Student Makes Her Mark — Literally
By Chelsey Kraft
Thanks to a current student, visitors to Gaylord College will be greeted by a mural that captures the spirit of the building and its people.
Lisa Maslovskaya, a rising sophomore creative media production major, recently completed the mural located right outside the Student Services offices. This is the spot from which tours with prospective students and other guests leave.
Maslovskaya is from Moscow, Russia, but moved to Norman in high school. Her twin brother, Jacob, also attends OU, where he studies computer science. During the COVID-19 quarantine, Maslovskaya’s mother asked her to paint some murals inside their house. Now, several walls are decorated with Maslovskaya’s artwork, all featuring different themes and different paintings.
At the start of her freshman year at OU, Maslovskaya started to develop a dream of painting something on campus too. She later mentioned this to Lee Reynolds, director of community and alumni relations, who responded with “I have a perfect wall for you.”
“The idea behind it was I wanted to give a sneak peek into what goes on behind the walls at Gaylord College because you never know what’s going to happen there,” Maslovskaya explained. “I just wanted to represent the chaotic atmosphere and the creative atmosphere we have in here.”
Elements within the mural include newspapers and cameras, books to represent knowledge gained during college, names of the various clubs and some facts about Gaylord. It also features a 3D font to capture a vintage style similar to that of newspapers in the 1960s and ‘70s. Visit Maslovskaya’s YouTube channel for a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the mural.
This year, Maslovskya will start as a Gaylord Ambassador. She is also part of Crimson Club and has been involved in Gaylord through Lindsey + Asp, OU Nightly, Gameday U and Sooner Sports Pad. Every Wednesday for OU Nightly, she reported in her native Russian.
Maslovskaya started the mural project in May, painting for about five hours each morning for two weeks. She said she kept it a secret for a while because she wanted to surprise people.
“I was always telling people, ‘My dream is to paint a little something there,’ and it was surreal to actually have it there,” Maslovskaya shared. “I just want people to know that everything is possible and connections can get you anywhere. You just have to be daring, and you just have to talk to people and ask for what you want. It might feel unrealistic, but it’s actually really serious. People want you to succeed here.”
“You just have to be daring, and you just have to talk to people and ask for what you want. It might feel unrealistic, but it’s actually really serious. People want you to succeed here.” - Lisa Maslovskaya
