I designed it so it’s not ambiguous, but maybe makes people want to tell a story when they look at it.
Turned off by the rigidity of his high school art classes, Mark Carvalho, ’01, almost abandoned his interest in visual arts. But a Bridgewater State painting class helped him rediscover that passion – and his future career.
The course, taught by Dr. Stephen Smalley, was inspirational. Rather than being overbearing with requirements, Smalley guided students in bringing out their individual creativity.
“He taught in a very open and free way,” recalled Carvalho, who was pursuing a degree in aviation but switched to fine arts. “It was really refreshing and sparked something in me.”
Today, Carvalho is an art educator himself and a street artist going by the name Boston Maki. He recently returned to his alma mater to paint a mural through an initiative organized by BSU’s Spirit Committee.
The 30-by-7-foot work, located between the bookstore and Dunkin’ inside East Campus Commons, features three bear faces that pay homage to BSU’s mascot. Carvalho spent 30 hours on campus creating the mural. After installing a black primer coat, he applied spray paint using a stencil to create intricate details of each bear’s face.
The three bears are unique in color and composition, something Carvalho said is meant to symbolize the diversity of the BSU community. He hopes the thousands of students who walk by his creation draw their own meaning.
“I designed it so it’s not ambiguous, but maybe makes people want to tell a story when they look at it,” he said.
For Alexis Conley, ’99, G’14, the mural symbolizes how everyone – no matter their background – is a Bear.
“We really wanted this to be a unique piece of art,” said Conley, who co-chairs the Spirit Committee and is assistant director of alumni relations. “I thought it was such a fantastic way to showcase one of our own alumni.”
Carvalho’s street art has taken him to Miami, New York City and Costa Rica. He predominately paints in New Bedford, where he helped city officials appreciate the vibrancy street art brings to otherwise mundane things such as vacant buildings and electrical boxes.
He also teaches at Whaling City Alternative Junior/Senior High School, a New Bedford school serving at-risk students. As he works with students who struggled in traditional schools, Carvalho thinks back to lessons learned at Bridgewater.
“Coming into this job, I took the approach Dr. Smalley took: ‘I’m going to foster your creativity,’” he said, noting his students are a lot like himself. “They thrive in a different environment. I’ve got some kids creating great artwork that wouldn’t have participated before.”
Carvalho is excited to see so much public art at BSU, including bear statues and a tunnel mural painted by students and alumni.
“It’s amazing,” he said of showcasing the creativity of members of the Bridgewater community. “You’re building a sense of school pride. You’re showing students that these things can be done.”
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