Artists paint a mural on the exterior of the Center of Entrepreneur and Technology Development on June 13. Finding fulfillment in their work, UTA alumna Vy Dang said college campuses often look the same, and having this mural will help UTA differentiate itself.
Within the incessant heat and summer sun students face on campus, flowing fish and cool waves now paint the sides of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Development building.
Painted by three recent alumni and a student, the new mural is Arlington’s newest addition to its growing catalog of communal art. The piece took weeks to complete, but the entire process was around a year-long endeavor.
Vy Dang, alumna and artist, said the group’s first priority was to represent the students, faculty and staff of the building, and reflect on what they do as entrepreneurs. The initial design, inspired by the show “Shark Tank,” drew a connection to the entrepreneurship aspect of the center.
Drawing senior Francisco Marquez and UTA alumna Vy Dang reach for paint brushes June 13 for the exterior of the Center of Entrepreneur and Technology Development. The initial design, inspired by the show “Shark Tank,” drew a connection to the entrepreneurship aspect of the center.
“I figured drawing sharks would have been a bit too on the nose and also aggressive for the type of environment that this is,” Dang said. “So we ended up doing a fish-tank-inspired design.”
She said the fish represent the building’s people, who push “against the waves” to progress their ideas and creations.
Dang’s partners for the project were alumni Dorian Parkhurst and Grace Wilkinson, and drawing senior Francisco Marquez.
“These people I know, I’ve seen definitely have the work ethic, the drive and the skills to do this, and we were already very much on friendly terms before this,” Dang said.
Numbered fish silhouettes wait to be painted on the exterior of the Center of Entrepreneur and Technology Development on June 13. The fish were finished with a stained glass window film.
The project proved to be as difficult as it was rewarding for the artists. She said they are all fine arts students at their core, but public art is a different world entirely.
“Trying to connect a design that is digestible for the general public, and also having that bit of interest that would describe people, it was a bit difficult, but it was a fun challenge for sure,” she said.
Finding fulfillment in their work, Dang said college campuses often look the same, and having this mural will help UTA differentiate itself.
“It’s nice that we’re able to set the precedent for future students and future public artworks that’s going to come around at UTA. It’s a nice opportunity,” she said.
UTA alumna Grace Wilkinson pastes glue on the exterior of the Center of Entrepreneur and Technology Development on June 13. Considering the center as the “gateway to campus” from downtown, Matt Clark, associate professor of art and art history, said he suggested the mural for the center because art “enlivens spaces.”
Benjamin Terry, senior lecturer of art and art history, said the mural idea came around a year and a half ago. Terry was the former coordinator for Gallery West, which displays student art. Due to a lack of space, the department turned the gallery into a classroom and he was tasked with finding other opportunities for students to showcase their work.
After struggling to get the original ideas green-lit, he spoke to Matt Clark, associate professor of art and art history, who suggested having the project at the Center for Entrepreneurship.
Clark said he suggested the mural for the center because art “enlivens spaces.”
“I’m an artist and entrepreneur, and feeling that all artists are entrepreneurs, we want to embrace and support this kind of entrepreneurial spirit for students at UTA,” he said.
Artists paint a mural on the exterior of the Center of Entrepreneur and Technology Development on June 13. The artists who worked on the mural were Francisco Marquez, Vy Dang, Grace Wilkinson, and Dorian Parkhurst.
Considering the center as the “gateway to campus” from downtown, Clark said the location was perfect for displaying student talent. He and Terry began seeking students to realize the vision.
“I just sort of tried to gather an ‘A team’ of students. Mostly painters, that I have been working with that I knew would do a good job,” Terry said. “And Vy, who sort of headed up the team was my first go-to.”
Clark said the final design was a good analogy for entrepreneurship, and how the fish swimming against the stream resembles the challenges people face in its process.
“It’s definitely something unique and different that we haven’t seen on campus, so we’re happy that we can be the first to do that,” he said. “And I’m just excited to see what’s to come on campus with more murals, more creative outputs from our faculty and students.”
@PMalkomes
