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 help, [campus ministry] asks me to help think of people,” Smith said. “They don’t just go to the art department and say, ‘hey professors, who are your best four painters?’ Their first priority are people who they feel like have something to say, that are creative. This year was the first time we opened [the search] up without just thinking of people we knew who would be creative, so we sent out a little survey this year.”
The other artists chosen this year are senior Mallory Mayhew, sophomore Sarah Wood and freshman Jess Arensee.
Director of mentoring Jake Burton explained why paint is the medium used to celebrate resurrection week.
“It was just a simple idea we had one day,” Burton said. “Throughout history, so many have used their artistic gift to glorify God. With a campus packed with talented Jesus-loving students, we wanted to do something that gave students an opportunity to use their gifts to celebrate Jesus.”
Students can see the progress of the paintings until they will be completed during the evening of Easter Sunday.
“There’s four girls and we each have a canvas, and we have a few events like there’s an evening service on Easter Sunday, and usually I always try to save some final detail — one final stage — to do then [Sunday],” Smith said. “The rest of the time it’s like whenever works for our schedules.”
Smith said she wants students to come out and socialize with the artists.
“I always try and encourage people to be out [here] around lunch time when everyone is in the square, but it’s also nice to be there [Bison Square] in the late afternoon, or even at night with the lights on.”
Photos by Erin Turner