Anna Dugan 鈥13 Commissioned to Paint 鈥楥elebration of Belonging鈥 Mural at Boston Venue
Image by Danny Dugan
The "Celebration of Belonging" mural by art & design alumna Anna Dugan '13 now greets guests when they enter TD Garden in Boston. Dugan was named the inaugural TD Garden House Artist.
03/08/2024
By Ed Brennen
Anna Dugan 鈥13 must have read the email a dozen times.
鈥淚s this a scam?鈥 the art & design alumna thought. 鈥淭here's no way.鈥
But it was legit: She had been selected as the inaugural TD Garden House Artist and was receiving a $10,000 commission to paint a mural inside the main Causeway Street entrance of the Boston arena, where countless sports fans and concertgoers would see her work for years to come.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a humbling honor,鈥 says Dugan, whose recently completed 鈥淐elebration of Belonging鈥 mural is the first installment of a program that commissions local artists from underrepresented communities 鈥渢o create transformative art in and around the arena.鈥 The program is part of TD Bank鈥檚 $15 million 鈥淎ccess the Arts鈥 initiative.
Dugan, a Filipino American, lives in Salem, Massachusetts with her husband, music alum Danny Dugan 鈥14. She applied for the program last August with little expectation of being chosen 鈥 despite her of murals and public art.
鈥淚 applied more as a way to combat impostor syndrome, which is something that can really consume you as a creative if you let it,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 try to actively tell myself that I deserve to be in these spaces and to get recognized.鈥
Image by Danny Dugan
Anna Dugan '13 spent three weeks painting her TD Garden mural, which includes a mix of Celtics and Bruins legends, performing artists, fans and arena staff members.
Dugan was visiting family and painting a mural in the Philippines, on a trip partially funded by a grant from the New England Foundation of Art, when she got the email last November.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been such a dream since then 鈥 pinch-me moment after pinch-me moment,鈥 she says.
Dugan spent three weeks painting the mural, which covers two 300-square-foot walls on either side of the main entrance. She arrived on the commuter rail by 7 a.m. each morning and cleared out by 3 p.m., before arena doors opened for events.
Other than being given the theme of 鈥淥ur Home,鈥 Dugan said TD Garden officials were 鈥渟o wonderful about trusting my vision, my perspective and my style,鈥 which she describes as modern folk art.
There are several familiar faces on her vibrant mural: Larry Bird and Jayson Tatum of the Celtics; Johnny Bucyk and Brad Marchand of the Bruins; musicians such as the Beatles, Elton John and SZA. But just as prominent are the faces of actual fans and arena staff members.
鈥淚t's great to have the legends up there, but I wanted to include all the elements that make TD Garden feel like home, which includes the fans, the ushers, the food attendants,鈥 says Dugan, who photographed several of those people at arena events to reference for the mural.
Image by Anna Dugan
Anna Dugan '13, who began painting murals during the COVID-19 pandemic, describes her style as modern folk art.
TD Garden President Glen Thornborough says she did just that.聽
鈥淎nna Dugan's work embodies the inclusive and joyful spirit that TD Garden aims to cultivate,鈥 Thornborough said in a press release. 鈥淗er bold use of color, compelling storytelling and unique perspective truly transforms the arena's entrance, enhancing the sense of community and belonging we strive to foster.鈥
Dugan finds it funny that she uses bold, bright colors, considering she was 鈥渁fraid鈥 to work in color while pursuing her B.F.A. from 51视频.
鈥淚 thought I would ruin my work if I started doing color over it, because I always loved patterns and line work,鈥 she says. 鈥淥nce I threw that out the window, my whole world exploded in the best way. I don鈥檛 think my college self would recognize me now. I鈥檝e grown so much as a person and also as an artist.鈥
Dugan tried several jobs outside of the art world after earning her degree, but always found herself coming back to art in her spare time.聽
鈥淚 was always fiddling with something 鈥 drawing, photography, painting on bottles. My friends were like, 鈥楽he鈥檚 doing a thing, but I don鈥檛 know how to explain it,鈥欌 says Dugan, who now signs her murals with the handle @annadidathing.
Image by Danny Dugan
TD Garden will formally unveil the mural by house artist Anna Dugan '13 later this month.
After a chalk art period, which she showcased at Dugan Hall in 2019, Dugan transitioned to painting murals in 2020 鈥 just as the COVID-19 pandemic was taking hold and Jersey barriers were going up for outdoor dining at restaurants.
鈥淭hey looked so militant聽鈥斅爒ery gloomy and industrial,鈥 says Dugan, who painted bright and cheerful designs on more than 100 of the barriers in Salem and neighboring towns on the North Shore.
While Dugan is used to her work being seen by the public, the TD Garden mural 鈥渃ranks it up to 11,鈥 she says. She has been overwhelmed by the positive response so far.
鈥淚t underscores how much the space means to so many people,鈥 says Dugan, who anticipates a 鈥渂ump鈥 in work after being named the first TD Garden House Artist 鈥 a one-year title that entails just the one project.
鈥淎 cool thing that鈥檚 happened since going full-time as a muralist is that my list of projects gets smaller each year, but the project scope gets bigger,鈥 she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e been able to find my lane in large-scale projects.鈥
As she looks toward the future, she is savoring the present.
鈥淚 am living through what could potentially be the absolute highlight of my career, and being cognizant of that is wild,鈥 she says. 鈥淚'm very happy, and so dang proud of myself.鈥