November residency includes free public lighting design demonstration
Nita Mendoza
Lighting designer Nita Mendoza will visit the University of Central Arkansas for an artist residency Nov. 3-6, with events planned to engage students and the public in the art of theatrical lighting design.
The residency will include a series of conversations and class visits with both theatre and Spanish students. Additionally, a public event featuring a lighting design demonstration will be held Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 2150 Bruce Street, Conway. The event is free of charge, with no tickets required for entry.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Nita Mendoza to UCA and for her to share her unique perspective,” Shauna Meador, chair of UCA’s Film, Theatre, and Creative Writing department and an associate professor of theatre, said. “Nita’s expertise in the art of collaborative storytelling through the medium of theatrical lighting will bring an exciting approach to our production of Hamlet.
“She will also be providing masterclasses to our theatre students on lighting practice and the work of a professional freelance lighting designer in southern California, and meeting with Spanish students to talk about theatrical staging. It’s very exciting that we are able to bring someone to campus to engage with both of these disciplines.”
The full schedule for Mendoza’s residency is as follows:
Monday, Nov. 3
- 10:30-11:45 a.m., Student Event: Meet With Digital Design class, Snow Fine Arts 217.
Tuesday, Nov. 4
- 9:25-10:40 a.m., Student Event: Meet With Fundamentals of Theatrical Design class, Snow Fine Arts 217.
- 1:40-2:30 p.m., Student Event: Lighting Design Master Class, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts, James Bridges Black Box Theatre.
Thursday, Nov. 6
- 12:15-1:15 p.m., Student Event: Meeting With Drama-Teatro: Staging Spanish One-Act Plays class, Irby 205.
- 1:40-2:30 p.m., Public Event: The Art of Lighting Design With Demonstration by Nita Mendoza, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts, James Bridges Black Box Theatre.
Based in Southern California and originally from El Paso, Texas, Mendoza’s work blends strong technical foundations with creative expression, shaped by her Chicana roots and commitment to collaboration. She holds an MFA in Lighting Design from the University of California, Irvine, and a Bachelor of Arts in Technical Theatre from the University of Texas at El Paso, with a concentration in lighting and a minor in graphic design. Whether illuminating a stage or crafting visual elements as a graphic designer, Mendoza thrives in creative spaces where artists come together to make meaningful work. Her designs reflect her belief in light as a powerful storytelling tool – one that can evoke emotion, shift perspective and deepen connection.
Additional information about the residency is available by contacting Meador at smeador@uca.edu. Additional information about Mendoza is available at nitamemdesigns.com.
The UCA Artists in Residence program is funded by the Fine and Performing Arts Fee paid by all students, with additional support from Engage Management and Pyramid Art, Books, and Custom Framing. More information about the Artists in Residence program is available at uca.edu/go/artistsinresidence or by contacting Dr. Gayle Seymour, associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at gayles@uca.edu.