Cal State East Bay Commissions Student Art Mural in Dining Commons

Laura Morgan has always been an artist. It has served as her main source of confidence, and she finds it a better way of expressing herself than words. This summer, she’ll be taking that confidence and expression to a wall at Cal State East Bay’s Dining Commons as part of a mural competition organized by the university’s Provost Office.

“Art is therapeutic and enjoyable,” Morgan said.

According to Art Professor Michael Hall, the mural competition was designed to commemorate Cal State East Bay’s 60th anniversary and also give students hands-on experience in pitching and completing mural proposals.

“This entire process was just like what you would do outside of the university,” Hall said. “We asked the artists to submit an original idea then we picked a wave of finalists, the of those, the top three and from that one person.”

Morgan’s concept for the mural is to have a diverse group of people marching into the dining commons representing the university’s unity and school spirit. She felt it was important to add aspects of herself into the mural which included animals for sustainability and caring about where food comes from.

"Public art should be something that makes people happy to look at, but also have a deeper meaning for its viewers to take in,” Morgan said.

Hall said Morgan’s design was chosen because it incorporated a number of the guidelines but also created a mural that was energetic and fun.

“She did it in a very simplified, direct style that I think [will resonate] with people,” Hall said.

Morgan is graduating this June with her bachelors in fine art and has accepted a job as a tattoo artist in Pittsburg, California.

“I feel that my formal education in art has made me into a more skilled artist with a greater sense of what my interests are and what aspects of my personal style I should incorporate into my tattoo work,” she said. “It has also given me the tools to become a professional who can advocate for myself with more confidence.”