By Lauren Shovlin, Nonfiction Editor & Assistant Blog Editor ~
Montsy Olivas, a sophomore studying visual arts, was working at the HUB-Robeson Galleries last May when she first met Ann Tarantino, a Penn State professor at the time. The HUB’s Art Ally Lounge summer theme was “Care for Commonwealth,” and Tarantino was in the process of installing an abstract geometrical mural inspired by the idea of patchwork, where shapes appeared almost stitched or quilted together.
A friendship was formed when Olivas assisted Tarantino in this detailed work, who appreciated the sophomore’s precision in the sketching of each shape — the lines had to be exact and crisp so as not to draw attention to any inconsistencies. The mural filled the entire wall in the HUB-Robeson Art Gallery, displaying blue and yellow geometric shapes overlaid with black vinyl to appear as stitching.
“We first projected the image of the mural onto the wall as a stencil, then painted the entire wall yellow, taped out the yellow shapes, and covered the rest in blue to reveal the negative space with yellow,” Olivas said.
Olivas’ attention to detail toward this mural’s completion sparked a partnership between her and Tarantino, with the latter inviting Olivas to assist her in future projects.
After this initial project, Olivas worked with Tarantino again to install and decorate KCF Technology’s offices downtown in late June. The wall at KCF that Tarantino was commissioned to paint on was a wrap-around wall with doorways, a fire extinguisher, and TVs secured to the wall.
According to Olivas, these obstacles helped develop her problem-solving skills, with both her and Tarantino readjusting the shapes while still maintaining their desired aesthetic.
“The goal with the KCF mural was to add color and vibrancy in a way you would expect as normal, that wouldn’t call attention to itself and would create a relaxing environment,” she said.
Olivas’ favorite part of her work with Tarantino was the painting she did — for her, observing the progress they would make was the most satisfying part, as the taping and setting up for these murals was always the most “tedious.”
Olivas’ final mural with Tarantino involved redesigning the Basement’s stage backdrop in early August. The original backdrop was populated with colorful, cheap spray paint of random words, which the workers found chaotic, messy, and overall distracting. Olivas helped Tarantino create geometric shapes within shapes, taking two days to tape everything and then consider which colors to paint first and how many coats each color would need.
Although Tarantino left her faculty position at Penn State to pursue a career as a full-time artist, her partnership with Olivas has persisted. Olivas began to help Tarantino develop her professional image on social media, specifically Instagram, teaching her former professor various social media skills including editing, color correction, and photography.
In this way, Olivas transitioned from working as a detailed assistant to a social media manager for her former professor. Olivas continues to meet with Tarantino weekly to film and edit videos of Tarantino’s mural-creation process for her to post and grow her following. Since Olivas has decided to take a gap semester this spring before transferring to Christendom in the fall, Tarantino has asked Olivas to teach her as much as she can about photography tips and tricks before she leaves in the summer.
Olivas said this incredible experience has taught her that creating connections creates opportunities and to be unafraid to share the skills you have. When Olivas originally began working with Tarantino, she asked if she could film herself painting the mural, which prompted Tarantino to use those videos in her own work. She also believes that her assertiveness in inquiring about Tarantino’s future plans and projects taught her the importance of taking active steps to pursue your interests.
Olivas said she is so grateful to have had this opportunity to work with Tarantino to beautify downtown State College and to grow in friendship with Tarantino. This student has come to know what Tarantino’s values as an artist, how she creates art based on color, and how she associates various experiences with certain colors. Olivas said Tarantino focuses “more on the composition than on recognizable subjects,” and believes this experience has taught her that she has much to share and much to learn from others.
You can keep up to date on Ann Tarantino’s projects via Instagram: @anntarantino
You can keep up to date on Montsy Olivas’s projects via Instagram: @paintbymo
Check out more of the mural process via video here.
Lauren Shovlin is a junior majoring in English and minoring in history. She is the nonfiction editor for KLIO, and she loves to read, write, play sports, drink coffee, and talk with friends! She loves writing nonfiction, particularly about her family and her Irish culture and enjoys reading others’ writings about their own lives. She is so excited to serve as the nonfiction editor for this semester and look forward to reading students’ personal stories.