main halL welcomes new banner installation
Celebrating knowledge across time
A new banner installation outside West Chester University's Main Hall invites the campus community to reflect on the enduring power of education, creativity, and community. Designed by recent Graphic and Interactive Design graduate Eleana Rudderow ('26), the three-panel artwork was selected as the winner of the College of Arts and Humanities' 2026–27 Main Hall Banner Contest and brings to life this year's theme, "Arts and Humanities: Informing Our Shared History, Advancing Justice, Strengthening Communities."
Developed in collaboration with America250PA, the theme explores how the arts and humanities help us understand our shared past while inspiring a more just and connected future.
For Rudderow, the theme became an opportunity to visualize the passage of time through a single, unifying symbol: light.
"This banner series uses light as a symbol of knowledge across time at West Chester University," says Rudderow. "A flame, a contemporary light source, and an abstract glow represent the past, present, and future while remaining visually connected. The system reflects how education preserves knowledge, drives action, and continues to expand."
Inspired by the challenge of representing time in a cohesive way, Rudderow drew on the symbolism of light as a reflection of education, clarity, and growth. References to the University's history and its commitment to the arts and humanities are woven throughout the design, creating a visual narrative that unfolds across three panels.
The first banner, representing the past, features a flame alongside imagery inspired by early education and campus history. The second focuses on the present through a contemporary LED light source symbolizing sustainability and progress, surrounded by elements that celebrate the arts and humanities. The final panel expands into an abstract glow, representing possibility and the continued influence of the West Chester University community long after graduation.
"The longer you look at the panels, the more you find," Rudderow said. "I wanted the piece to feel interconnected and layered, almost like a visual timeline that continues unfolding."
Subtle references to the College's partnership with America250PA appear through touches of primary colors integrated throughout the composition, while recurring visual motifs reinforce the connection between the three stages of time.
The project holds special meaning for Rudderow as a recent West Chester University graduate.
"Contributing work to campus again reflects my growth as a designer and allows me to leave something behind for future students," she adds. "The theme of the past, present, and future is closely connected to my own experience at WCU. From arrival to graduation, each experience contributes to the larger community. The future may be unknown, but the knowledge gained here helps to shape it.”
Installed at the entrance of Main Hall, Rudderow’s banners will welcome students, faculty, and visitors into a new academic year while encouraging reflection on the ways education, creativity and community shape the future.
The Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial (America250PA) was established by the legislature and the Governor in 2018 to plan, encourage, develop and coordinate the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, Pennsylvania’s integral role in that event, and the impact of its people on the nation’s past, present, and future.