When she was in high school, Destiny Turner had already set goals for her career as an artist, but she was unsure that college was the right track for her. Now, three years later, the Spartan studio art major realizes that saying yes to UNC Greensboro was just the first of a series of opportunities that led to her first public art installation.
A Walk in the Park
On a beautiful fall day, Turner stands with representatives from Greensboro Parks and Recreation and other city officials at the ribbon cutting for Mayer Park. The newly renovated public park, in the Brice Street neighborhood adjacent to UNCG’s campus, now features a sidewalk mural painted by Turner.
The Mayer Park mural project began in the spring of 2024 when Turner’s design was chosen among six student artists who presented their work to city officials at the Greensboro Project Space (GPS). Caitlyn Schrader, of GPS, facilitates connections like these between UNCG School of Art and the City of Greensboro enabling students to share their art with the public.
“The Mayer Park mural was a wonderful opportunity for our students to gain real-world experience in deepening their understating of making art reflective of their local communities,” says Schrader. “Destiny’s design is an example of how the arts continue to be a thread that connects our institution and our surrounding communities.”
A Blanket of Art for a Shared Space
When Turner first saw the park, it was an empty lot; but after researching the demographics of the area, she immediately understood the assignment. Her winning design features a quilt pattern, highlighting motifs and patterns that are consistent across quilts from various cultures in the country.
“Especially in America, quilting is something that is a part of the background of everybody’s culture,” she explains. “It represents shared fate and space.”
After a complete overhaul by the city of Greensboro, Mayer Park now features a dog run, a basketball half-court, playground equipment, and picnic areas. It is the perfect tucked-away space to serve UNCG students and young families living in the apartments and homes around this shared recreation space. The sidewalk that runs through the lawn is brightly painted with Turner’s vibrant quilt design.
Experience ‘Made in Italy’
Although Turner’s design was inspired by American quilts and she credits local organizations like Creative Greensboro for the chance to paint her first public mural, her interest in mural painting was sparked by a study abroad experience in Italy.
Turner wanted to study abroad from the minute she arrived on campus. After finding out she was too late to go on a group trip to Costa Rica with her Spanish class, she discovered an opportunity in Florence, Italy for art students. She worked with UNCG’s financial aid office to make sure her Pell grants and other scholarships would assist with the expenses she needed to spend a semester of her sophomore year overseas.
“My trip to Florence was not just my first time flying, but my first time out of the country,” she explains. “I was scared, but I was so determined to go.”
While in Florence, taking classes at Lorenzo de Medici Institute, Turner was invited to work with an Italian street artist on a mural for the school’s 50th anniversary.
“I never considered public art until I went to Florence,” she says. “It broadened my horizons of what I thought would be possible for me as an artist. I never would’ve been able to create this sidewalk mural without my study abroad experience, and the fact that it is so affordable to study abroad at UNCG definitely helped.”
The Art of Destiny
The opportunities Destiny Turner found at UNCG have advanced her art far beyond what she expected when she was a high schooler questioning whether college was for her.
Now, as a third-year student who has just completed her first solo art installation, Turner looks ahead to graduating with distinction from Lloyd International Honors College in 2026. She appreciates the guidance she has absorbed from teachers like Mariam Aziza Stephan, the drawing instructor who encouraged her to study abroad and nominated her for the Mayer Park mural project.
“I have seen Destiny’s willingness to try new things, engage with new ideas and artistic processes,” says Stephan. “Upon her return from Florence, I had the feeling that her approach to drawing became more rigorous. A rigor that comes from seeing more of the world and not being afraid of failing by taking risks because you have a larger perspective of risks that can be taken. Destiny has been one of the hardest working students that I have had the pleasure to teach, and I expect she will continue to surprise me.”
When asked about how she feels about her design being a part of the Greensboro parks system forever, Turner pauses at the gravity of the question. “The idea of having something permanent in the world – of my art and my ideas – has always been my goal as an artist. I hope to be able to impact the world through my art.”
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications.
Videography by Grant Gilliard, University Communicaitons.
