Associate Dean of the Reynolds School of Journalism Kari Barber put together a short documentary, “The Muralist,” and presented it March 17 at the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. Barber worked with former and current journalism students at the university, and the product is incredible.
The documentary follows artist Connor Fogal and his journey of painting with cerebral palsy.
The documentary begins with scenes of a morning with Fogal and his caretaker. It then leads to his childhood story, and how he was adopted by a family that took him in after his birth mother couldn’t care for him due to addiction.
One day, Fogal saw his art teacher painting and was enamored by it. This is where his passion for art began. Fogal found a unique way to paint by attaching a paintbrush to his head. With this, the possibilities were endless and he was able to paint as he desired.
Fogal then discusses how it’s his dream to paint a mural. He applied and applied around, but nothing ever came through. Eventually, he was given the opportunity to paint a mural at the University of Nevada, Reno, in the Lilley Museum of Art. A big worry for Fogal was if his wheelchair would stop working. If a wheelchair breaks, it takes months and months in order to get it repaired; If the chair stopped working, so would he.
Bringing awareness to the fact that repairing wheelchairs brings even more challenges that disabled people have to face was very influential. This added even more depth to the documentary.
The camera work was exceptionally well done. Each scene throughout the entire documentary had a purpose. Following Fogal in his journey of painting this beautiful mural was beyond inspiring.
The interviews within the documentary were well conducted and gave much more perspective into his story. Seeing each stroke and watching the painting come to life evoked a feeling of awe in the audience. After watching the documentary, it feels as though Fogal is a friend and there’s a deep connection that’s formed while watching. The standing ovation was well deserved.
Fogal’s mural is currently in the Church of Fine Arts right outside the Lilley Museum, and if given the opportunity should be viewed.
Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or its staff. Vanessa Navratil is a student at the University of Nevada studying Journalism. She can be reached at emilyhess@sagebrush.unr.edu.
