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Thursday, August 14, 2025

A lighting fixture that spells AWARE hangs in the Second Floor of the Art BuildingThe “AWARE” installation in the UNT Art Building's second floor is illuminated with backlighting to highlight its design.

Experimental art installation “AWARE” promoting sustainability in lighting design finds permanent home at UNT CVAD

DENTON – The University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design’s Department of Design has welcomed “AWARE,” an experimental lighting installation that promotes sustainability and inspires interior design students.

Created by Jonathan Ayala, graphic designer, co-founder and principal of the design agencies Your Lighting Brand and The Lighting Exchange in Columbus, Ohio, “AWARE” debuted at the Dallas Market Center’s ArchLIGHT Summit 2023, an annual trade event and educational platform for the architectural and design communities. 

Jeannine is facing forward with a friendly smile. She has brown hair and wears a black jacket over a blue top.
Jeannine Vail, M.Arch., RA, LEED AP, and UNT assistant professor of Interior Design.

The 9-by-9-foot, 4-foot-tall installation is now a permanent feature in the UNT Art Building for the Interior Design program. 

“Having the ‘AWARE’ artwork as a permanent installation serves as a daily source of inspiration for our students and as a reminder of the important role sustainability plays in interior design,” said Jeannine Vail, M.Arch., RA, LEED AP, and UNT assistant professor of Interior Design.

Student engagement activities surrounding the piece will include creating educational banners on the history of lighting, sustainability policies, LEED and WELL certifications, artificial versus natural light, product development, and the effects of lighting on behavior. Vail and collaborator Johnnie Stark, M.F.A., associate professor of Interior Design, are also exploring ways to involve the broader community.

Johnnie Stark is facing forward and smiling. She has silver hair and wears a gray sweater over a white turtleneck shirt.
Johnnie Stark, M.F.A., associate professor of Interior Design and CVAD alumna

“More than an exhibit, it’s an invitation to explore, analyze, and create with purpose. And a daily reminder of how design can connect, empower, and create meaningful change beyond our individual limits and extend into the community," says Stark.
 
"Still, its impact goes deeper. AWARE functions as a living lab — engaging students in hands-on research about lighting design, occupant health, and environmental impact across the interior design industry," said Stark. "Together, these resources support a holistic, practice-based approach to sustainable design.”

Vail’s students designed light fixtures for The Robert Bruce Thompson Annual Student Light Fixture Design Competition, emphasizing sustainable materials and methods. 

Students using the study space where the AWARE lighting fixture is hung.Students exploring a career in Interior Design walk under the "AWARE" art installation at CVAD's First Flight event on Aug. 13, 2025.