By Ann Muder
This fall on Columbia College’s main campus, you will find a new work of art celebrating the institution throughout its nearly 175-year history.
Farëna Saburi ’20, who served as artist-in-residence during the Spring 2025 Semester, created a mural that will wrap around three sides of a brick structure between Dulany Dining Hall and the Hulett Family Campus Safety Office.
Along with brightening the space, the mural reflects the vast community of CC, with students and alumni from all walks of life. According to Saburi, her ultimate goal was “creating a visual that acknowledges both historical and contemporary voices of the college community.”
To get input from current students, Saburi distributed worksheets asking them to reflect on their experiences, aspirations and meaningful items at this stage of their lives. Some of their submissions are directly represented in the mural, including sentimental jewelry and photographs.
Saburi also found inspiration searching through the college archives. One photo that stood out was from the women’s basketball team in the early years of Christian College.
“Their uniforms — a mix of loose tops, sneakers and sheer tights — spoke to the performance of clothing and how it communicated gender norms and possible objections at the time,” she says.
Another archived photo that stood out was of the Children of God Gospel Choir, the first organized group of Black students on campus.
“The photo shows (the Children of God) seated around a piano under the sun — a striking moment that felt essential to include and honor that part of the college’s history,” she says.
The mural took two semesters to complete, including the time to conduct research, interview students and develop sketches for administrative approval. On June 20, Saburi completed the artwork, which is painted on 3-by-5-foot concrete panels, with multiple panels on each side of the structure.
During her time as artist-in-residence, Saburi also worked on other projects. Her solo art show, “Disturbed Horizons,” was held on campus in October 2024. She says while the mural was “rooted in Columbia College’s collective history and student body,” much of her other artwork reflects the dynamics of control and freedom.
“The cultural motifs of my heritage are more prominent in my studio practice,” she says. “There, I have greater freedom to explore recurring themes such as gender, mobility and spatial boundaries.”
Born in Tajikistan, Saburi moved with her family to Fairfax, Virginia, when she was in third grade. After returning to Tajikistan, they moved back permanently to the United States, this time to Columbia, Missouri, when she was in sixth grade. Much of her recent artwork includes elements of her heritage in Tajikistan, such as textiles, traditional dress and architectural forms, while exploring themes of gender, power and identity.
Because Saburi moved frequently between Tajikistan and the U.S., she says stability in her early life came from people rather than places. She cites her grandmother, Bibi, as a consistent and formative presence in her life.
“Her influence wasn’t just emotional – it shaped the way I think about work, identity and systems of power,” she says. “Watching how she navigated a life shaped by gendered expectations and structural limitations helped me understand that resilience isn’t passive; it’s tactical, embodied and deeply creative.”
After high school, Saburi attended Moberly Area Community College for a year. She then received the Transfer of Excellence Scholarship at Columbia College, along with additional art scholarships, which covered nearly the entire cost of attendance. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Drawing.
Attending Columbia College helped her to gain confidence in her abilities to approach large-scale projects, she says. In particular, she remembers working to create an ambitious art project with multiple paintings on a tight budget. Professor Naomi Lear helped her learn to build canvases and select affordable materials.
“At one point, she gave me a ride to pick up supplies,” says Saburi. “Initially, I thought the project was too ambitious and complicated, but her guidance helped me see how to make it possible. If she had told me it was too difficult, I might have developed a fear of large-scale work or taking risks in my practice.”
Today, Saburi is an adjunct art professor at the University of Missouri, where she completed her Master of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis on Painting and Drawing in 2024. She says former Columbia College faculty member Danielle Langdon encouraged her to apply for her graduate degree.
“She took my work more seriously than I did at the time, and gave me the tools, guidance and confidence to consider grad school,” Saburi says. “Sometimes all it takes is someone validating your path, especially in a field that’s often dismissed as impractical or self-indulgent.”
As for her future, Saburi plans to continue a career path in art education.
“I love teaching. It’s a profession that energizes me and gives back in meaningful ways,” she says. “Being around college students who are discovering their own work, missions and objections is inspiring. They’re navigating such an exciting and turbulent stage of life, which reminds me that change can be welcomed even while building stability and security.”
