The University of Toledo

My earliest memories of art are from my childhood, I spent hours drawing with my mother and
grandmother. They taught me how to enjoy using my imagination as entertainment and how my art is
my world where no one can tell me what to do or what not to do. I have always seen art as a way to
express myself, while simultaneously escaping from the limitations of reality. I came to the University of
Toledo, in 2002 with the confidence that I was talented artistically and would not be challenged. I could
not have been more wrong, the University of Toledo helped me to learn that true artists respect their
craft enough to put all they have into each project. Since then, I have also earned my Masters in Social
Work from University of Toledo and believe it or not I relied on the skills I learned in my art classes a
great deal. To this day I consider myself an artist and regularly work on personal projects. I prefer to
work with drawings and plan to one day publish my own graphic novel.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put together one of the most inspirational and prolific speech’s I have ever
heard, the famous “I’ve been to the Mountain Top” speech was my point of reference for this work. I
wanted to reflect on the ongoing mission that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. presented us with on April 3
rd
,
1968. I believe the artwork should show a positive view of the progress of this country since that day
and at the same time the continued determination necessary to completely fulfill the dream of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr.

I am Nathan Perez, majoring in Art. I plan to apply for the Bachelor of Fine Arts soon. I
am a freshman and I come from Columbus, Ohio. I’ve lived in Canada, Guatemala, and Mexico
before arriving in the U.S in 1996. I encountered many hardships such as racism, poverty, and at
one point was considered homeless. However, I managed to fight hard for my future and became
the first in my family to attend college. Art is a passion that I developed over the years. My life
experiences, music, my Black and Latino heritage, and the world including themes focusing on
social ills have heavily influenced me

It means so much to me because it is part of my rich heritage, and we as a whole have
been through many milestones. From a dark past of slavery, we fought for what was right and
accomplished much through the Civil Rights Movement. We weave new paths and create history
with our rich culture and background, which has helped us grow stronger. The people in the
picture show various political, historical, and civil figures from Martin Luther King Jr, President
Obama, Thurgood Marshall, and Jesse Jackson to entertainment icons such as Jackie Robinson,
Michael Jackson, Tupac and more. It’s not just politics and entertainment figures as whole but
the important milestones to get to where we are going. Our work is far from over. We need to
continue to provide a better future for each other, our children, and our community.

Agreement form Due Feb. 6th

Art Due Feb. 27

Agreement form Due Feb. 20th

Art Due Mar. 12

Agreement form Due June 18th

Art Due July 9

Agreement form Due June 18th

Art Due July 9                           

Agreement form Due June 18th

Art Due July 9

Agreement form Due July 16th

Art Due Aug. 6th

Agreement form Due July 23rd

Art Due Aug. 20th

Agreement form Due Aug. 20th

Art Due Sept. 10th