Mark
My name is Mark Tucker and I am truly enjoying teaching this class called “Art in Public Spaces: Big Paintings.” Originally from Vermont, I have been an artist/art director here and abroad for the past 25 years. I have had the pleasure of teaching (primarily first year non-art majors) for the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program since 2001. Having come to teaching after working in the private sector for many years, I find it much more rewarding to teach courses that end up contributing something “real” back into the world. Not only has it made teaching that much more pleasurable, but the creative outcomes and the resulting student growth can be directly attributed to the understanding that their work will be both enjoyed and scrutinized by the greater public. This class in particular has risen to the challenge, pooling all of their unique intellectual and creative resources to produce an extraordinarily well conceived and beautiful mural. I'm particularly proud of the fact that my class has risen to the occasion, working under a relatively short deadline,collaborating successfully and ultimately contributing the results of all of their hard work to the greater public to enjoy for many years to come.
Mimee
Hello, my name is Armenthia Elizabeth "Mimee" Stewart (full name BTW). I was born and raised in Detroit, MI. I am a freshman at the University of Michigan and I want to major in psychology and then go to graduate school for anesthesiology. Ever since I was five, I've always wanted to paint something. My mother would buy me art kits that contained paint. Needless to say, I would add too much water, therefore my pictures didn't come out as I had wanted so I gave up on painting. Fast forward to my freshman year in college and I'm assigned to paint a mural that everyone will get to see (pressure, much Mark?). But I'm not too worried about it now since I've got the hang of mixing paints and water. I won't have to get angry and storm off (we have white paint, we can cover that up).
Simi
Hi! My name is Simi Atal and I'm from right here in Ann Arbor, MI. I am a sophomore with an (intended) double major of Politcal Science and Communication Studies (I might throw a minor in there too, but we'll see how things go.) Anyway, I love painting. Of all the mediums used in art, paint is definitely my favorite. I am super excited to be a part of something like this that's going to last for others to enjoy for a long while-- the feeling when it's all done and up on the wall will be a great one, I'm sure.
Anna
Hi, my name is Anna Berger and I am from Sea Cliff, New York. I am a freshman currently on the Pre-Med track, taking lots of science classes and most likely majoring in Biology here at the University of Michigan. I have always enjoyed painting and have taken several classes through out the years but this mural painting class is definitely a unique course, one I am so excited to be taking. If you're interested, check out the green apple I painted yesterday!! Stay tuned for more...
Zach
Hi, my name is Zach Mandell, and I'm from a suburb of Chicago called Glencoe. I am a freshman studying Industrial and Operations Engineering. So you may be curious as to why Tim and I, two aspiring engineers, are taking an art class. Well, in my opinion, art and engineering involve a similar type of creative thinking. I also loved to draw and take art classes at an earlier age. I have really enjoyed bringing art back into my life.
Daniela
Hi, my name is Daniela Lapciuc and I was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida. I am currently a freshman studying viola performance. I have been playing violin and the viola for twelve years. I decided to take art in public spaces because I want to be able to express myself through different art mediums. I do not have much experience with painting but I am really enjoying the challenge! It is so exciting to see the progress made each week from the beginning to the end of class.
Julia
Hi, my name is Julia Feygin and I'm from Oak Park, Michigan. I am a freshmen at the University of Michigan and am currently undecided for a major, however leaning towards marketing or animal behavior. I have painted often in the past however never a painting this large so the experience is new in a sense. I am excited to see how the final piece will turn out when we put everything together!
Jamie
My name is Jamie Monville and I'm from Waterford, Michigan. I'm a freshmen at U of M in the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program. Although it's not set in stone, I think I'm going to probably major in English with a minor in writing. Ideally I'd like to work for a publishing firm editing novels. I haven't done any art since the 8th grade which is why I took this class. I wanted to branch out and try new things and I'm so glad that I did. Everyday in this class is an adventure and I'm constantly amazed at what we've already accomplished. I love every minute of it and I can't wait to see the finished product and be able to say, "Yeah, I was a part of that."
Tim
My name is Tim Newberger and I am from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am studying Chemical Engineering and am new to painting. I decided that I wanted to "leave my mark" on the University of Michigan. I figure that helping with this mural is a good way to do so.
Jesus
Hi, my name is Jesus (hey-Zeus or hey-seuss, but I prefer Zeus because he is more awesome). I'm a freshman at the U of M and I come from Detroit. Why am I in this art class, one might ask? Well, way back when I was little, I used to love art. I have no idea why I quit. Now, I'm at the U of M trying to see new things and discover myself and this art class was up for the taking, so I took it. So far, I've been loving this class and it has made me truly appreciate art and the beauty of colors in general.
Destiny
Hello, My name is Destiny and I am a freshman at the University of Michigan. I come from a small town in Michigan called Otsego. At my school we had art classes but not like this! I took one art class in high school my senior year to keep my GPA up and I never really participated in art because there were a LOT of kids that were way better than me at it. I always knew I loved art, but never thought that I could do it. Being in this class made me realize that everyone can “do,” all you have to do is love what you're doing and not give up!
Tashina
Hi my name is Tashina Emery, I from a very small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I am a freshman studying Native American Studies and Art & Design here at the University of Michigan. I have always loved art and fashion, but have never painted something this big. I actually chose a lot of the pieces that make up the composition. I'm really excited to see the finished piece!
Dora
My name is Dora and I am a junior at the University of Michigan college of LS&A studying communications and psychology. I met Mark through an interest of getting involved with Festifools, a public art organization which he initiated. We thought it would be a neat idea to create a blog tracking the works of his Art in Public Spaces class so his students could have another outlet of expression (besides their mural painting). It's becoming a learning process for everyone, I think - and a fun one, too.
