NSU 2024 Art Car 'Bubble Gum River' makes statement about breast cancer awareness

NATCHITOCHES - The 2024 Mazda Miata art car, a design project for student in Northwestern State University's Department of Fine and Graphic Art, made a statement about breast cancer awareness while also incorporating themes of motion and color.

Nelson Tamez of DeRidder created the design for the vehicle, beginning with the prompt Jinba Attai, a Japanese phrase that translates as "person and horse as one body," one of Mazda's prominent design philosophies. When selecting colors for his design, Tamez incorporated the bight pink associated with breast cancer awareness. 

Titled "Bubble Gum River," the hand-painted Mazda, was on display in front of A.A. Fredericks Auditorium during Christmas Gala week and through the end of the semester to showcase the talents and teamwork of NSU art students. 

"My mother's aunt died when I was around five," Tamez said. "My mom was super close to her. She inspired her to come here to the United States from Mexico. When she was on her deathbed, my aunt said 'You've got to live your life. You can't stay here forever.' It had an impact on my mom and by proxy it had an impact on me."

Tamez's family is involved with DeRidder's race for breast cancer awareness and the pink t-shirts worn by participants. When his parents viewed the car, his mother asked if he chose the color with breast cancer in mind. Other design elements came from the suggested prompts put forth by Professor of Art Collier Hyams, who has organized the Mazda art car design projects for students for several years. The student whose design is awarded a scholarship for the spring semester. 

"The curving design suggests motion, color and horse-and-rider. The shapes were inspired by radio waves, or echo locations, so everything is coming from the driver, and it's supposed to communicate how the driver is an extension of the vehicle and vice versa," Tamez said. "It's coming to the driver's seat, it's coming off of the wheels, it's coming off of the lights. Whenever you're driving, you're not thinking you're using the car, you are just driving."

Tamez credited Hyams, Professor Sculpture Corbin Covher and his fellow students for help with executing the design. The team included Harlee Manry of Cloutierville, Tatum VanderHey of Sulphur, Koda Shoemake of Morgan City and Cameron Murphy of Rustom, all members of Kappa Pi, the honor society and graphic art. Tamez is president of NSU's Camma Mu chapter of Kappa Pi.

"Their work is reviewed by an international company and judged by Mike Zagami of Mazda North American Operations. In art we consider this a very good resume item," Hyams said. 

Information on NSU's Department of Fine and Graphic Arts is available at https://www.nsula.edu/art/.

Art Car:
Nelson Tamez is designer of the 2024 Mazda art car, which he and a team of students executed. From left are Tamez, Harlee Manry, Tatum VanderHey, Koda Shoemake and Cameron Murphy.