UTD Alum’s Work Displayed on a Grand Scale

Standing in front of an enormous mural, Nini Phan BA’22 is dwarfed by the size of an installation she created. The educational mural she designed was on display this summer at a Dallas shopping center and focused on the importance of reading for young children. Its information was hard to miss at more than 30 feet wide. 

“It was a lot of work and took a long time to figure out exactly what I wanted to feature because we had so much great information showcasing the importance of early literacy,” said Phan, a design and development associate for Dallas nonprofit Catch Up & Read. “According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, being able to read by third grade is a recognized benchmark for predicting high school graduation.”  

Phan was invited by the Galleria Dallas, an upscale shopping complex, to create the large mural for display during the month of July. Galleria Dallas offers mural space to community organizations that can fill it with art and information to bring attention to issues or spotlight causes. Catch Up & Read provides tutoring for reading to young students, as well as evidence-based resources for teachers working with students to achieve literacy proficiency by the third grade, which Phan said is an important milestone for student success in school and life. 

Phan’s mural focused on elementary students and their parents by offering information like the five pillars of reading, helpful summer reading tips and ways for parents to encourage kids to read at home.   

“The pillars of reading give students the foundation to read for their entire lives,” Phan said. “I did the design, but it took a lot of brainstorming and feedback from the literacy coaches at Catch Up & Read to make sure we provided crucial information that would be helpful to children and their families.” 

Elsewhere in the Galleria, Catch Up & Read offered events throughout the month, like summer story times and the hosting of children’s book authors who read from their works. 

Phan graduated in 2022 from what was then UT Dallas’ School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communications, which was renamed in 2023 the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology. With her focus on critical media studies and the addition of design courses, Phan said the school helped her realize a desire to use her creative skills to serve the community. 

“Along with classes that included research and writing, my coursework in critical media studies was enlightening because we explored and analyzed the impact of media on our society,” Phan said. “My studies really pushed me to develop critical thinking skills, and the inclusive learning environment helped me explore my creative potential.”