Spotlight: Annie Nugget, alumna artist

Annie Nugget works on the “Be The Sea” mural in 2021. COURTESY OF ANNIE NUGGET.

On March 27, Annie Nugget, a multidisciplinary artist who graduated from NSU in 2016, will lead a discussion on her “Be the Sea” (2021) mural in the Writing and Communication Center.

Nugget created several murals that are displayed at NSU, including “Realizing Potential” (2016) on the first floor of the University Center.

“I painted [“Realizing Potential”] as a senior project back in 2016,” Nugget said. “I figured, ‘Here’s this huge wall. Do you guys want me to do a huge painting?’ And they thought it was a really good idea. So, where it was installed, it wasn’t originally supposed to go there, but they saw the opportunity to put it there. And I’m still super proud of it.”

Nugget described her art as “an avenue for me to further explore myself as a first generation Vietnamese American.”

One piece Nugget made that has resonated with her is “The Little Things” (2021), a com-missioned painting about little things in life that can make people happy. Her client suggested references for things that make him happy, like his dog and his trips to New York.

“It really united with my style as somebody who just really likes to paint things that makes them happy,” said Nugget. “It just helped me to learn a lot more about what I really enjoy doing when it comes down to painting.”

Nugget attributes her artistic style to ‘90s animation. Growing up, she watched anime such as “Inuyasha,” “Sailor Moon” and “Fruits Basket,” as well as American cartoons like “Courage the Cowardly Dog.”

Annie Nugget works on “Patience sculpture,” which won best-in-show at NSU’s Student Juried Competition in 2015. COURTESY OF ANNIE NUGGET.

“I felt like animation was something that was somewhat of an escape when I would watch it. So I’d like to incorporate a lot of that kind of feeling into my own work,” said Nugget.

Originally, Nugget, who also attended the NSU University School, started at NSU as a bi-ology major to pursue dentistry. She switched to the art program for her last two years when she realized she was more passion-ate about art.

Throughout her time at NSU and the NSU University School, she considers several professors to be instrumental in shaping her artistic style. One of them is Melanie Cohen, NSU University School teacher. “She was the person that really planted the seeds and was like “Annie, you’re an artist,” said Nugget.

Right now, Nugget is working with a Vietnamese com-munity to create murals for companies like restaurants and nail salons. Nugget appreciates working with the community because it allows her to express herself as a Vietnamese American.

Annie Nugget wears a sculpture she made from 2016. COURTESY OF ANNIE NUGGET.

Additionally, Nugget is working on a vinyl wrap for NSU’s Shark Shuttle.

“To be able to see my art into a new form, I think that it further solidifies why I love doing art as a multidisciplinary artist, because I like that I’m not just doing one thing. I get to see my art in different lights and be able to expose it to people in a way that people can resonate with my artwork,” said Nugget. “It’s so different and it also further solidifies my love for Nova and me being a proud shark.”

If students want to learn more about Nugget, they can follow her Instagram account, @art-bynuggs, or go to her portfolio website, www.annienugget.com.

Nugget said her advice for art students changes over time, but right now, “Don’t be afraid to fail. I would so much rather be bad at trying something new and learning from it and using that as a way to continue honing my own skills than to always do the same thing that I’m good at all the time, because I won’t feel like I’m growing.”