Outlook Magazine - Fall 2022

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eventeen students in the new Graffiti and Street Art course celebrated the unveiling of the first mural on campus on June 2. Joined by Chancellor Katherine Frank; Provost Glendalí Rodrí guez; Menomonie Mayor Randy Knaack; course instructors Professor Cynthia Bland and Lecturer Wade Lambrigtsen ’00 ; and supporters from the university and area community, the class revealed its mural on theAppliedArts Building east loading dock wall. In a wash of cool blue hues, warm sandy tones and creamy oranges, the nearly 400-square-foot mural – 40 feet long and about 10 feet high – depicts art through the ages and represents School of Art and Design programs, capturing the rich culture that flourishes inside the building. Although it is not the first mural in the UW System, the Graffiti and StreetArt mural is the first student-designed mural to grace the walls of a UWSystem campus. Frank expressed her pride and gratitude for the “exceptional vision, persistence and energy of Cynthia and Wade to launch a new course that has produced a lasting impact on the university. This mural signifies what it means to be ‘Made at Stout’ and sets our educational experience apart from others.” Frank added that the mural opens up the possibility for additional collaborations and praised the Campus Art Committee, chaired by Bland, for considering ways to support equity, diversity and inclusion efforts through future projects, aligning with UW-Stout’s FOCUS2030 goals. Designed by students, painted by students The collaborative effort that brought about the new course took a year of planning by two committees, Facilities Management and officials. “I thought theAppliedArts Building needed to showmore of who we are on the outside, to reflect our vibrant community of artists and designers on the inside,” said Bland, art and art history chair, who has been at UW-Stout for 17 years. Bland and Lambrigtsen invited the more than 900 SOAD students to submit ideas. Frank and Rodriguez approved the final design. Students in the course, which ran from May 16 to June 3, began painting on May 26, battling rain and fighting time to complete their mural before the unveiling. A2000 graphic design alum, Lambrigtsen is the owner of Vintage Sign Shop in Menomonie. He thought the course “was a wonderful opportunity to teach, to share knowledge and artwork around this beautiful campus. This is about the students. This is their legacy. They can say, ‘We did this,’ and they can go out into other commu nities with the knowledge to produce more murals.” Bland praised her students for their “tireless efforts to complete the mural. It is part of the legacy and history of art at the university. It was a visible chance for students to create a message of what they want to say about themselves and to leave their mark on campus.”

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