|
 You
can now take a trip through the timeline of the universe in the space of
three flights of stairs at Fresno State.
A colorful mural by scientific illustrator Laura Cunningham decorates a
stairwell in the Science II building, providing students and visitors an
intriguing way to view the history of the universe.
The mural is the second by Cunningham, who lives in Beatty, Nev. Her
first was a 30-foot vista on an exterior wall on the west side of the
Science II.
It depicts the western part of the San Joaquin Valley in the Cretaceous
period of geologic history, 70 million years ago, during the age of the
dinosaurs.
Design and construction of the new mural took four months and was
recently completed with lettering to describe each view. The stairway is
on the northwest corner of the building.
"We can use this as a learning tool to give students an idea of the
vastness of the universe and life," said Kerry Workman-Ford, a lecturer
in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
It was Workman-Ford's idea to use the stairwell for the timeline.
The mural starts on the ground floor 14 billion years ago with "The Big
Bang." At the first landing is a view of 7 billion years ago and at the
second landing is 417 million years ago. As time progresses, the planets
appear and plants, sea and land animals and humans join the panels.
At the top floor, the final four-foot section shows the geologic period
starting 1.8 million years ago and continuing today with illustration of
the Sierra Nevada, the San Joaquin River, downtown Fresno's water tower,
grapevines, orchards and a jet flying overhead.
| |
|
|
For more information contained in this release, please go to the
following Web site(s): |
|
Outdoor Cretaceous mural
(special windows Media
presentation) |
|
