Ninety Foot Long Mural Seals Willie Reed’s Art Inspired Legacy as Purdue Veterinary Medicine Dean

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Artist Tia Richardson shared about the mural she created for the College of Veterinary Medicine, with input from faculty, staff and students, during the mural dedication ceremony April 26.

Mural, mural on the wall, what’s the greatest human-animal bond depiction of them all? Well, if you asked faculty, staff and students who helped paint a stunning new piece of art at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, they likely would point to it, and say, “That!!” In this case “that” is an expansive mural that graces the previously plain wall in the hallway connecting Lynn Hall with the new David and Bonnie Brunner Small Animal Hospital. Dedicated April 26, 2024, the mural was commissioned by then Dean Willie Reed as a creative means of celebrating the human animal bond and the College of Veterinary Medicine’s strengths, traditions and hallmarks.

Dedication ceremony guests admired the mural as Tia described the scenes depicted in it.

The dedication ceremony was held in the hallway, which was bedecked with colorful balloons that matched the brilliant colors in the mural. “As you take in this scene, I think you will be struck, as I am, by the way in which it seems like this space was precisely designed for this mural,” Dean Reed said. “And that feeling is a testament to the appropriateness of the mural design, as created by the artist, based on extensive input from Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff and students.”

As part of her design process, Tia led visioning workshops in February, when she listed the views and insights shared by faculty, staff and students about the college’s values and hallmarks.

The artist, Tia Richardson, was present for the celebration, which represented the culmination of months of planning, preparing, and working with the college’s faculty, staff and students to draw out from them the themes and imagery that would make up the mural design. “In actuality, the inception of this project dates back a year ago, to the annual veterinary medicine dean’s conference that was held in Jupiter, Florida,” Dean Reed explained. “It was hosted by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, and that’s when I met Tia Richardson, a full-time community mural artist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and owner of Cosmic Butterfly Design.”

At that conference Dean Reed participated in a mural painting project with other veterinary deans and heard Tia’s presentation on her work. “Needless to say I was impressed,” Dean Reed shared. “I was impressed with her community engagement and realized the kind of positive impact her art could have on our college, on the Purdue campus and on our community.” Dean Reed also knew that the college had the perfect setting for a mural, in the enclosed connecting hallway that had a long corridor with a blank wall on one side and on the other, large windows that would make the art visible to everyone outside, including people using the adjacent Small Animal Hospital parking lot.

During the visioning workshops, attendees got into groups to draw simple illustrations of ideas and themes they wanted to suggest for the mural.

“So that realization launched a series of steps that led to today, when we can gaze on this stunning depiction of the human animal bond and the values, culture, accomplishments and wide-ranging impact of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine,” Dean Reed said. The mural spans 90 feet and is eight feet tall. “The design distinctly captures key aspects of our college because Tia, as part of her creative process, conducted two days of visioning workshops with our faculty, staff and students, to gain insights into their sense of the most important and enduring elements of our college’s history, programs and people.”

Utilizing those ideas and insights, Tia created the mural design, which was submitted for university review and approval. Then, after a few tweaks, the design was ready to be traced on the wall. PVM volunteers helped outline the design as overhead projectors cast images of the drawing onto the wall.

Once approved by the university, Tia’s mural design was outlined on the wall by volunteers who traced images of the drawing that were cast onto the blank surface with overhead projectors.

Dean Reed served as one of the volunteers for the initial mural painting, which involved a “paint-by-numbers” approach, with colored dots indicating the color to use for each section.

Dean Reed then shared how Tia empowered and equipped members of the PVM family to actually contribute directly to the painting of the mural. “Over the course of several days, we were able to pick up paint and brushes and apply the first layer of color in a paint-by-numbers type of process,” Dean Reed said. “Then, volunteers with more sophisticated painting talent continued to help by contributing artistic refinements. Following that, Tia and her staff applied the finishing touches, resulting in this amazingly colorful and splendid mural. I could not be more pleased and proud of what we, as the PVM community, and Cosmic Butterfly Design, have accomplished through the creation of this beautiful mural that will stand as a lasting tribute to our college, Purdue, and the human-animal bond.”

“To Tia and everyone who has been part of this adventure, congratulations on what we have achieved!”

Dean Reed then introduced a PVM faculty member particularly qualified to speak about the meaning of the occasion, Dr. Leanne Nieforth, assistant professor of the Human-Animal Bond in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology. “Science from the field of human-animal interaction demonstrates that our pets influence both emotional and physical health and studies have shown that pets can have a stress-buffering role,” Dr. Nieforth explained. “They can decrease our anxiety, and depression levels, as well as increase our overall well-being, playing a significant role in supporting people both emotionally through companionship as well as physically, through increased physical activity and altered physiologic responses.”

Dr. Nieforth also highlighted a statement from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) that says the veterinarian’s role is to maximize the potential of this relationship between people and animals and to promote the well-being of both. “This mural is a wonderful reminder, or a grounding for us, to remember why we do this work in the first place – why we’re veterinarians, veterinary nurses, researchers and individuals who deeply care about animals and their people,” Dr. Nieforth said.

At the dedication ceremony, Leanne Nieforth, PhD, shared insights as the college’s assistant professor of the human-animal bond.

“You can look at this mural and see a piece of yourself and your experiences,” Dr. Nieforth continued. “You may not relate to every image – all 90 feet of it – but you can situate yourself in the different pieces and ground yourself in the feelings associated with every image. It might not be your experience but I’m sure you can have empathy for the person and the animal in the image.” Dr. Nieforth concluded by saying, “This mural represents our commitment to the human-animal bond and our promise to continue to do the work of keeping both humans’ and animals’ health and welfare at the core of our values.”

Dean Reed then asked Tia to share her thoughts as she stood next to the beautiful mural she designed. “This was truly a collaborative effort and I could not have done it without each of you who were involved at any step of the process,” Tia said. “So first I want to thank everyone who made this community mural possible. I couldn’t have done it alone. And I want to thank Dean Reed and your team for your vision of portraying the human-animal bond and inviting me to be a part of this project.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, faculty, staff and students who had helped with the project gathered for a group photo.

Tia also thanked everyone who participated in the visioning sessions she conducted. “You have inspired me,” Tia said. Additionally she thanked all who participated in the painting. “Your hands have made this vision richer to behold,” she said. “Together we helped create a lasting symbol of the human-animal bond across cultures. These beautiful, vivid images shine with their light like a beacon, reminding us of our common good.”

Tia went on to share specific things that influenced the design, including her own love of animals and experiences she had when she was younger and would draw animals that she saw in atlases. She also explained that one of the first areas she saw when she initially visited the college was the Pet Tribute Garden. “I was struck by the moving words people wrote and their heartfelt messages to their beloved pets,” Tia said. “I felt this needed to be honored in the mural and I was moved by how the college wanted to honor that journey for people in such a dignified, meaningful way.”

Tia also shared how she was inspired by paintings displayed in the college that had been done by students, and by their words that were put with the paintings, describing their relationship with animals and the human-animal bond. “So it sparked joy in my heart to know what a warm, caring and sensitive community this is, and it has been an honor to work with and to get to know each of you through this community mural project,” Tia shared.

“I hope this mural brings you much joy and inspiration for many years to come. I believe we all had a hand in making this the memorable journey it was.”

Tia concluded by saying she believes the mural can be viewed in many ways and she was inspired by some of things people shared with her along the way about what they saw. “So part of the beauty of this process for me as a community mural artist is that the piece is richer and bigger than what one person could have imagined on their own,” Tia said. “And what does that say about our community? And that’s the beauty of it for me – what each of you brings to it, and each of your own perspectives. And look at this tapestry, showing us our colors, our diversity, our strengths, our beauty.”

At that point, Tia thanked everyone again, and shared that she decided to call the mural, “Bonding through Life.”

Dean Reed concluded the ceremony by encouraging the attendees to “…enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!” He added, “So thank you again Tia, and thanks to everybody who participated in this project and for coming tonight as we celebrate and dedicate this marvelous piece of art as an addition to our college.”