With a blend of art and environmental activism, Lehigh students in professor Deirdre Murphy’s Drawing II class have transformed a hallway in Mountaintop Campus’ Building C into a compelling visual statement on conservation.
The class’s latest project, titled “Threshold Species,” highlights animals and plants on the conservation watchlist through large-scale line drawings.
Murphy, who teaches in the art, architecture and design department, said she designed the project to move students beyond traditional sketchbook work, challenging them to create large-scale drawings.
She said the project took about a month to complete, with students meeting twice a week for a total of six hours in addition to work outside of class.
While the project was labor-intensive, Murphy said it was a rewarding experience, culminating in a collaborative installation that provided students with hands-on experience.
Students researched and illustrated at-risk plants and animals, creating colored pencil renderings of species from around the world. Some students drew inspiration from their home countries, such as Brazil, Korea and China, as well as local East Coast wildlife.
Emily Tsao, ‘25, a product and graphic design major, decided to focus on species native to Asia to create a personal connection to her Chinese heritage. She drew the Himalayan monal, the green jade flower, the black bat flower, the fruit dove and the white hibiscus flower.
“You had the choice of doing any medium you wanted,” Tsao said. “It could have been black and white. It could have been like a very simple outline of the species.”
Tsao said she was inspired to use colored pencils to showcase the species’ beauty, vibrancy and detail, ensuring her design highlighted their rich colors and intricate features.
Mariana Britto, ‘26, a graphic design major, was born in Brazil and moved to the United States at age 7. She said she knew she wanted to incorporate Amazonian wildlife into her project.
Britto said she selected species from Brazil and the Amazon Rainforest, including the jaguar, the hyacinth macaw, the golden lion tamarin, the pink Amazon dolphin and an orchid.
The final installation transformed the hallway with floating drawings visible from outside the building. Each piece is labeled with the species’ scientific names and information about their declining populations.
“My hope is that people take away that climate change is real,” Britto said. “We need to come up with better ways to hold politicians and big corporations accountable to make a change, because this impacts all of us.”
Murphy said while the installation is visually striking, it also serves as a political statement on environmental awareness and activism. By showcasing species threatened by climate change and habitat loss, she said the project underscores the urgency of conservation, especially amid recent environmental policies.
Tsao said the project is especially important given the current political climate in the U.S. Beyond raising awareness, she hopes it encourages people to appreciate nature and their surroundings more deeply.
At the start of the semester, Murphy said, many students in her class felt overwhelmed and powerless due to political uncertainties, environmental rollbacks and a general sense of anxiety.
“The takeaway is that hopefully, you know, the students shifted from a place of depression or powerlessness to feeling they had agency,” Murphy said.
Throughout the process, she said, students experienced a positive shift in perspective, and the installation serves as a reminder that change is possible.
Tsao said while she focused on endangered species from Asia, she also learned from her classmates’ work, discovering species she hadn’t known were at risk of extinction. Observing her peers’ drawings broadened her understanding of global conservation issues, reinforcing the impact of the collective installation, she said.
Murphy said she’s proud of her students, and the installation has received positive feedback from the community so far.
“They just did such a beautiful job,” Murphy said. “It’s really heartwarming to see such positivity and rigor and just, like, joy coming from the students. So, I’m definitely a proud teacher.”
Murphy also encouraged those who view the installation to take steps advocating for climate change to ensure future generations inherit a sustainable planet.
The Threshold Species installation was installed in February and will remain on display through May 18.
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