Colorado State University’s Visual Arts building is about to get a splash of color. As part of its 50th anniversary, the Department of Art and Art History has launched a fundraising campaign to commission a mural for the building’s exterior. The initiative, called Put a Mural on It!, is part of CSU’s 2025 RamFunder Fall Cohort, a collection of projects aimed at enhancing student life and campus spaces.
The Visual Arts building has long been described as a hub of creativity inside, but not so much on the outside. The idea is to change that by turning one of its outer walls into a bold piece of public art, making the building itself a canvas. The mural will be designed by a professional artist, with input and excitement from the campus community.
The campaign hopes to raise $5,000 by November 1, 2025. So far, three donors have contributed $250 toward the goal. All donations will go to the CSU Art Enrichment Fund, directly supporting the creation of the mural.
Organizers are encouraging the CSU community and supporters of the arts to get involved not just by donating, but also by spreading the word. The RamFunder platform even allows advocates to track the impact of their outreach by seeing how many clicks and gifts their efforts generate. Matching and challenge gifts are also an option, giving supporters a way to amplify their impact.
Supporters say the mural will do more than brighten the building—it will celebrate half a century of CSU’s commitment to the arts, add vibrancy to campus, and give students, faculty, and visitors a striking visual marker of creativity.