“Engagement, engagement, engagement,” Ver Ikeseh answered when a student asked the muralist what three words he’d use to describe his art. And Ikeseh, who spent two weeks at Blake as the 2025-26 McGuire Visiting Artist, proved he meant it throughout his time on campus.

In October, Ikeseh led a team of Middle School students in creating a new mural in the division’s main corridor. Then in January, he worked with Upper School students on a completely different, but thematically tied, mural for the Carlson Commons. 

To prepare for Ikeseh’s visit, students who participated on the Middle and Upper School mural teams, led by art teachers Bill Colburn and Brooke Vertin, explored murals around the Twin Cities to see examples of public art and generate ideas for their own murals. These students were instrumental in the process, meeting with Ikeseh by Zoom to provide valuable input that Ikeseh incorporated into his final designs. During each visit, he sketched out the mural and invited all community members to help paint it. 

The finished murals reflect the thought, creativity, hard work and school pride of every community member who contributed to the project. Students and faculty painted during and after school, including a Saturday morning, adding new elements along the way. (“For every idea presented, I made sure it was represented,” says Ikeseh, who describes his role as one of a curator.)

At a mural unveiling and artist talk at the Upper School, students talked about the process: what excited them (“Getting to paint designs that will be seen by so many people” and “turning something from a vision to something that actually exists”); what surprised them (“How quickly it all came together” and “how many people worked on it”); and what they learned (“How to better handle paint” and “how to add on to other people’s work in the style that is already there”). All agreed that Ikeseh’s collaborative and flexible approach contributed to the end result: two complex pieces of art they are proud of and look forward to enjoying for many years to come. 

An accomplished artist-scholar with extensive experience leading students in public art projects, Ikeseh, who is originally from Nigeria, is currently a Master of Fine Arts candidate at James Madison University in Virginia. The biennial McGuire program was established in 1993 by Dr. Bill and Nadine McGuire to fund residencies with visual artists who collaborate with PK-12 students and faculty, enriching Blake’s visual arts curriculum. 

Photos from Ikeseh’s residency are available on Flickr.