The EDM Club, Classics Club and Latin American Graduate Student Association took home the top three prizes in UB Student Engagement’s “Colors in Construction: Student Organization Art Showcase.” Dozens of student groups painted murals on the temporary drywall in the Student Union, competing for $500 or more in extra funding for their club budget.
The competition was held to “infuse UB pride and spirit back into the Student Union” during renovations, according to Thomas Vane, the assistant director of Student Engagement for student governance and organizations.
First Place: EDM Club
Senior music major and DJ Trae Alonso made the original sketch of Victor E. Bull DJing for the mural with brainstorming help from the club’s e-board and online AI tools.
When it came time to paint, senior sociology major Becca Rosero figured out what supplies would be needed to successfully convey the design that Alonso envisioned. The artists began by tracing Alonso’s sketch onto the club’s assigned section of wall using a projector, and Rosero continued working through the night on the mural even when others had left.
EDM Club added rave staples like kandi bracelets a pashmina scarf to their murals.
While few changes were made to the original design, the details added on to Alonso’s vision are meant to pay tribute to EDM. The kandi bracelets adorning Victor’s horns read “Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect,” and the pashmina scarf draped across his shoulders is another common sight at raves.
EDM Club president Dominick Matarese is a Spectrum editor.
Second Place: Classics Club
Jamie Kottakis, a freshman classics and political science major and the president of the Classics Club, says that the mural “incorporates a lot of UB mottos and symbols” to reflect the club’s school spirit. For instance, the Ionic columns evoke Baird Point, while Victor E. Bull is drawn as the mythical Minotaur.
The club will use its prize money to fund a field trip next semester, as well as miscellaneous expenses.
Kottakis called the win “very validating” for the relatively new club. UB’s previous Classics Club was not rechartered during the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, so Kottakis took it upon himself to revive the organization last fall. This spring semester has been the small club’s first full semester up and running.
Classics Club (right) and the Latin American Graduate Student Association (left) won second and third respectively.
Third Place: Latin American Graduate Student Association
The Latin American Graduate Student Association’s mural shows the countries of Latin America in bright color and features different nods to Latin American landmarks and culture like a Mesoamerican pyramid, the Obelisk of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue. The clock tower of South Campus’s Hayes Hall also features prominently.
The club’s e-board did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
Josh Pawlik is an assistant arts editor and can be reached at josh.pawlik@ubspectrum.com
The arts desk can be reached at arts@ubspectrum.com
Josh Pawlik is an assistant arts editor for The Spectrum. His hobbies include playing guitar, working out and reading. He can be found on Instagram @joshpawlik
