Portrait of goodness

The oil paintings on display on the second floor of Raymond L. Fitz Hall represent an array of subjects — friends, family, classmates and even a few faculty. Each portrait tells a story, including one of a special friendship that started with a simple hello.

University of Dayton maintenance tech Melvin Andrews greeted student Claire Pawlecki the same way he greets everyone he encounters as he goes about his daily routine. She found that he always had time for a smile, a hello and perhaps a short interaction. Pawlecki soon began chatting with Andrews every time she came to Fitz Hall, home to UD’s Department of Art and Design. 

“His kind energy is what attracts people to him, and it’s something that hasn’t dwindled in the slightest over the years I’ve known him,” she said. “He’s been someone who never fails to cheer me up, and I can’t help but smile anytime I hear his keys jingle from down the hallway and hear him go ‘How’s my girl doing?’”

In fall 2021, Pawlecki enrolled in Painting I, an art and design course in which students begin oil painting and produce a portrait as their final project. Art and design professor Jeffrey Cortland Jones introduces students to various artists throughout the semester, and then has them select one to model a portrait after when creating their own work. Pawlecki chose Kehinde Wiley, a New York-based artist whose paintings feature Black men in traditional Old Master styles and poses.

“One of the things I admire about Kehinde’s work is who his subjects are,” Pawlecki said. “Many are everyday people he interacts with on the streets of NYC who have amazing stories, showing how you don’t have to be famous or hold a position of great power to be a world-changer.”

To Pawlecki, Andrews fit that description perfectly.

“He’s someone who has truly changed UD, and each person he interacts with is the better for his kindness, positivity and genuine care for their well-being,” Pawlecki said. “He treats people in a way I believe we all should — with kindness, compassion, empathy and a ‘good morning’ fist bump. Choosing him as my subject was the easiest part.”

“He treats people in a way I believe we all should — with kindness, compassion, empathy and a ‘good morning’ fist bump.”

Andrews said Pawlecki, a junior, had been a friend for two years, and he was honored when she asked if he wanted to be the subject of her class project. He agreed, and she shot a quick headshot with her phone.

Jones said his course is often students’ first encounter with oil painting. The learning curve can be steep, but Jones encourages students to experiment, learn from failures and try again. Students figure out how to choose the right colors, where to add more details, when to make fixes and finally, when to put the brush down.

Pawlecki said Jones and her classmates provided plenty of encouragement, even when she worried if she was truly capturing Andrews’ likeness. Their reactions proved she was on the right track.  

“To emphasize the magic of Melvin again, when I was painting this, people would come up and say, ‘Oh my gosh, are you painting Melvin? I love that guy!’” she said.

“Oh my gosh, are you painting Melvin? I love that guy!”

For his part, Andrews had forgotten about Pawlecki’s request until a colleague stopped him in the hall about two months after Pawlecki took the photo and asked him if he’d seen the gallery.  

“The next thing you know, my picture is on the wall in the hallway,” Andrews said. “I couldn’t believe how many people were calling me — professors, staff, other students. They told me, ‘Melvin, you’ll be blown away by the picture.’” 

And he was.

Whether he’s meeting new students, professors or other staff, Andrews has built a well-deserved reputation around UD for being one of the friendliest faces on campus. In 2020, Andrews, a 43-year employee in facilities management, won the Marianist Service Award, an honor given annually to two full-time staff whose contributions over a significant number of years is congruent with the University’s Catholic and Marianist character.

A Dayton native, Andrews also owns Gem City Recycling, an e-waste company that specializes in the safe removal of electrical fixtures, batteries, electronics and other wastes for transport to registered recycling facilities.

“He was just completely amazed and honored that someone would paint a portrait of him,” said Roger Crum, professor of art history. “He is such a precious friend to me and I think of him like a brother. The portrait is so completely rewarding of his goodness.”

The exhibit can be seen on the second floor of Fitz Hall through the end of the semester.