When the Breslin Student Events Center began its facelift, it was important to university leadership that the space should feel inclusive of all activities held within its walls. With the Hall of History entrance representing basketball, it was determined the concourse and the three remaining entrances should lean into the Spartans Will brand and represent the breadth and depth of the Spartan experience. Hundreds of curated images and edited designs later, the walls of Breslin showcase the many facets of the life-changing energy that we celebrate as a Spartans Will.
This is a screenshot of my design file for the Red Cedar mural. Individual photos were edited in Photoshop, but the layout was done in Illustrator to maintain vector resolution for the text and to keep the design as fluid as possible to survive multiple levels of review/feedback.
A photo of the Red Cedar mural installed.
Another screenshot of my design file. We wanted to include a mural with the brand tagline "Spartans Will."
Our two favorite head basketball coaches provided the perfect symbols in this space.
There were three massive under-stadium banners included in the design needs that I was responsible for providing. These were located at three of the four entrances to the arena. In some of the screenshots above, you can see marks in my design file indicating where the separate panels would break across the layout. This dictated not only where I placed text but also created complications with image placement within the design.
— Seeing images of the installation in progress offers a real sense of scale. —
In addition to designing most of the spotlight pieces for this project, I was responsible for art directing the remaining murals being designed by the off-site agency who also produced and installed everything. This was a heavy lift as I had to offer my own feedback but also move the refined designs through our leadership team for approvals and coordinate communications back-and-forth as feedback met edited designs. The PDF comment icon became a regular visitor in my messages back to the agency.
We were frequently designing blind as the murals wrapped around architectural elements on the concourse and down hallways that led to other rooms. We didn't always know where corners might fall, or the occasional sign might sit. I regularly walked the concourse during construction to review mural installs and would document areas that had inopportune placement of signage or fire signals, sending photos back to the agency asking them to revisit that area.
In addition to the concourse walls, the large columns supporting the upper regions of the stadium risers offered the perfect opportunity to display vertical brand banners echoing the call and answer of the current brand campaign. As a partner on the project, I was even consulted on the wall color selection and asked to assist in turning the athletic greek key pattern into the patterned fabric (seen in the image below) just above the arena entrances along the inner wall of the concourse. I genuinely enjoyed working with the architects and our Infrastructure Planning and Facilities teams to make this project come to life.
Probably one of my most challenging projects to date, being able to create work in a space that is so visible to both campus and community was very rewarding. Out of everything I've done in my role on campus, I suspect this will be one of just a few things that will stand the test of time and possibly outlast my own presence, here. It's also given me a way for friends and family (like my little niece, below) to experience my work in person, which delights me to no end.
