On April 23, the Bike Barn revealed a new student mural with a reception lunch. The mural was created by Shoshana Marcus ’28 and Ainsley McConnell ’28 and was sponsored by the Philander Chase Conservancy, the Kenyon Office for Community Partnership and the Kenyon Campus Community Development Fund. Its story, from conception to completion, exemplifies community collaboration and the hard work of devoted individuals.

McConnell first got the idea for a mural while on campus for the 2025 Cascade Science Scholars program over the summer. McConnell, a semi-regular Bike Barn volunteer, told the Collegian that she “felt like the vibrance of the Bike Barn community wasn’t matched by the building’s outer appearance.” She offhandedly mentioned the idea to Marcus and was met with incredible enthusiasm: “She started making sketches, like, that night,” McConnell said. In the drafting stages, McConnell connected Marcus and David Bonnen ’27, a Bike Barn manager. “David wanted [the mural to feature] bikers going through a cornfield because, you know, we’re surrounded by cornfields, and it’s the Bike Barn,” Marcus said. The Bike Barn is owned by the conservancy, so Marcus and McConnell made sure to include local wildlife such as red-winged blackbirds, pileated woodpeckers and blue jays to highlight Gambier’s native biodiversity. What resulted was a beautiful rendering of two cyclists riding through a lively cornfield, all under an impressionistic blue sky.

After seeing Marcus’ proposed design, the Village Council granted Marcus and McConnell a permit to paint starting in the fall of 2025. The artists-at-work quickly became a roadside attraction. “Dozens of people [pulled] over their cars and [stopped] to talk. … People told me I was spreading joy,” Marcus said. “They were really excited about the mural.” McConnell agreed, adding, “It was really heartwarming to be met by so much enthusiasm, especially as neither of us are locals ourselves.”

Locals offered logistical advice and support. McConnell recalled, “I thought that we would just lug a bucket down from campus for cleaning brushes, but [the conservancy’s Administrative Assistant] Mo Helser coordinated with maintenance to get us a water tank with a pump so we could have running water.” Marcus and McConnell consulted local experts for recommendations on painting materials, when to paint and how to make the mural last. 

Marcus and McConnell also communicated with the Bike Barn and the conservancy while working on the mural. After applying for funding, Marcus and McConnell were able to complete their mural in around six months. The collaborative creation process of the Bike Barn mural exemplified the potential of dedicated students to effect positive change by using their resources.

A large contributing factor to the project’s relatively quick completion, aside from community support, was Marcus and McConnell’s work ethic. “I was out there painting on my own whenever I could, literally sprinting around campus,” Marcus wrote to the Collegian. “I would see the sunrise and sunset painting.” Some locals considered Marcus a cheerful addition to their commute and told her as much. Already under a tight schedule due to her molecular biology major and concentration in neuroscience (not to mention multiple campus jobs), Marcus’ commitment to the project proved to be a large-scale undertaking. However, Marcus believes her long, borrowed hours were worth the effort: “I like being the art kid again, and I want to continue. I just want to continue making murals.”

Kenyon and Gambier’s community will continue to be shaped by projects such as Marcus and McConnell’s. Marcus recently received an inquiry from Professor of Biology Karen Hicks to paint another mural on a shed behind Higley Hall. She will start painting this summer.