The UC Davis alumna has been working as an illustrator and graphic designer for over a decade
BY JONAH BERMAN – arts@theaggie.org
On their next visit to The Davis Collection, Davis students and residents now have an opportunity to see multiple new murals. Painted in vibrant blues, greens and yellows, the assortment of hand-painted artworks are now on display in the brand new shopping center.
These new murals are available for viewing thanks to UC Davis alumna Lily Therens, a Sacramento-based designer and illustrator. Therens has been working as a visual artist for over a decade, and recently transitioned to a full-time freelancer.
Therens didn’t originally plan on a career in the arts. In fact, she attended UC Davis with the intention of declaring a major in environmental science. However, her ambitions shifted after taking a design course to fulfill her General Education (GE) requirements. Enthralled by the course, Therens eventually switched to being an art history and design double major.
“It was kind of just listening to my instincts that I had been ignoring for a while,” Therens said.
Therens took a particular interest in illustration courses during her time at UC Davis. She noted how learning illustration further ignited her passion, providing her with a skillset that she regularly uses to this day.
Notably, Therens’ time at Davis — especially her art history coursework — led her to find inspiration from a plethora of sources. She specifically touched on the ways that modernism influenced her as she developed her style, sharing her affinity for bold color palettes and “anything that was sort of tongue-in-cheek thematically;” design aspects that are now a staple in Therens’ works.
“I always try to do something that infuses a silliness or a story into [the piece] that gives it a little bit more levity,” Therens said.
The process for creating her murals at The Davis Collection began almost two years ago, when the property developers reached out in late 2023 after learning about Therens’ previous designs for the city. Therens began creating her designs before the buildings were completed, working extensively with both The Davis Collection developers and the City of Davis.
Although Therens had significant creative control when designing her sprawling murals, the city communicated which images they did and didn’t want represented; specifically, the city felt the murals should branch out from over-represented images of Davis.
“We didn’t want it to feel really cliche, so we [didn’t] want to see overdone images of bicycles, agriculture and cows,” Therens said.
Another thing the City of Davis emphasized was the importance of how Indigenous practices — specifically land stewardship — would be reflected in the murals in addition to the broader topography and geography of the town.
Outside of Nordstrom Rack, Therens’ largest mural out of the three within The Davis Collection features an assortment of symbols that highlight native foods and vegetation, outlined in earthy green, brown, yellow and blue.
Therens’ second mural, taking up the south corner of Mendocino Farms, captures figures enjoying the scene set out before them, depicting a rich Arboretum-like space with plenty of plants and animals.
Therens hoped that when visitors saw her murals, they would appreciate them as a representation of how Davis has grown to encompass so many unique and treasured elements — beyond the common cliches that descriptions of the town fall into.
“Hopefully it feels like a more accurate representation of daily life in Davis and what community is,” Therens said. “I would love if people felt that the pieces I created are representative of a community that is long-lasting, beyond what it’s known as on the UC Davis brochures.”
While Therens already has a substantial portfolio, she still has some dream projects she’d like to check off her list. She specifically cited the Pabst Blue Ribbon annual Art Contest, which searches for new beer can designs, as something that she’d love to contribute to.
“I do a lot of work with the food and beverage industry, and I’d love to design retail packaging,” Therens said.
As Therens looks back on her time at UC Davis, she advises current students to focus on the importance of finding the convergence between passion, individual talents and style.
“Find the things that make you happy and find the way to make that your bread and butter,” Therens said.
The new murals at The Davis Collection serve as a testament to the way perceptions of Davis have developed past pre-conceived notions, throughout our town’s storied history. Similarly, Therens views a willingness to upend our own expectations as a crucial part of our lived experiences.
“There are things out there that you don’t even know exist as careers,” Therens said. “When I first attended Davis, I didn’t know that art and design could be a pursuable career, let alone a focus, you know?”
Written by Jonah Berman — arts@theaggie.org
