Jaycie Thierry
Social Media Editor
A two-decade long journey has come to an end this spring for painter and adjunct professor in communications Danielle Eubank, as she completed her mission to paint the world’s five oceans.
“It’s really great to say I’ve done it,” Eubank said.
Although Eubank is leaving her mark in history as the first person to paint all of the Earth’s oceans, that feat is merely the product of a bigger picture she was hoping to convey through her work.
“The overall message is I want people to appreciate what we’re destroying, what kind of change and pollution in the water and the air,” Eubank said. “What would make me happiest is if I could get people to slow down and look, and really see.”
As part of her “One Artist Five Oceans” series, the final puzzle piece to Eubank’s art was the Southern Ocean in Antarctica.
Eubank shared that her biggest challenge to successfully illustrate the Southern Ocean was figuring out how she could break down and paint something that, in nature, is already abstract.
“That was the big problem, but it was a good problem,” Eubank said.
Last fall, Eubank was honored to have been a nominee in the Human Impact Institutes’s 2018 Creative Climate Award for her dedication to painting the world’s five oceans.
Since then, Eubank said that the message of her art has strengthened and that she hopes people feel empowered to tackle environmental issues.
“I want people to say, ‘if I turn down my thermostat, I can save this many tons of carbon’ or ‘if I walk to school, for every mile I walk, I’m saving this much amount of CO2,” Eubank said.
When Eubank is not painting, she can be found in the Arts and Communications Building teaching multimedia courses, specifically focusing in technology like graphic and web design.
Elizabeth Zwerling, chairwoman of the communications department, has worked closely with Eubank for the last four years at the University of La Verne.
She describes Eubank as multifaceted, complimenting that the work Eubank does, both inside and outside of the classroom, has brought a noticeable value to the communications department and University.
“She’s a wealth of knowledge and it’s great to have someone who is so great at what she does,” Zwerling said. “She’s an artist and environmentalist. For an artist to do this and be so successful, that’s her full-time job.”
Junior public affairs major Oceano Marshall said he was left with such a positive experience as a student of Eubank’s that it encouraged him to return as a teacher’s assistant for one of her course sections.
“Her lasting impact will be her remarkable abilities to connect with her students,” Marshall said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Marshall commented that Eubank’s passion for web design, technology and art are convergent and show in her teaching methods.
“If you’re a professor, you create a learning environment where students are engaged and seeking new knowledge,” Marshall said. “You feel driven to do your best, she brought a certain level of enthusiasm to every session that’s hard to find. Anyone who does their job with passion and the right kind of intentions will leave a mark.”
Senior multimedia major Teagan Griffiths is an advisee of Eubank’s and has found Eubank’s expertise to be impressive, leaving her with information that has helped her in the classroom, workplace and has better prepared her for her future.
“Danielle is one of the most dedicated professors at La Verne,” Griffiths said. “She’s more than willing to do everything in her power to see her students succeed.”
The commitment that Eubank has displayed as a professor and artist serves as a testament to her character.
Although she completed her long-sought expedition, Eubank is still not done as an artist or environmentalist.
Eubank is currently in what she calls an ‘exploratory phase’ and has several projects lined up or already in the works.
Eubank will travel to Michigan in June to deliver a keynote speech at the 94th Michigan Water Environment Association Conference.
Cal Lutheran will be holding an exhibition of Eubank’s work in their Kwan Fong Gallery of Art and Culture, starting May 24 to August 1.
The gallery will display previous art from Eubank, including that from her “One Artist Five Oceans” series, as well. A reception open to the public will be held June 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
You can begin planning your visit for a view of Eubank’s work in person at the Cal Lutheran website today. When the gallery is open to the public, visiting hours will be Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Jaycie Thierry can be reached at jaycie.thierry@laverne.edu.
