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Maria Arvizu
SEEKING PEACE WITHIN
Az map, ink, and watercolor
My piece is trying to seek peace through nature and ourselves while struggling through mental hardships. I used various materials to capture the essence of peace within our true selves and also find it through nature.
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Maria Arvizu
PEACE AT LAST
Az map, clay, ink, and acrylic
This piece represents finding peace at last and feeling free from internal struggles. I cut up pieces from the map and attached them to the clay sculpture to represent putting the pieces back together and finding peace.
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Autumn Byars
IS THERE GOD IN THIS SADNESS?
AZ ground water map, acrylic paint, and cardboard
My piece deals with the question of depression. With my layers of cardboard, I invite you to descend into the pit that sits in my chest and ask the questions: Is God here with me in this sadness; is this sadness God?
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Autumn Byars
HOME
AZ map, colored pencil
My piece explores the concept of feeling at home in a physical space. The map depicts the West Valley, where I grew up; as I've gotten older, I've also learned to be at home in this body, trusting myself to be my own compass.
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Lea Byrnes
SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND
Map, ink, watercolor, and acrylics
For my piece, I utilized a mixed media technique of metallic and regular watercolors, ink, and Golden acrylic paint on a topographic map. The hands are seeking, but not yet finding; they don’t see the flowers in front of them.
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Lea Byrnes
FOUND
Map, mannequin, and pipe cleaners
My sculpture represents the beautiful flower of faith, love, and hope being found. I covered the mannequin in a map key and twisted pipe cleaners to create a rose.
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Mia Christensen
AGUILAS DEL DESIERTO
AZ map and ballpoint pen
My piece was created on a map of the Luke Airforce Base on the border of AZ and Mexico, an active military bombing range with a high mortality rate for migrants passing through to the border due to its dangerous conditions and restricted access from aid workers. ‘Los Aguilas del Desierto’, or “the Eagles of the Desert” is a group of volunteers who go out into the harsh desert in search of migrants in need of help and the bodies of those who perished.
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Mia Christensen
AGUILA
AZ map, Bristol paper, glue, and tape
Both my pieces are about a group of volunteers called ‘Los Aguilas del Desierto’, or “the Eagles of the Desert”, who go out into the harsh desert in search of migrants in need of aid or rescue. This 3D piece depicts the animal symbol chosen to represent this very strong and courageous group of people.
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Freddie Espinoza
AMONG THE LAND
AZ map, ink, watercolor, and colored pencil
Organic shapes are hidden among our maps. They form colorful representations of what is really there.
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Freddie Espinoza
GEOLOGICAL SUSTRUCTURE
AZ map and clay
We often apply our imagination to natural phenomena and organic shapes like clouds or a coffee stain. This piece also hides a familiar shape in the form of a geological structure.
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Nicole Everding
CAMERA
AZ map and cut paper
My piece displays a 3D model of a camera wrapped in an AZ map, which is a direct tie to my other piece ”Found Footage.” The camera is the vehicle in which “Found Footage” was filmed.
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Nicole Everding
FOUND FOOTAGE
AZ map and graphite
My piece presents a found footage horror film scene of a person being chased by a monster moments before the footage ends. The story takes place on the Jeep Trail found on the map.
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Riley Benitez Gaudette
TEN THOUSAND MOTHERS, FATHERS, BROTHERS, SISTERS, SONS, AND DAUGHTERS
Topographic map of the US-AZ/MX-SO border and markers
This piece includes a drawn map which represents the estimated 10,000 people who have lost their lives attempting to cross the border since the 1990s in search of a better, safer life for themselves and their loved ones. Last year, 2021, was the deadliest year on record with a total of 728 known deaths.
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Riley Benitez Gaudette
SEARCHING STILL
Geological map of AZ, styrofoam head, synthetic eyelashes, paint markers, reflective paper, and glue
This piece represents the journey of self-discovery that every person embarks on throughout their life. By layering different pieces of the topographic map and pairing that with a heavy focus on the figure’s eyes, the message is one of conscious learning and growth.
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Danielle Magluyan
MONSTER?
AZ map and ink
This piece portrays the search for a hidden monster under the bed. It is illustrated in a frantic, expressive manner, to portray the fear and anxiety of the search.
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Danielle Magluyan
MONSTER!
AZ map, clay, tin foil, and acrylic paint
This piece represents the actual finding of the monster. Since it is obscured from view, the viewer is required to turn their head and find the creature themselves, placing themselves in the narrative.
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Kellie M. Martinez
SEEK DIVINITY
AZ map, watercolor, and cut map paper
My piece is a glimpse into the cosmos. What are you worshiping?
Where is she taking you?
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Kellie M. Martinez
FINDING LIGHT
AZ map and matte acrylic paint
My piece represents hope. Find where you are going. Seek the light.
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Victoria Menge
MAPPING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INFLUENCER AND INTERESTED
AZ Map, acrylic, and ink
My 3D piece focuses on the current plant on-line trends. I used cut paper and acrylic to focus on the importance of genuinely caring for houseplants and the world around you, rather than just getting plants because that’s what will get you the most likes.
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Victoria Menge
ARIZONA ALTERNATIVES
AZ map, ink, watercolor, and watercolor pencil
My work depicts native and invasive plants that reside within the Coronado National Forest in Arizona. I’m using the plants to showcase the importance of learning about Arizona plants and being able to honor and take care of them as the effects of climate change continue to grow.
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Natalia V. Merdick-López
CAPTAIN CALLYPSOS’ PIRATE MAP
AZ map, ink, Micron pen, watercolor, and coffee
My piece was inspired by creating a fantasy-style pirate map. It uses fine line details to illustrate hidden cameos such as little bones, monsters, and fanciful creatures.
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Natalia V. Merdick-López
A PIRATE’S FINAL TREASURE
AZ map, Posca marker, ink, acrylic paint, Mod-Podge, and eyeshadow
My piece was inspired by the idea of a pirate’s final treasure: a pirate’s skull. The idea being, once they’re gone, only their bones remain.
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Elena M. Morales
THE PATH TO FIND GOLD
AZ map, ink, watercolor, stencil, and spray paint
As an artist, most of the time you are your own harshest critic. This piece was about letting go of all my judgement and just creating.
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Elena M. Morales
THE ORIGINAL VESSLE
AZ map, kids building blocks, and matt medium
All maps were used to map the new world. The only way we got here and most places was by boat.
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Serenity A. Nez
DRAGON HUNT
AZ map, Micron pen, and watercolor
My piece is a painting of a dragon from ancient China. The viewer is on a quest to look for the dragon.
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Serenity A. Nez
WELCOME TO THE LAIR
AZ map, metal wire, and air-dry clay
My piece is the physical dragon from the map. Instead of being fearsome, it is actually a wise and friendly dragon that grants wishes.
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Chele Pacheco
THE ARTIST
Az map, matte gel, watercolor, and acrylic
The cost of being an artist is a mixture of chaos and art. Some of the greatest masterpieces come from self-sacrifice and heartbreak, all entangled within the journey to find inspiration.
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Chele Pacheco
THE MUSE
Az map, 3D print of anatomical heart, wood canvas, matte gel, watercolor, and acrylic
The artistic journey of finding inspiration can be ignited within the most excruciating experiences. The decision to merge yourself as an artist within your art is an act of self-sacrifice that puts your heart on display for the world to see.
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Sarah Starks
THE DARK KINGDOM
Tucson map, ink, and cut paper
My piece imagines a world in which demons reside.
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Sarah Starks
TORTURED SOUL
Tucson map, ink, and paper mache
My piece depicts a soul found within an imagined demonic kingdom.
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Hannah Thomas
PERIODIC REFUGE
AZ map, found aspen leaves, preservative sealer, stainless steel pins, and water-based glue
Using found seasonal materials from the Northern Arizona area depicted on the map, my piece is a representation of the creative process and the impetus for inspiration. Familiar places often serve as muse, and a safe-haven for ideas to flourish, as before, or to be seen anew.
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Hannah Thomas
COALESCENCE
AZ map, wood, aluminum wire, water-based glue, acrylic paint, plexiglass, and gold foil
Inspired by the creative process, this piece represents the delineation and agglomeration of ideas through lateral thinking. Topographical shapes enlarged from the map bring form to the melding and shifting brainstorm that transfers vision into innovation.
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Ethan L. Tri
HIDDEN WITHIN THE BOARD
Az map, watercolor, and ink
This is a mid-match game of chess with the black knight piece missing. Finding the location of where to place the chess piece is key to winning.
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Ethan L. Tri
THE KNIGHT’S GAMBIT
Az map, hot glue, and cardboard
A chess piece is missing in this game of chess. Put the missing piece on the board where the piece is most likely to score a kill.
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Grace L. Vohs
SEEKING TRUTH
AZ map, cardboard, hot glue, and watercolor
My piece focuses on how humanity, symbolized by the hands, seeks truth, represented by the sphere. Humanity is complex, organic, with earthy tones; truth is structured and sunset colored, and it barely fits into the hands.
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Grace L. Vohs
FINDING HOME
AZ map, ink, watercolor, and acrylic paint
My piece shows how humanity tries to find what home means to us. For me, home is about the nature around me, influenced by my hometowns of Flagstaff, AZ and Incline Village (Lake Tahoe), and this piece portrays the serenity of home while keeping the actual home blank, because everyone’s definition of home is different.
The ASU Library acknowledges the twenty-three Native Nations that have inhabited this land for centuries. Arizona State University's four campuses are located in the Salt River Valley on ancestral territories of Indigenous peoples, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) Indian Communities, whose care and keeping of these lands allows us to be here today. ASU Library acknowledges the sovereignty of these nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for Native American students and patrons. We are advocates for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies within contemporary library practice. ASU Library welcomes members of the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh, and all Native nations to the Library.