Luz Lopez (’22, BFA, Art)

This interview is with Ms. Luz Lopez, a graduate of the UTA Art and Art History program. Ms. Lopez was a prize winner in the second round of MavPitch, the Maverick Business Pitch Competition that encourages students to explore and express their business ideas for a chance to win funding and support for growing their business. 

Tell us about yourself.
I have been doing art since I was 10 years old. I am also an alumnus from Booker T. Washington HSPVA. My major freshman year at UTA was forensics, but after taking chemistry I figured out it wasn’t for me. I currently have 2 dogs and 3 cats who spend all my money. You might see me vending somewhere in Carrollton or in Deep Ellum.

Any special memories about being a student at UTA?
My most special memory at UTA is taking Entrepreneurship in the Arts with Professor Matt Clark. This class is the whole reason as to why I'm in the screen printing industry and where the idea behind my business, Vicious Creatures, came from.

Why did you choose your major or field of study?
I knew I always wanted to do something with art but it was hard deciding what exactly I wanted to do with it. I loved printmaking, but I never saw myself as a teacher or saw my artwork in galleries. It wasn’t until we had to come up with a business idea in Professor Clark’s class that I decided to combine my two loves: art and music, into one. My business, Vicious Creatures, combines kpop and rock into subtle and affordable merch for fans of either or both.

Did you receive anything like scholarship or other awards while at UTA? How did it help you?
I did! I won first prize in the second round of MavPitch. This helped me buy a lot of supplies and equipment I needed to be able to fulfill online orders.

What can graduating Liberal Arts students do to make themselves more marketable?
Honestly this is a pretty basic answer but use social media to your advantage, especially if you are an artist or in the performing arts industry. Constantly posting, especially through Instagram or Tiktok, gets you a better audience and a more likely chance of getting a viral post.

How has your Liberal Arts education helped get you where you are today?
I discovered screen printing through my printmaking class in my sophomore year. I absolutely fell in love with it but I never thought of making a business out of it. David Diaz, the printmaking professor during that time, encouraged me to try and print on clothing items as a project to try something new. When I took Professor Clark’s class, I decided to use what I learned with my business idea.

What drew you to your industry, and what has kept you there?
Coming from a lower income family, I couldn't afford my favorite musicians merchandise growing up, because it was too expensive. A single shirt ranged from $45-$100. A lot of this same merchandise doesn't come in many sizes, the designs are plain logos, and some of the merch you see at concerts aren’t available online. Vicious Creatures creates subtle and affordable merch inspired by the music groups or their music in a variety of sizes and designs. The kpop and the rock community are two of the most welcoming and hardcore communities I have ever met. Meeting new people and potential customers always drives me to make my next design better than the last.

What do you wish you knew when you were a Liberal Arts student at UTA?
I wish I knew where the best coffee shops to work in Arlington were at. I love drinking coffee while drawing but most of the time I got lazy and just worked at the Starbucks on campus. I wish I also knew about MavPitch a little sooner. I only had about a month to prepare my 3 minute video pitch because I had just heard about it.

If you are a College of Liberal Arts alum, please let us know by emailing liberalarts@uta.edu.