Vivid Dreams, located at the Belmont (3555 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, KS) is a mural collaboration with Tina Nguyen, an artist in Wichita. Vivid Dreams was created during Avenue Art Days, a 3-day weekend during which murals are painted across the Douglas Design District in Wichita. We included fun, energizing elements in this mural to showcase the exciting energy that the Douglas Design District has in Wichita.

We included flowers, spirals, a moon, zigzags, and half circles, incorporating the main colors from Avenue Art Days. Painting on stairs presents a unique obstacle where one angle of the stairs up close looks entirely different when further away. While completing the mural in 3 days was a big feat, we had a lot of help and support throughout the weekend!

Many of our friends, family, and even passerby came to paint the stairs. We’re super proud of the end product.

Vivid Dreams: Process

Vivid Dreams Timelapse

September 2021

In Collaboration with Tina Nguyen

3555 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, KS

During the summer of 2020, Together Wichita sponsored “Keepers on Parade” to celebrate Wichita’s 150th Birthday. Together Wichita chose 13 artists from a pool of over 60 applicants, of which my mom (Chiyoko Myose) and I were a part of. We were chosen to paint Wichita’s District #3 Keeper, located at Clapp Park. My mom and I consulted with the district to plan and paint the ten-foot-tall Keeper of the Plains replica.

Our design for the Keeper illustrates the colorful, bright, and active personality of District 3, where Clapp Park is located. We decided to include buildings, imagery, and symbols from the north end of District 3 to create this design. Notable buildings include the Clapp Park clubhouse, Water Center, St. Joseph Hospital, All Saints Catholic Church, John Mack Bridge, and WSU Tech campus.

These structures illustrate different facets of peoples’ needs such as medical, educational, spiritual, political, and social needs. ​​​​​​​ At the back of the Keeper, two hands meet to shake hands to illustrate the shared value of working together as a community. Through thick and thin, the people of District 3 continue to thrive and collaborate with one another and make a community that is strong and firm. At the base of the Keeper, an overlapping river illustrates the Arkansas River that flows throughout the district, while a bright, blue sky breaks through.

Large, white birds fly through the Keeper, which symbolize the district’s history of manufacturing airplanes, the McConnell Air force base, and the significance of being at the heart of the “Air Capital” of the world. Flying upward, the birds illustrate the community’s efforts to soar high and “fly” together. Colorful circles overlap the elements in the design, which are exemplary of the round shape of golf balls and disc golf. These games provide the opportunity to find respite in recreation, exploration, and leisure outdoors.

They have both been the main attraction at Clapp Park. We hope to illustrate thriving scenery for District 3 and celebrate the area’s history and diversity of experiences. This Keeper design is a symbol of a multitude of perspectives, personalities, and positive experiences in the community.

“City Bird Keeper” Keeper of the Plains Statue

August 2020

Clapp Memorial Park (NE corner of the park)

4611 E. Harry St, Wichita, KS 67218

City Bird Keeper Process

Clinton Hall Stairs

In 2019, Wichita State University held an open call for applications to paint the Clinton Hall Stairs. Titled “Dreams and Wishes”, the work symbolizes WSU as the hub of dream- and wish-making. The work gives homage to the WuShock, the university’s mascot, with grains of wheat dancing in the background. I directed and managed 20+ volunteers to paint the entire mural over the course of 3 weeks.

The idea behind the mural stemmed from the idea of Wichita State University being the home for dreams to come true – hence, “Dreams and Wishes”. As each student, faculty, visitor and passerby step up the stairs, they will be an active participant in stepping closer to their dreams. WSU has helped people achieve this reality, and the mural visualizes the moment of one dreaming and making wishes. As a dream during the dusk of night, the colors I’ve chosen evoke the ethereal moment.

Closed eyes, open breaths appear under the night sky, as shooting stars abound. Although clouds and obstacles may obscure the view, the main subjects appear in focus. At the forefront of the stairs are grains of wheat, flowing in the wind. Each grain of wheat is visualized as a symbol for each student’s unique position in accomplishing their dream.

Grains of wheat allude to WSU’s mascot, the WuShock, a shock of wheat embodying the Shocker energy. Overlapping these grains of wheat are dandelions, with their seeds flowing in the wind. The hope of every student is illustrated in these wish-making tools – wishbones, shooting stars, and dandelion seeds. A large path is shown ahead, the true path to make this vision a reality.

The path that creates life, beauty, empathy, understanding, and love. Just as this work is an illustration of WSU as its current wonder, this work illustrates the hope for an abounding future. I hope this work inspires more Shockers to pursue their dreams, unleash their vision, and continue wishing for more. I hope that everyone will begin to hold onto this defining moment before a wish, a moment that can surpass time and space.

For this moment, rooted in the foundations of WSU, can make a lifelong impact.

“Dreams and Wishes” Timelapse

Clinton Hall Stairs at Wichita State University [1845 Fairmount St, Wichita, KS 67260, United States]

August 2019

Old Mill Tasty Shop, Downtown Wichita, 2022 · 604 E. Douglas Ave, Wichita, KS

The Front Porch project paired six Wichita-based creatives with local business owners to create outdoor extensions of their businesses. My mom (Chiyoko Myose) and I were paired up with the Old Mill Tasty Shop in Downtown Wichita. Working together with the owners of Old Mill, we led the design, creation, and execution of the Front Porch. The design was inspired by Old Mill’s 90th anniversary. We incorporated elements of the Old Mill Tasty Shop — adding Dutch Mill paddles and adding their logo to the porch. We also incorporated Wichita-centric elements, creating a sail shade structure that emulated the Wichita flag. The Front Porch serves as a space for customers, visitors, and community members to sit down, eat, and build community together.

Front Porch Project: Process

In 2019, I was given the opportunity to become a Harvester Arts Community Fellow. Through the Community Fellows Program, I created BE SEEN, an arts-based campaign to increase civic engagement among Asian/Asian-American communities. Through BE SEEN, I worked with a team to recruit and mentor 15 ambassadors. The campaign included a series of events, showcases, gallery exhibitions, social media initiatives, and art-making.

BE SEEN Fashion Showcase · Friday, May 21, 2021

The BE SEEN Fashion Showcase brought together creatives to celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month in May with style and artistic creation. The Fashion Showcase was hosted at Harvester Arts on May 21, 2021.

Wichita Asian Night Market, 2023

The Wish Trees were inspired by Asian festivals, including the tanabata festival in Japan and Lunar New Year festivities. I wanted this project to be truly inclusive of Asian and Pacific Island cultures. On the front of each paper “wish” was an image of a pattern, symbol, textile, or artistic piece. Each image corresponded with a country or culture, representing 56 Asian and Pacific Islands in total. I created descriptions of each image for people to interact with. I created the trees with wood, cement, paper mache, paint, and real branches for the structure. They stood over 8 feet tall, creating an archway for people to take pictures with.

Wish Trees Art Project: Process

I created a bifold brochure for Henry’s Place, a venue space at NICHE. I incorporated the NICHE brand colors in the brochure, along with a blank contact box for the event manager to fill in.

Billboards that I created for spring enrollment for WSU Tech.

A printed invite that I created for the Henry’s Society Holiday event for WSU Tech Foundation.

URGE Trifold Brochure

July 2021

URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity is a multi-state reproductive justice organization, with members based in Kansas, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio, and California. I created this trifold brochure to be versatile for all 6 states, with blank sections for customization. This brochure includes basic organization information for members to distribute at fairs and events.

URGEKS Social Media Management

July 2020 – April 2022

During 2020-2022, I managed and created graphics for Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity’s KS Facebook and Instagram accounts. We began with 0 followers, and I was able to build up a following of over 700+. I leveraged stories, Instagram graphics, and tagged posts to increase our following.

BASS: Black and Asian Solidarity Series

BASS Brand Design

July 2020

BASS: Black and Asian Solidarity Series, is an online forum and collective of activists discussing how to bring together the Black and Asian communities in solidarity. The Collective was formed in 2020 and has hosted conversations on policing, race, community care, and mutual aid. This project was dedicated to creating the branding and visual identity of BASS, which was used in social media posts and graphics.

BASS Social Media Management

2020-2021

During 2020-2021, I managed and created graphics for BASS: Black and Asian Solidarity Series’ Facebook and Instagram. I followed branding guidelines and led Instagram lives through the series.

Additional Projects

Community Boost Consulting Graphics

PAWS: Performing Animal Welfare Society Lead Generation Campaign For Community Boost, I created graphics for non-profit clients on Meta advertising. For PAWS: Performing Animal Welfare Society, we ran a Lead Generation campaign on Meta to increase email leads. In this campaign, we brought light to captive bears.  PAWS is dedicated to the protection of performing animals and provides sanctuary to abused, abandoned, and retired captive wildlife. This image was the top performer of the Lead Generation campaign, garnering 1,970 leads at $0.10 Cost Per Lead.

PAWS Graphics

Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc. Graphics