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Monday, April 13, 2026
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Meet the Artists Behind the 2026 Lehman Lecture Mural
The artists at work.
April 13, 2026
Three Lehman College student artists brought their collective talent and personal vision to “Academic Tags,” the mural created for the 2026 Lehman Lecture featuring The Kid Mero. The large-scale painting was over six months in the making. Under the guidance of Art chair Gina Dominique Hersey, the artists collaborated while drawing on individual strengths shaped by life challenges, ambition, and a belief in art’s power to connect with others.
Estephanie Quiroz, a senior pursuing a BFA in art with a concentration in painting and a minor in early childhood education, has loved art since childhood. She has built an artistic practice focusing on oils and acrylics and a commitment to making art fun, expressive, and accessible. After she graduates, she plans to commission into the Navy Reserve as an officer, pursuing a future that allows her to serve while remaining connected to art.
Reflecting on the process of creating a mural, she said the group began with a commitment to representing inspiring elements of the Bronx—Lehman College being a prime example—and “elements that reflected our style in the painting.”
“We started by doing a lot of sketches and putting them together like a puzzle. Once we had the vision we wanted, we started working on the canvas itself,” she said.
Tasheba Gallimore did a lot of those preliminary sketches. “I think the final sketch I did was one we all liked a lot,” she said. “We were like, yeah, we could go off of this.”
Graduating in May with a BA in painting, she draws creative inspiration from her everyday surroundings, especially nature. Her paintings are shaped in part by her early childhood in Jamaica. She plans to pursue graduate study in Europe as she continues to advance her artistic career.
Rumarie Denizard began working on the mural while they were a student and graduated in January 2026 with a BA in studio art. An older student who previously studied healthcare, hospitality, acting, and culinary arts, they came to the project with a broad range of life experience. Denizard is planning a career in art therapy, where they can help others heal through the creative process.
“I hope this mural inspires more people to follow their dreams and what they love to do, especially if they find themselves in hard times,” she said. “That’s what happened to me, and it became my therapy. I’m hoping it will bring inspiration to someone else one day.”
See the artists at work here.