I hope they feel excited about their own college journeys (when students see the tunnel), that they are able to finish what they started or face their own challenges.
Anaisha Mauricio, ’26, had already left her mark at Bridgewater State University when she designed a vibrant bear statue outside of the John J. Kelly Gymnasium. But a run-in with Jay Block at the Art Center set her off on a new public art adventure.
Back in 2023, Block, the associate director of collections and exhibitions, commissioned the graphic design major to design the bear statue. This time, he had a larger canvas in mind – the Turchon Tunnel.
The tunnel connects the west and east campuses. It is named after current Bridgewater State University Trustee Carolyn (Van Buskirk) Turchon, ’62.
Each year, Block hires an artist to design the tunnel.
At first, Anaisha was nervous about taking on such a large-scale project.
“I felt intimidated, I wasn’t confident that I could paint something that big,” she admits.
But after giving it some thought, she agreed.
“I wanted to get out of my comfort zone as an artist. I wanted to learn new things, and this was a great opportunity to do that,” Anaisha said.
When it came time to come up with a theme, she turned inward and thought about how far she’d come since first arriving at BSU.
“I’m entering one of my last semesters and wanted to do something that reminded me that college is hard, but I’m still here, trying to finish my degree,” Anaisha said.
With that in mind, she named her mural “Encouragement,” a fun, colorful piece that features light blues, yellows, greens, pinks and purples with stars and happy faces woven throughout. The abstract piece also showcases the outlines of bears to honor BSU’s mascot.
Anaisha worked on the project for four weeks over the summer, at times during a heatwave. To help move the project along, she invited a friend to help. Her friend’s handprint is included in the mural as a thank you for their efforts.
To create the artwork, Anaisha used a paint gun and spray paints. The artist also hand painted the “bear” portions of the piece.
At first, the project seemed daunting, but over time she found herself enjoying the process.
“I started to have fun with it, I brought my speakers, played some music and really felt happy with what I was creating,” Anaisha said.
People passing by over the summer often stopped and complimented her work, which gave her confidence to continue.
Now that the mural is complete, she hopes that others who view it feel encouraged and inspired.
“I hope they feel excited about their own college journeys, that they are able to finish what they started or face their own challenges,” Anaisha said.
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