The newly completed art mural, entitled “Dreams Pieced Together, Radiant Forever,” in front of the Administration and Conference Tower (ACT) was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, Sep. 12. The celebration welcomed past and present students of class ART 3723 (mural painting) with a joyful crowd ready to commemorate and recognize their communal hard work, dedication and effort.
“I wanted to create something that commemorated our students’ hard work…I felt it was important to continue honoring their legacy and contributions,” says ART 3723 (mural painting) professor, Michael Valderas. “After all, they were the ones who envisioned and brought these murals to life.”
Spanning across what was once an unassuming staircase leading to the second floor of the ACT, is now a colorful and vibrant mural. Inspired by a fusion of iconic Texas Woman’s University campus symbols, the design alludes to the stained glass windows of The Little Chapel in the Woods and the Blagg-Huey Library, as well as the beloved mascot, Oakley.
“It is deeply gratifying to see our students create something so impactful and visible,” says Valderas. “Transforming what was once primarily a passageway into an active and engaging space…this work continues a legacy that reflects our long history of student contributions on campus.”
As part of a multiyear project that will eventually expand to cover the entire breezeway ceiling, each mural painting class will continue to contribute its own unique design while connecting it to previous existing murals. “Dreams Pieced Together, Radiant Forever” is the first completed mural in the project, and the ribbon cutting ceremony served as not only a way of celebrating the completion of the latest mural, but also the ones still to come.
“The overarching vision is to establish a lasting legacy of murals across campus,” says Valderas. “Works that not only reflect our students’ experiences but also tell a broader story of who we are, inspiring future generations of students.
Isabella Castillo can be contacted via email at icastillo4@twu.edu
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