Dozens of conversations and thousands of paintbrush strokes have brought to life a mural now on display in the Transformational Learning Corridor at the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). 

A Sept. 18 celebration revealing the mural, titled “The Light of Cooperation,” invited people from across the CVM community to review and reflect on the piece. 

The mural is the result of a collaboration between Milwaukee-based community mural artist Tia Richardson and CVM students, faculty, and staff, who participated in visioning sessions and painted the base of the mural, with Richardson and her team polishing the final look.

“Your participation brought it to life, brought meaning and value,” Richardson said in her remarks at the unveiling. “You guys shared your wisdom with me—that sharing is what I consider to be part of what makes this effort so unique because there are lots of different perspectives going into this mural at once.”

Featuring a diverse range of people and animals rendered in vibrant hues, the mural depicts scenes demonstrating the impact of veterinary medicine and science, from the CVM campus to a production barn to an Indigenous gathering site. The last image is an acknowledgement that the University of Minnesota Twin Cities is built within the traditional homelands of the Dakota people.

“It is so reflective of our history, the land on which we are built and that we continue to work and learn every day on, and the people who have been a part of that land throughout time,” CVM Dean Dr. Laura Molgaard said at the unveiling event.  

A DNA strand also weaves through the imagery, tying each scene together and serving as a reminder that as CVM and the world around it evolve, cooperation remains an integral part of its blueprint for success—a foundation for impactful education, research, and clinical practice.  

“Our interactions with each other can change us and our perceptions,” Richardson says. “So this mural can show how we do want change and we want to be better over time. And science and research are all about how to make things better, and we want that as human beings.”

The mural is the culmination of months of planning, discussion, and creation that began in April 2024 when Richardson first visited campus to lay the groundwork for the project. She, CVM Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Elizabeth Martinez-Podolsky, and community members looked to pull silos of the veterinary community together and celebrate the college's strengths and aspirations, honor the native land of the area, and include efforts to reach out to marginalized communities. In doing so, the mural captures a wide breadth of efforts at CVM while acknowledging the shared purpose this work has: to improve the health of animals, humans, and the environment. 

With so much wrapped up into one image, the impressions and feelings it may elicit from each viewer are unique. 

“When I look at that mural, I see people helping other people,” says Dr. Sue Spence, an associate professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences. “I see people helping animals and animals helping people. I see taking care of the environment, and I see being knowledgeable and kind.”

The mural is the latest addition to the Transformational Learning Corridor (TLC), an area in the lower level of the Large Animal Hospital at the center of a revamp to elevate experiential learning opportunities for DVM students. The TLC includes the student surgical suite, the Zone practice area, and the clinical and surgical skills training laboratory.  

While displayed in a student-focused area, Martinez-Podolsky hopes people from across CVM will visit the mural and find meaning and connection in its imagery—perhaps even seeing themselves and their story reflected among the brush strokes. 

“I hope that the mural provides an opportunity for growth and inspiration within our community for years to come,” she adds.