Student passion expressed through resurrection paintings

Student passion expressed through resurrection paintings

The paintings done in Bison Square during resurrection week are a Lipscomb tradition, but for senior Shelby Smith there is more to enjoy than just the paintings. The tradition began during her freshman year when she didn’t even think she was supposed to be involved. “I actually thought they had the wrong person when Jake [Burton] asked me to do it,” Smith said. “I was like, ‘I’m not an art major. My last name’s Smith. You may have the wrong person.’ I was a freshman so I was second guessing everything.” Smith said she quickly realized that she loved doing the paintings — so much that she has done it each year. One of Smith’s favorite parts of participating is getting to interact with the student body in the square. “I paint once a year, for this,” Smith said. “When I’m out in the square people start talking to me, which is one of my favorite parts, which is funny because I’m an introvert, but I like getting to see all the people I know and meet new people who just come up and say nice things.” Four painters, including Smith,  gather in the square at Lipscomb each year during the week of Easter to paint what this time means to them. Campus Ministry chose the 2015 theme to be “Journey to the Cross.”  “The theme has something to do with [the paintings] every year,” Smith said. Smith said that in past years, she, along with campus ministry, have normally chosen artists just from people they knew, but this year they widened the search. “This has been the easiest year, because as I’ve come back to...