University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno student Stephen Myler won the Spring 2024 School of the Arts Sticker Contest. Selected by a panel that includes representatives from both the School of the Arts and ÁùºÏ±¦µä Museum of Art, Myler’s screen-printed artwork, entitled “Eclectus LP,” uniquely combines his love for both art and music in a bite-sized homage to iconic jazz album covers of the 1960’s.
The School of the Arts Sticker Contest highlights original artwork submissions by University students of various backgrounds and disciplines.
“I started school at Truckee Meadows Community College and transferred to the University and chose art education as my major because I love teaching people. My other great passion is music and so my art has kind of evolved to a point where I’m combining the two – it’s always been a goal of mine and now I’m seeing success with it,” Myler says.
In the realms of screen-printing as a primary artistic medium, Myler has only recently delved into mastering the craft.
“As an art education major you have to go through every medium,” Myler said. “I got permission to enroll in advanced screen-printing class, which is my last art class I have to take here, and I really took to the medium because I love drawing, but I love color, too. This gave me a chance to experiment with both of those in different ways.”
In the beginning stages of creating the sticker, Myler had a friend take shots of him playing the trumpet. Those photographs then were repurposed in Photoshop and Illustrator — a process that spanned multiple weeks to perfect.
“I was looking at the art from both a musical and artistic standpoint — being involved in jazz and being inspired by older jazz albums — and I realized that everybody kind of talks about vinyl as this incredibly eclectic and antiquated thing," Myler said. "I thought to myself: ‘What if I printed [my art] on vinyl records? It’s like taking an old medium that is going extinct and revitalizing it.’”
Drawing inspiration from surrealist artists such as Salvador Dali, Myler also highlights comic books, Dungeons and Dragons and fantasy as major influences.
“Right now, I’m really looking at artists that are trying to take something old and turn it into something new,” he reflects. “My plan, going forward, is to take the medium of screen-printing and take vinyl, cassettes, and CD’s to use as a basis for my screen-printing.”
When asked of any advice he would give to aspiring artists who might want to submit their work for the 2024 Fall Sticker Contest, Myler kept it simple: “Just do it. The more you create, the better you get.”
The School of the Arts, part of the College of Liberal Arts, is currently accepting submissions for the Fall 2024 sticker. All University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno undergraduate and graduate students majoring or minoring in a School of the Arts department — visual arts, theatre and dance, and music — are eligible to participate. Submissions must be received by Friday, April 26, 2024. The winner receives a $200 commission award and of course, stickers. For information about how to apply, visit the School of the Arts Sticker Competition website.
The Spring 2024 stickers will be available on the University campus at the Joe Crowley Student Union front desk and the Welcome Center, and at the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center information kiosk. They are also available off-campus at the Sierra Arts Foundation, located at 17 South Virginia Street in downtown Reno, and Sundance Books and Music, located at 121 California Avenue in midtown Reno.
