School of Art students collaborated with peers and alumni to design a mural titled “150 Connections,” for TCU’s Race and Reconciliation Initiative (RRI).
“As we recognize and shine light on those who have contributed to TCU over the last 150 years, we choose to always remember the connections that brought us here.”
This quote is featured alongside a collection of individuals who have positively impacted and contributed to TCU’s legacy on the new TCU Race and Reconciliation Initiative mural with the Founders Statue.
School of Art students led and collaborated with peers and alumni to design a mural titled “150 Connections,” for TCU’s Race and Reconciliation Initiative (RRI), an academically based and historically focused initiative designed to investigate and document the university’s relationship with slavery, racism and the Confederacy.
Cultivating Leadership Through Art
Adam Fung
Associate Professor of Art Adam Fung was approached by the RRI team with an opportunity for his advanced painting students to create a new mural to support the campus initiative.
“I wanted to help, and this was a great opportunity for students to get involved and become invested in TCU’s history and 150th celebration,” Fung said.
Fung wanted seniors to spearhead the project to strengthen their leadership and communication skills, which are essential when pursuing a career as a professional artist and collaborating with community members.
“I know from experience as a working artist that we can move between spaces and be a connector,” Fung said. “So, I really wanted the seniors to have that opportunity and take charge of the project.”
Connecting Art, History and Community
Natalie Neale ’23
Led by BFA painting major and Art.org president Natalie Neale ’23, a group of BFA Studio art students eagerly took on the project. They started with a conversation on how to depict and represent the university’s mission and wanted to use portraiture as the primary imagery.
The RRI team provided students with supplies and archival material to source and pull inspiration for the new mural, including documents on the university’s early beginnings and portraits of key figures involved with RRI on campus.
With Fung’s guidance, students created a mural of the portraits featured in the archival collection. Each student chose which portrait to recreate and selected their preferred medium, including digital, drawing, oil, acrylic, watercolor, or graphite.
Students depicted historical figures and recent graduates, such as alumna Lillian Young ’18, portrayed by Micah Matherne. The mural also includes Assistant Professor Dan Jian, who supervised the first RRI mural, “We Can, Together,” in 2021
“There is a nice thread that connects the history of the mural site, the School of Art and the TCU community,” Fung said. “This mural is a step toward being more inclusive, diverse and recognizing our history.”
Reconciliation Day Will Feature New Campus Mural