Great Falls College MSU has selected Zane Marsh, owner of Doing Arts, to create a commissioned artwork that will be on permanent display in the Weaver Library. 

“Zane Marsh’s mural will really bring the library to life through art,” said Laura Wight, Director of the Weaver Library. “Exposure to and engagement with art affects the brain, intuitive analysis and expression in so many positive ways.”

Marsh’s project aims to incorporate the six existing pillars in the library and create visual connections to how the college works with its students and community to educate and inspire.

Marsh will begin his work in mid-December and plans to finish the project by early January. The library will host an artist reception in early January, as the project approaches completion.

Marsh was born and raised in Great Falls and now lives in Colorado. His company offers branding, digital, print and web design services for clients.

“From an early age, I gravitated toward arts and creativity,” Marsh said. “Not only did I like painting and drawing, but I also liked being innovative in my creativity.”

Great Falls College MSU began accepting proposals in August from artists for a new art display in the college’s library.

“For nearly 10 years the library has been fundraising for a future library beautification project,” Wight said. “Over the years the funds started to add up.”

In 2013, the library formed a committee including faculty, staff, students and community members to evaluate the best use of those funds. Through that process, the decision to formally commission artwork sprouted, and the committee began working on an artist commission RFP with the hopes of finding a unique work of art for the Weaver Library.

Throughout the selection process, the focus was on finding an artist submission that was reflective of a college atmosphere, complimented the aesthetic and architectural features of the Weaver Library, was sustainable, timeless, and appealing to those with and without an art background.