Fullerton College has dedications and memorials like the Dodson Theater, which is named after a past student of the Theater Department, Bronwyn Dodson, as well as multiple displayed items honoring Cruz Reynoso in the college center.
In 2023, the Diversity Advisory Committee implemented an initiative that would allow new artwork honoring Fullerton College’s past. Though the subject of the mural is unknown, the initiative was an idea of the committee to support students and better reflect the minds of the campus.
The DAC was originally formed in 2001 as the Fullerton College Equity and Diversity Committee and was the Diversity Advisory Committee in 2017. Among DAC representatives are Evelyn Lindley and Dr. Connie Moreno Yamashiro, both of whom are co-chairs of the committee.
“While the value of culturally relevant spaces was clear, the college recognized the need for a consistent and thoughtful process to evaluate requests for permanent or semi-permanent art,” said Lindley
DAC is interested in culturally relevant artwork that can be either permanently or semi-permanently displayed on campus. They do not have any plans to incorporate AI-generated artwork, as their guidelines state that the work needs to be centered on the work of an individual artist or group of artists, and especially artists who have a connection to Fullerton College.
The Committee turned to their FC community by providing the Culturally Relevant Art Protocols and Application for anyone with ideas and recommendations for the mural.
The application consists of four pages, including a mural/public art proposal overview, artistic concept & vision, artistic & technical execution, community engagement, and maintenance & sustainability.
Mural/Public Art Proposal’s section contains questions of who the lead artist of the suggested artwork would be, the medium to be used, the type of art, timelines, and whether it would be a permanent or semi-permanent piece, the general information one would expect.
The Artistic Concept & Vision expects the people requesting a mural to explain the artwork’s meaning, what the artist is trying to interpret through the artwork, and how it’s relevant to the campus community. At the end of the section, they ask who the target audience for the artwork is.
Artistic & Technical Execution asks what artistic techniques are used when making the artwork, with an outline of the processes and technical considerations, and whether it needs any non-standard tools for the art piece. The form also asks for the time frame of the piece with key milestones, and is maintained for future upkeep, and a short resume of the artist working on the art piece, with a questionnaire about their past works.
Community Engagement & Impact is a section of the application that asks about community involvement, how it will enhance the knowledge of the campus, and its long-term impact.
The final segment of the application’s questions, Maintenance & Sustainability, asks the applicant how the artwork will be cared for. The set of questions asks who will regularly maintain the piece, including responsibility for repairs, upkeep, and cleaning.
“To date, the committee has received one application for culturally relevant artwork. That proposal is currently moving through the established review process,” said Lindsey.
With no set date in the art piece, we wait and see if more people will apply for a mural in honor of a fellow Fullerton College member.
