hen entering Leverett’s dining hall after an exhausting day of class, even the hungriest student will notice the garishly colorful mural hanging at the head of the hall above the fireplace, a notorious work of art known among all Leverites.

In 1990, Leverett House Masters John and Judith Dowling commissioned painter Jerald Webster to compose the mural, entitled “Coltrane.” The modern piece—composed of abstract shapes and lines of vibrant and divergent colors—acts as a wild and unfortunate contrast to the beautiful Georgian-style dining hall. The painting supposedly depicts a bird’s-eye view of Harvard Yard, and pays homage to the influences of famous jazz musician John Coltrane, whose music Webster listened to while he painted the piece. Webster originally painted three separate murals to allow house residents to choose their favorite, but over the years, the selected mural quickly fell out of favor among Leverett’s denizens.

Perpetuated as a part of Leverett House lore, “The Turning of Coltrane” remains a legend passed down from old to new residents each year.The infamous mural was so hated in fact, that in 1998, a group of mischievous tutors and HoCo members snuck into the dining hall under the cover of night and turned the painting upside down, documenting their work through photos.  No one noticed the prank until Leverett’s previous Master, who also happened to be an art critic, visited.  Perpetuated as a part of Leverett House lore, “The Turning of Coltrane” remains a legend passed down from old to new residents each year.

The painting soon became immortalized in house t-shirt designs and continues to be a constant source of scandal.  Some students even claim they find the mural so unappetizing that they only sit with their back facing it while eating. Each year, Leverett’s Master offers students the opportunity to one-up the painting, but no one has attempted to improve the dining hall’s atmosphere until recently. Julia Rozier ‘10, a Biological Anthropology concentrator, approached House Masters Howard and Ann Georgi (better known as “Chief” and “Coach” respectively), proposing a “serene” replacement that “reflected the house.”

Chief explained that this was not the first time a student had approached him with an idea, but he was “surprised” that someone actually carried through with the plan. In a project that spanned approximately six weeks, Rozier worked from the ground up, creating a new mural called  “John W. Weeks Bridge in July” that would better reflect the house and its residents. Proclaiming Leverett as “the best house on campus,” Rozier was motivated by her love of the house, its staff, and its residents. “I wanted to give back to a community that has given so much to me,” she said.  As a small token of gratitude, Rozier added a small rabbit—Leverett House’s mascot—to the corner of her mural, paying homage to the house she’s called home for the majority of her time at Harvard.

With the help of Leverett House superintendent Paul Hegarty and a crew of co-workers, the first step in the new mural’s installation was making and sealing a canvas large enough to suit the space. “We had to actually stretch the canvas because they don’t sell canvases at that size, which took about two weeks,” Rozier said.

“I wanted people to remember that there is a wide world out there, beyond our safety.”Not only that, but feedback for Rozier’s work came in real-time, as Julia painted her mural in the dining hall and was able to receive direct comments from her peers. Inevitably, her original plan was influenced by viewers’ continuous opinions. Her product depicts the Charles River with Weeks Bridge as its focal point; the sun shines brightly and lush vegetation surrounds the scene, reminding library-bound and thesis-laden students of the beauty and natural wonder that is easy to forget. Rozier hopes to communicate a sense of “serenity and tranquility,” adding calm and peace to a hectic dining hall atmosphere.

Even though mass opinion still orbits around distaste for the previous mural, Rozier has no explicit standpoint against Webster’s work, saying that she was grateful to Webster for giving Leverett “something of interest” during its time as a part of the house.

As Rozier sees her plans become something concrete, she emphasizes what she hopes to achieve through a project that will affect the daily grind of her peers. After all, there is a good reason why she chose to paint Weeks Bridge with Boston in the horizon instead of another typical Harvard scene found in most house common rooms. “I wanted people to remember that there is a wide world out there, beyond our safety.”

Photos courtesy of Julia Rozier

Look for this feature in the October Issue of The Voice.

This piece is a part of Featurettes on Noice, in which writers submit personal essays and lengthier,  featuresque articles. Submit your guest Featurette today at harvardvoice@gmail.com.