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A large painting recently installed front and center in the Office of Undergraduate Education captures the office’s emphasis on fostering community and building partnerships across the university.

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Dean and Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education Daryl Maeda and Assistant Director of Out-of-State Recruitment DaMontá Madden pose in front of Madden's recently unveiled painting.

The artist, DaMontá Madden, assistant director of out-of-state recruitment in the Office of Admissions, created Galaxy Picnic with encouragement from OUE leadership, including Scarlett Pontón de Dutton, director of campus advising initiatives and strategy; Shelly Bacon, associate vice provost for advising and exploratory studies; and Daryl Maeda, dean and vice provost of undergraduate education.

In support of his development as an artist, the colleagues invited Madden to create a painting that would, as Madden says, “cultivate a feeling of newness, transition, reflection and growth.” The painting is “a garden in the sky” that reflects Madden’s notion “that all lives are ephemeral.

“Galaxy Picnic is my ode to self-reflection, self-love and self-accountability, and the antiquated roots that extend to and through this evolution of never-ending, ephemeral life—everlasting community,” Madden said.

The painting, an inch short of 8 feet tall, contains acrylic, charcoal, oil pastel and�� 23-karat gold leaf (on the metal cables).

“Building a sense of community while deepening individual relationships is the flow that we want to be centered on here in the Office of Undergraduate Education,” Maeda said. “We are honored to have this original work in our suite and invite everyone to stop by to take a look and say hello.”

Office of Undergraduate Education

The Office of Undergraduate Education oversees the academic undergraduate experience at 51�Թ���, provides extraordinary educational experiences, serves exploring students and collaborates with a variety of units to ensure that students have access to the resources they need to succeed.