Bethany Little Brings SOUL Concept to Life with Winning Mural Design

As a sophomore design communications major at Belmont, Bethany Little was excited when she heard about the opportunity to design a mural for the University's SOUL campus theme.  

"I chose to enter the contest because I wanted to push myself,” she said. “I wanted to take advantage of the opportunities we get here at Belmont to develop our skills and get real world experience." 

In describing what "SOUL" means to her, Little said it represents the qualities of a true Belmont student, someone "who is striving to succeed while also being generous with their time" and "willing to go the extra mile to make someone else feel welcome."  

Little's creative process involved doing numerous thumbnail sketches until she landed on the concept that best embodied the spirit of SOUL. "I had some other cool concepts but nothing that I felt embodied Belmont the way this one did," she said.  

In her winning design, Little sought to capture that sense of unity and connection she has felt since the moment she stepped onto campus. "From the first preview day until now, I've felt nothing but welcomed, and I love being a part of a community of belonging," she explained. "I wanted to create a design that was kind of funky and bold. The line weaved between the letters felt like such a unifying element to the piece." 

Translating the design to the mural format presented some challenges, particularly in terms of finding the right color palette and sizing the elements to fit the sloped wall. But Bethany is thrilled with the result, which she hopes will "brighten someone's day and add a little more color to our already beautiful campus." 

Beyond the visual impact, this experience has been tremendously valuable for Little's growth and future goals. "This process has taught me so much about client collaboration and the real-world considerations that go into public art projects," she reflected. "I can absolutely see myself pursuing more work in this realm, whether it's murals, branding or other community-focused design initiatives." 

In the coming weeks, Bethany's vibrant, unifying mural will be installed on a wall outside the Massey Performing Arts Center, where it is sure to inspire and uplift the entire community.  

"I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity," she says, "and I hope the mural will remind people of the special community we have here."