Mural adds splash of color to the School of Journalism’s halls

A vibrant 300-square-foot mural now adorns the walls of the University of Arizona School of Journalism, celebrating the past, present and future of storytelling. 

Painted by Nogales-based multidisciplinary artist Pato Aguilar, the artwork is located just outside of the Adelaida and Barry Severson Family Broadcast-Podcast Studio on the third floor of the Louise Foucar Marshall Building. 

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Aguilar’s mural, titled “La Verdad,” features imagery that highlights the importance of truth, the beauty of the Southwest and the rapidly evolving media landscape.

“I would like students and people in the community to find inspiration and motivation in the mural—to become better journalists, to uncover the truth and to be more curious. I want it to bring joy and positivity to their lives,” Aguilar said.

The mural was funded by the University Center for Assessment, Teaching and Technology (UCATT) as part of an initiative to infuse art and creativity into its Digital Makerspaces on campus.

“One of this initiative’s goals is creating spaces where people can be creative and build their creative skills using digital tools,” Georgia Davis, director of multimedia and creative initiatives for UCATT, said. “Our whole goal is to improve the experience of students.” 

In addition to the School of Journalism’s podcasting space, UCATT operates two other Digital Makerspaces at the W.A. Franke Honors College and the Lundgren Consumer Science Lab. 

The Honors College Makerspace features a mural by Tucson artist Jessica Gonzalez, while an interactive animated mural by Jenn Liv, assistant professor in the School of Art, is in progress at the Lundgren Lab.

Adobe, whose creative software is available in UCATT Makerspaces, provided partial funding for those murals, as well as two others located near UCATT’s Innovation Studio at the Manuel Pacheco Integrated Learning Center. 

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Find more of Aguilar's artwork on Instagram at @patoaguilarart.