Contact: Suzie Smith
lib-artcollection@calpoly.edu

SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly is set to inaugurate its newest mural at the ribbon cutting for the recently renovated Robert E. Kennedy Library on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. The event begins at 11 a.m. and will include refreshments and special remarks from Cal Poly leadership. Guests are invited to take self-guided tours following the ceremony and a Q&A for the mural will take place at 1 p.m. 

Installed in the main entrance lobby, this mural is part of the larger Library Transformation Project that modernized Kennedy Library and offers greater opportunities for student success.

The mural, titled “Grounds for Growth,” is the creation of artists Joshua Lawyer and MJ Lindo-Lawyer, who work together as Rough Edge Collective. Following the library’s official ribbon cutting ceremony, a Q&A with the mural artists will take place at 1 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2025, in Kennedy Library, room 103. A reception will follow in the adjacent James P. Sargen Courtyard. The event is free, and all are welcome.

Rough Edge Collective’s design was selected after a competitive RFP process, where artists across California submitted designs that spoke to the distinctiveness of Cal Poly, including its Learn by Doing philosophy and the library as a central hub of discourse, research, support and learning. The commissioned mural, which may be viewed during the library’s public hours Monday through Friday, was made possible through the generosity of a donor and installed in August 2025. 

“The goal is to continue weaving the thread of placemaking on campus through art,” said Suzie Smith, curator for Kennedy Library. “We want students to be excited, welcome and comfortable in the library, knowing that it is a space that reflects them as individuals, as well as the part they play in our collective community.”

The Kennedy Library reopened on Sept. 15, 2025, after a two-year closure. Notable changes include expanded 24-hour space, updated furniture and new gallery spaces. The building was also fitted with air conditioning and a redesigned main staircase, among many other upgrades.

 ###