Click here to support our 100th year as the nation's oldest Black collegiate newspaper!
Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

The Hilltop

Variety

Fine Arts students develop animations for the D.C. Metro system

WMATA’s Art in Transit program partnered with alumna Natalie Courtney and current student Darius Scott to highlight HBCUs through animation.

Alumna Natalie Courtney and current student Darius Scott posed in front of their displayed animation. (Keith Golden Jr./The Hilltop)

No Free Gas (NFG) partnered with The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to highlight two Howard students who made an animation for homecoming. The animation was created by alumna Natalie Courtney and current student Darius Scott. 

The idea was brought to life by Simone Boseman and NFG (No Free Gas) in collaboration with the WMATA’s Art in Transit program set out to create an animation featuring the aspects of an HBCU homecoming football game, including screaming fans, majorettes, and the band.

No Free Gas was Co-founded by current Howard university student Winter BreeAnne Minisee and Alumna Busayo Ogunbiyi. The creative agency’s mission goes beyond typical agency boundaries, as they craft global campaigns, curate immersive cultural experiences, and ignite innovative creative collaborations. NFG is committed to empowering creative communities within HBCUs and aims to establish a platform that fosters a thriving young Black creative network in Washington DC.

Co-founder of NFG,  Minisee, said that while seated in their kitchen, which overlooks the metro, she and co-founder Ogunbiyi came up with the idea to take over the metro. 

The collaboration between Simone Boseman and NFG (No Free Gas) was created after the co founder Winter BreeAnne Minisee formed a connection with Mrs. Boseman at the premiere of Black Panther in Washington D.C. 

“Simone Boseman funded the project with the hopes of doing more projects with the metro for Black History Month, so we are super honored, humbled, and excited that we were able to build this relationship with the Boseman family,” Minisee stated. 

The design only took two weeks to create. It started off in the hands of Courtney who looked back at old yearbooks and animations in the Howard University Moorland Spingarn Research Center, then headed to Scott for the final touches. Scott stated that this piece represents the joy of homecoming that is shared in the area every year. 

“This scene celebrates an aspect of Howard and the broader HBCU homecoming culture. From the rhythm of the band to the crowd filling the stands, It’s a tribute to the joy shared every year around the time of the homecoming game,” he said.

Usually, when passengers are on the metro they see the electronic screens change with the season or events that are going on in the area. The transit authority partners with visual and performing artists, other arts professionals, architects, engineers, community organizations and representatives, and jurisdictional arts councils to develop projects and performances that reflect the spirit and vitality of communities served by Metro.

Before Courtney graduated in 2023, she was an electronic studio art student and specialized in animations. She stated that she took everything she learned in fine arts and applied it to this project. 

“I was definitely inspired by the second floor of the College of Fine Arts. If you look at the shape, Alma  Thomas, colors, Louis Mailou Jones, and many more that I took inspiration from. But for style I look at older homecoming cartoons and the yearbooks,” she said. 

Courtney also took specific movements from the band’s halftime show last year and incorporated them into the animation. 

The project will be available to view on the electronic screens at Crystal City, Farragut North, Gallery Place – Chinatown, L’Enfant Plaza, Metro Center, NOMA – Gallaudet U for a total of six weeks. 

Copy edited by Alana Matthew

Advertisement

You May Also Like

NEWS

President Donald Trump and Congress members ordered the removal of Black Lives Matter Plaza, threatening budget cuts if the District didn’t comply.

NEWS

The fallout from Trump’s administration removing top National Archives officials and shutting down diversity offices in federally funded institutions is unfolding.

Variety

Katie Mitchell’s “Prose to the People” celebrates the enduring impact of Black bookstores, highlighting their role as cultural and activist hubs shaping literature and...

NEWS

Elon Musk’s alleged Nazi salute at President Donald Trump’s inauguration has sparked debates over his true intentions and its societal implications.

CAMPUS

Howard Alternative Spring Break participants reflect on their week of community service and impact.

Columns

Russia exploits instability to expand influence and weaken adversaries, from Ukraine to Syria to the Sahel. In West Africa, its tactics threaten a migration...

Variety

“The Residence” is a whodunit mystery that takes place in America’s most famous home: the White House. The series is the latest from screenwriter...

NEWS

Under pressure from President Donald Trump, Mayor Bowser orders the removal of homeless encampments in D.C., where homelessness continues to rise.

CAMPUS

Following her recent appointment as dean for Howard’s School of Communications, Kimberly Moffitt shared her student-centered leadership style and plans for the school.

SPORTS

The Bison suffered a 91-90 loss to Morgan State University in the first round of the MEAC tournament, ending their postseason ambitions.

CAMPUS

NNPA’s Black Press Day speakers discussed the importance of honoring Black press and continuing its legacy.

NEWS

Critics and social media users question changes implemented on media platforms like TikTok and X following President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Variety

The creators of Adult Swim’s newest animation “Oh My God…Yes! A Series of Extremely Relatable Circumstances” hosted a premiere and exclusive Q&A at Howard...

Columns

As the end of the film and TV awards season closes for 2024, there is a rising need for independent films or “indies,” to...

SPORTS

Howard’s men’s team swept the competition in their first home game against Harford, ending their three game losing streak.