"UNLV Strong"
Haide Calle and Anjelo Vigilia, Undergraduate Art Majors

Our goal with this art piece is to promote healing to the UNLV community and to share personal characteristics of the victims to keep their memory going.

The still life shows a tea set with three individual cups to represent Jerry Cha-Jan Chang, Patricia Navarro Velez, and Naoko Takemaru coming together to share tea. The tea is symbolic of Chang, who often shared tea with students as he mentored them in his office. It is also a means of bringing comfort to the viewer by figuratively saying these individuals are at ease enjoying tea together.

Also on the table are items personal to each professor, creating a personal narrative of the victims for the viewer. The details came from the stories written about the professors or shared during the campus vigil held at UNLV in the week after the tragedy. For Navarro, we depicted a mic to represent her hobby of singing. For Takemaru, we depicted the book she wrote and published about how women are portrayed in the Japanese language. In memory of Chang, we depicted a fishing rod to represent his liking for ice fishing.

Finally, we finished our piece with a covering of flowers to represent healing and the flourishing of all the students who had the honor of learning under these great professors.

"The Hummingbird"
Kennedy Jackson, Undergraduate Theatre Arts Major

On the day of the incident, I saw a hummingbird near the flower bushes next to the Beam Hall. In some cultures a hummingbird signifies protection and in others it can mean change. Who knew that change would be so drastic for everyone on campus that day? I used a hummingbird soaring as the main focal point because of its resilience against the winds despite its small body. The hummingbird uses its weight and fast wings to its advantage, zooming through the air, through the tough drafts of wind.

Throughout the art piece, there is a string of yellow and peach that connects everything together, just as the campus community came together to protect each other that day and provide support afterward. I even reconnected with someone I'd never thought I’d see again. The small hearts throughout the piece symbolize the love and support that everyone had (and still has) for UNLV and those we lost that day. There's still a sense of love and support, just in case someone needs it. In smaller detail, there are groupings of three to symbolize the professors we lost that day. Even though I didn't know them personally, they were still people and therefore we all are connected somehow. The book with three hearts on it further symbolizes their shared profession.

"Ganbatte"
Rose Jiang, Undergraduate Biology Major

The title comes from what Takemaru-sensei would say to her students to wish them good luck: ganbatte, or "try your best." This memorial art piece is dedicated to Naoko Takemaru, professor of Japanese studies, a loving soul who brought warmth and encouragement into the lives of the people she taught, befriended, and cared for. Inspired by the cover for her book, Women in the Language and Society of Japan: The Linguistic Roots of Bias, this art piece commemorates her accomplishments as an author and teacher, as well as her passion for music and love for cats.

The grand piano symbolizes Takemaru-sensei's past as a concert pianist. Thee music sheets are titled "Ganbatte (がんばって)". The red sun in the distance represents her native country of Japan and her work to establish UNLV's Japanese studies program The sheet music also calls to another work of art that emerged after the events of December 6 — then Senbazura "1,000 Cranes" project. The music sheets on the piano represent the cranes that were made for her, slowly morphing into paper cranes as they are carried away by the wind toward the sun.

The white cat represents good fortune and purity and symbolizes hope and peace, which is dedicated to Takemaru-sensei herself.

The colors of the artwork are a mix of UNLV's colors as well as the warm tones used for Takemaru-sensei's book cover to embody her as a professor at UNLV and her passion as a musician, teacher, and pianist.

"Moment of Silence"
Jung Min, Visiting Assistant Art Professor

Despite the laughter of students and singing birds, passing the site of the Dec. 6 tragedy still fills me with deep sadness. As an Asian immigrant and a teacher at UNLV, the loss of Jerry Cha-Jan Chang and Naoko Takemaru brought the reality of loss to the forefront, making it deeply personal and all the more devastating.

In my drawing, I honor their memory with a moment of silence. It features a young girl holding a chrysanthemum, a flower that represents grief and remembrance in Asian culture. Enveloping her is a dark cloud that reflects the heartbreak of that day, while her bright yellow shadow symbolizes hope. The cloud transforms into ascending birds, representing a prayer for their spirits. This imagery illustrates how a single loss touches many lives, reminding us that together, we can rise from darkness toward healing.

This memorial is a personal tribute honoring those we lost. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, we can seek light and resilience. Through this work, I hope to connect with our community, fostering healing and understanding as we remember together.

Hopena Ross, Undergraduate Biochemistry Major

I chose to honor the victims who tragically passed away on December 6, 2023 through their cultural backgrounds. My artwork pays homage to the culture of Patricia Navarro Velez with a backdrop depicting a community in Puerto Rico full of brightly colored buildings with palm trees. The painting blends the tropical beach of Puerto Rico into a lake that has frozen over. There a man is fishing from the shore. I envisioned Jerry Cha-Jan Chang as the fisherman and how he would have enjoyed ice fishing here with his friends and family. A koi fish is shown jumping out of the lake as a reference to Naoko Takemaru, as carp are known in Asian culture for their ability to adapt to many climates and water conditions. It is a symbol of perseverance in the face of adversity, just as Naoko Takemaru was known for being resilient.

Portions of my painting were intentionally left unfinished symbolizing the sadly unfinished lives of the victims.

Camille Sweeney-Carter, Undergraduate Art Major

December 6, 2023 was the day our university lost three of its extraordinary professors. It was a senseless tragedy that has left a mark on all of our hearts. I have created this piece in remembrance of Jerry Cha-Jan Chang, Patricia Navarro Velez, and Naoko Takemaru. These three individuals left a lasting impression on those who knew them — their friends, family, colleagues, and students. They were an irreplaceable asset to our school and will be dearly missed.

Within my work, I chose to illustrate the victims' cultural backgrounds, something very important to each professor, using flags. It was also immensely important to me to incorporate a symbol for the teachers' passion for bringing people together. They seemed to be intent on creating a community, and this positively impacted those around them. This idea is represented using softly clasped hands in the color orange, a hue commonly used to symbolize unity. A brightly burning candle sits front and center, representing remembrance, hope, and safe passage to the other side.

Most importantly, the beautiful flame is meant to convey how each of the souls we lost were bright lights to anyone they touched. I wanted to make sure their glowing personalities and the joy they brought others was displayed for all to see. I hope my piece has done justice to the legacy of all victims of that horrendous day. My heart goes out to all family and friends. May your loved ones rest in peace.