Winning Sheep Shift Mural design ‘Endless Possibilities’ spotlights diversity and sustainability

Student artist Kimberly Morales Mcmullen spoke on the mural’s development process

By TALAR KESHISHIAN — arts@theaggie.org 

The Sheep Shift Mural Competition, initiated by the ASUCD Arts Committee, was announced with the intention of painting a mural on the blank wall across from California Hall. The mural is intended to capture the work of the Sheepmowers and the Big Shift, a UC Davis infrastructure project working toward fossil fuel reduction on campus.

The winning design was created by Kimberly Morales Mcmullen, a second-year cinema and digital media and design double major. Mcmullen’s design, “Endless Possibilities,” reflects efforts toward bridging community and sustainability in Davis. Mcmullen discussed how her passion for participating in art competitions fueled her desire to submit the design.

“I’ve always had a passion for competing in art competitions, whether I was going to win or lose them,” Mcmullen said. “I’ve always wanted to make meaningful art that wasn’t just going for the prompt being asked for, but what I saw through my eyes and what my experience was. I have [a] passion for art competitions, because to me, they are challenges that I see as growth and it helps me build that passion more for my major and career.”

Mcmullen expanded on the importance of creating art with messages that encourage the viewer to observe the world around them.

“My purpose is to share my art with meaning,” Mcmullen said. “I think there’s a lot of ways to send messages through art because then it makes the person think beyond just what the drawing is. I like that a lot because it lets you engage with the artists too and ask them what it means.” 

Substantial preparation went into transposing Mcmullen’s design from an iPad onto the larger canvas of the mural wall. 

“In the beginning, it was mainly figuring out how the small scale of the art would become large scale,” Mcmullen said. “We began by priming the wall and tracing onto it late at night in the cold during winter quarter. Tracing was the hard part, because I had to outline the whole thing on my iPad and we had to make sure everything was symmetrical and presentable on the wall.”

The team producing the mural has made efforts to incorporate students on campus and the civilians of Davis through Community Painting Days. The event promoted inclusivity by giving anyone, regardless of art experience, the opportunity to work on the mural.

“I had coworkers, their friends and other random people that would pass by to help,” Mcmullen said. “It’s really nice to have different people work on it.”

When she approached creating her design, Mcmullen made it a priority to integrate the diverse Davis community. A Hispanic mother and child and a Punjabi woman are featured in her design to embrace ethnic diversity, according to Mcmullen.

“The kid is part of the newer generation, and the woman can be a sister or mother,” Mcmullen said. “The kid is pointing at the hummingbird, showing how exposing the newer generation to nature and the environment can help create an eco-friendly community for the future.”

Other components of the mural capture iconic symbols associated with Davis, such as an egghead, turkeys, the water tower and even the elusive campus cat Cheeto.

“I took the Arboretum for inspiration by including the poppies and the ducks,” Mcmullen said. “They pinpoint Davis too.”

The Sheep Shift was the primary inspiration of the mural, but Mcmullen expanded upon the theme in later iterations of her design. The sheep in the center of the mural are the focal point of the piece, but emanating outwards from that centerpoint are heat waves that stretch all the way across the mural.

“The engineers wanted something more climate change-related, so I added heat waves,” Mcmullen said. “The heat waves on the right side have warmer tones and the other side has cooler tones, representing colder winters.”

Throughout the designing process, Mcmullen kept in mind the Sheepmowers and the Big Shift’s mission to lower carbon emissions on campus.

“The sustainable part of the mural is promoting the Big Shift toward sustainable methods,” Mcmullen said. “The water tower, solar panels and Sheepmowers are promoting the work that The Big Shift is trying to campaign.”

The mural competition was held in conjunction with a poetry competition that requested participants to submit climate-inspired words, which would be incorporated into the mural’s design.

“In a world of uncertainty, our actions bring hope to our future,” the mural reads. “With resilience and sustainability, we can create change with endless possibilities.”

Ultimately, the mural aims to encourage viewers to observe and embrace the natural world in which community thrives. It is in the minutiae of daily life, from friends bonding to flowers blooming by the sidewalk, that the mural finds its meaning and celebrates the Davis campus community, according to Mcmullen. 

“A message for the viewer within the art is to recognize that you are a part of change and sustainability, working toward an eco-friendly environment,” Mcmullen said. “It all starts with being kind to each other and finding meaning in things you take for granted.”

The mural is expected to be completed near the end of June 2026. Located across from California Hall, the mural is proof of the thoughtful work and dedication of UC Davis students and community members.

Written by: Talar Keshishian — arts@theaggie.org