiled a new mural by Illustration alum Mac McGuire ’24. The vibrant mural depicts the evolution of Columbia, beginning with its female founders Mary Blood and Ida Reily to the diverse student population and modern cityscape of the present day. 

McGuire dreamed up the vision for the mural “A Path Forward” with hopes to capture togetherness and growth in her mural. To do so, she drew a literal “path forward” across the back wall of Columbia’s performance and event space, the Conaway Center, painting colorful flowers along a path with a CTA train riding below the iconic Chicago Skyline. She started with the founders in mind and let her art flow along a path using a pair of legs walking into the future as the focal point. 

“These two women were fundamental in bringing the college to life and they deserve to be acknowledged for all that they did,” says McGuire. 

Gazing toward the end of the mural, which represents the community’s exuberance and creativity, McGuire emphasized Columbia’s students as the backbone of the institution. The students shown in the mural reflect the diverse population that Columbia has historically been known to attract. 

“We continue to move forward and grow as a school because of how creative and talented the students at this university are,” says McGuire. “So, to end the mural with them in mind was very important to me.” 

McGuire has worked as a muralist in Chicago since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Illustration in 2024. She is currently working on her third self-published comic and has several mural proposals in the works.  

“Being asked back to Columbia to work on a project as big as this was such an honor,” says McGuire.

 

Mac McGuire shares her 3 biggest insights as a lead muralist for Columbia’s 135th anniversary mural, “A Path Forward.” 

What was it like as the lead artist for your first major mural?  

To be the lead artist on my first major mural was a surreal experience. Each morning on the train to the site, I made a to-do list for the day, smiling, thrilled to be leading but truly hoping I was doing a good job. It was exciting, nerve racking but so thrilling. 

Can you share the process of taking your sketches on paper to painting a large-scale mural? 

I had never seen my work blown up to such a large size before. The first concept for the design was only a 2 by 5-inch sketch, so to apply that to a wall 40 feet across was initially hard to wrap my head around. Even as I was turning the sketch into the digital final mockup, I had to remind myself how big each piece of it would be, keep myself from making any detail too small. 

What is something you learned while doing a large-scale mural as the lead artist? 

I learned a lot about leading during this experience. I had the most fantastic time working with my two assistants on the project, Nathalia Rocca and Claire Filipiak. Learning how to be in charge, though, how to offer my feedback and give direction in a constructive way, was fundamental. 

 

Thank you, Mac!

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