A talented and ambitious artist, Geneseo's very own freshman Nicholas Pesce, has already left more than his literal mark on campus.
Pesce resides in the North section of Onondaga Residence Hall and has spent much of his time over the last two semesters painting a vibrant mural in the recreational lounge across from his room. The impressive work features the faces of pop culture and political icons spanning from Ghandi to Dumbledore.
According to Pesce, the mural was originally going to be superhero-themed, but when that was shot down for copyright reasons, he and some friends began brainstorming hundreds of people to include. Eventually, he narrowed it down to the 28 faces pictured on the wall.
Fellow resident and freshman Daniel Wilber, who described Pesce's work as marvelous, said that despite seeing several of the original famous figures (including Donald Trump, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Nixon) be left out, he was "very pleased with who [Pesce] did add to the wall and how well he painted them."
While Pesce said that he spent upwards of 150 hours working on the mural throughout the course of the year, he has also found time to pursue a variety of other interests - among them: playing several musical instruments, being active in Habitat for Humanity and History Club and working toward establishing a new fraternity at Geneseo.
His artistic talent also scored him the position of art director in Onondaga's hall council - a role that has given him the opportunity to share his skill through making several banners for events such as homecoming, the Holiday Jubilee and the Ice Knights' challenge.
It's hard to believe that Pesce just got started painting three years ago. In that time his work has stretched far past Geneseo. He has done nonprofit and commissioned work for two years, starting around his hometown of Oakdale, N.Y.
The subjects of Pesce's murals range from those requested by individual clients to his favorite, landscapes. "I just really enjoy doing them," he said. "It's relaxing and gets me away from the monotony."
While Pesce seems all too qualified to jump into the field of art, his evident motivation has led him to strive for the goal of becoming an international corporate lawyer. His major is business administration.
According to Pesce, he was pushed to look into an art program for college, but preferred to keep painting a hobby. "I just want to do this on the side, because I really like doing it," he said.
Pesce's most recent project may be located conveniently across from his dormitory room, but he said he hopes for his future endeavors to stretch further out. "I'd like to leave my mark here … and definitely want to do more paintings across campus … but also get involved in other ways."