Salem State Unveils New Meier Hall Mural Reframing Salem History

SALEM, MA — Salem State University on Thursday unveiled "Chronicles of Salem Change Makers" — a new four-story mural inside the Lafayette Street side entrance of Meier Hall that "reimagines Salem's history through the communities and students who have shaped the city."

The work replaces Robert E. Larter's "A Chronicle of Salem," which occupied the prominent Lafayette Street-facing Meier Hall stairwell from 1966 until its retirement earlier this year.

University President John Keenan said the new mural will better represent a modern and diverse Salem than the Puritan-focused mural of the past.

"Over time, as the mural faded and our community evolved, many members of our campus began asking an important question: How can this space better reflect who we are today?" Keenan said.

Student concerns began in 2015 and 2016 from students concerned that the previous mural failed to reflect the city and campus's diverse population and reinforced a narrative about Indigenous people.

The university formally adopted its land acknowledgment in 2023. One commitment called for university leaders and faculty, in consultation with the Massachusett Tribe, to consider changes to the Meier Hall mural.

Salem State’s Roadmap to Servingness, also adopted in 2023, separately called for increasing murals, public art and displays that reflect the university community.

The new mural was created by Hare & Howl, the collaborative studio of artists Gabriela Sepúlveda Ortiz and Melissa Stratton Pandina. Salem State worked with the Punto Urban Art Museum, a program of the North Shore Community Development Coalition, on the process.

An advisory committee of students, faculty and staff helped guide the project, and more than 300 people voted to select the final design after four finalists were invited to develop proposals.

The mural begins with the people of Naumkeag and moves through abolition, maritime and industrial Salem, immigration and contemporary student life. It includes Charlotte Forten, Charles Lenox, Sarah Parker Remond, Operation Bootstrap and present-day Salem State students.

"Perhaps most importantly, this mural does not conclude the story. It opens it up," Keenan said Thursday night. "Its arrival comes at a meaningful moment for Salem State, as we continue advancing student success, servingness and our mission as both an HSI-MSI and civic engagement university. It reflects not only how far we have come, but also the future we are building together."