By Tabassum Ali

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Michael Kirby spent much of Tuesday working on a horse-themed mural to go on the wall of the Fine Arts Building, despite the blustery weather conditions.

The artist, who drove from Washington, D.C., to work on the painting, used acrylic paints to depict riders at the Keeneland race track.

“I chose the horse theme because it is Kentucky,” Kirby said. “(And) with Keeneland too, I feel that this project choice is appropriate.”

Students are encouraged to come down to the Fine Arts courtyard until Oct. 9 to watch Kirby work, said Melissa Simon, the Student Activities Board’s director of cultural arts.

“I hope that students will be able to learn more about the ideals surrounding public art and be able to converse with Kirby during his stay in Kentucky,” Simon said.

SAB chose Kirby for his use of interesting mediums, Simon said.

“Murals of Baltimore is a fantastic way for the student body to see the process of what goes into creating a 3-D mural,” she added.

SAB put about $6,000 into Kirby’s fee and supplies, said SAB’s assistant director for programming Courtney McCalla. Given Kirby’s location, she said, the organization expects at least 1,000 students to be able to stop by and interact with the artist.

Kirby said he was originally contacted by the university three years ago. Kirby founded the studio “Murals of Baltimore,” based in Maryland, which specializes in all types of public art such as frescoes and mosaics and has more than 20 years’ experience creating murals.

“I guess it’s good being in the open so people and students can see how I do my artwork,” he said.

After Kirby sent in sketches to the arts administration team, the final image was sketched and primed, and the canvas was cut.

“For this piece I am mainly going to be using acrylic paint but I have used chalk and metal for sculptures before,” Kirby said.

Kirby has worked at other universities across the U.S., he said, and has created public art for government agencies.

“I like working in public and adapting to the surroundings — it is a challenge and I like the choice I have,” Kirby said.

The mural will be hung on the Fine Arts building until the end of the month, McCalla said, near the Fine Arts Courtyard where Kirby is currently completing the work.

Kirby also said students had stopped to see his work.

“I want them to be inspired and for them to learn something different, especially with art and public places,” he added. “The wind and rain have been my biggest obstacles, but I am glad nothing has been washed away.”