Columbia College unveils new murals by faculty members on Wabash Arts Corridor

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A splash of color now brightens the Wabash Avenue Avenue Arts Corridor, as Columbia College Chicago on Thursday unveiled several new murals in its South Loop neighborhood.

The murals were created by Columbia College faculty members Cheri Charlton and Cecelia Beaven , as well as Columbia College students.

Charlton's "Curious Bunny" mural adorns the north wall of the Columbia Student Center, at 754 S. Wabash Ave. The mural features a stylized rabbit jumping through a thorny garden.

According to Columbia College, the bunny is a symbol of student curiosity, while the thorns represent challenges faced before reaching one's goals. The mural measures 11,000 square feet—about twice the area of a basketball court—and is the largest mural ever made by a woman in Chicago, Columbia College said.

Beaven's "Swamp," on the façade of 916 S. Wabash Ave. features silhouettes of alligators in bold colors.

Columbia College students painted murals in a campus event space called Haus, on the first floor of 623 S. Wabash Ave., and in the Student Diversity and Inclusion space.

The effort is part of the One Summer Chicago program, which works with young people to set them up for a successful future. Behr Paint and The Home Depot were also partners in the effort.

Columbia College launched the Wabash Arts Corridor in 2013, along Wabash Avenue between Van Buren Street and Roosevelt Road. The Chicago Loop Alliance says the corridor is considered a living urban campus, as more and more murals and collaborative projects are completed.