Nick Mendoza

Poster promoting the documentary "The Long Valley". Immigrants living in the Salinas Valley, CA share divergent perspectives on the passage of time, acceptance of reality, and finding the space to dream. The poster communicates the passage of time by the stamps of months and years like the repetitive nature of the labor jobs the immigrants do each day. The collage of grid paper overlays the pattern these farm fields are developed and worked.

Role: Art Director & Designer

Photography: Robert Machoian

Recognition: 2025 Communications Arts Design Annual

Poster series for the department of theatre and dance at Oklahoma State University. Posters were utilized to spread awareness of the upcoming productions.

Poster for the film The Integrity of Joseph Chambers. In this poster the main character, Joseph Chambers—an insurance salesman and an inexperienced hunter—is symbolically portrayed as the hunted rather than the hunter. The poignant contrast between his resolute intentions and the unforeseen outcome is visually depicted through the incorporation of an elusive deer head overlaying his figure.

The composition of the poster mirrors Joseph’s transformation from a determined provider to a man entangled in the complexities of fate. The artwork conveys the internal conflict he faces after unintentionally causing a tragic event.

Role: Art Director & Designer

Photography: Robert Machoian & Scott Stephens

Recognition:Creative Quarter 67, Creative Quarterly 100 Best

The Oklahoma State University department of art, graphic design, and art history needed a poster to promote the guest lecture for visiting designer Steven McCarthy.

Designers: Nick Mendoza and Pouya Jahanshahi

Original movie poster for The Killing of Two Lovers before the film was purchased by Neon. The film follows David, who desperately tries to keep his family of six together during a separation from his wife, Nikki. They both agree to see other people but David struggles to grapple with his wife's new relationship.

The complexities of the couple’s relationship are symbolized in the hand gun exploding diagram which is a major element in the opening scenes. The exploding gun diagram also doubles up as a way to seamlessly include all the cast and crew credits.

Role: Art Director & Designer

Recognition: Graphis Poster Annual 2021 “honorable mention”, Creative Quarterly 59

The poster OSU Design Lecture 2022 is designed to promote the lecture by University of South Carolina professor Meena Khalili. Inspired by Meena’s Iranian-American heritage, the poster intricately weaves together deconstructed elements of both the American and Iranian flags, seamlessly merging Arabic and Latin typography. This unique amalgamation draws from Meena’s lecture theme, “Rebel Rules for Creative Curiosity,” which, coupled with her punk rock roots, infuses the poster with a D.I.Y. ethos and typographic vibrancy.

Designers: Nick Mendoza and Pouya Jahanshahi

Recognition: “Bronze” 53rd Dallas Show sponsored by DSVC

A poster for the 2021 Centennial of the 1921 Race Massacre that occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. Greenwood, a black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, also known as “Black Wall Street” was destroyed by white mobs after Dick Rowland was arrested and charged with assaulting a white female elevator operator. The poster shows the name of the building (Drexel) and elevator indicator is pointing to the floor where the accusation took place. The flames coming from the elevator indicator spell out the words “Black Wall Street” with a silhouette of a person with their hands up in the letter “T”. The gradient color pallet and gritty textures resembles the burning and ash of the Greenwood neighborhood burning.

Role: Art Director & Designer

Recognition: Graphis Protest Posters 2 “honorable mention”, Art Directors Club of Tulsa Graphex52 “honorable mention”

A poster to promote the guest lecture for visiting designer and associate professor Mike Daines of Utah State University.

The poster ingeniously crafts cut paper letterforms into the shape of “Mike Daines.” Surrounding the cut paper letterforms, hand-lettered lecture details gracefully integrate, while the inner space bears the hand-lettered names of Daines’ clients.

“An ode to hand-drawn letters. Wonderfully old-school, yet it feels very contemporary and personal. The letter scrawls are meticulously planned for legibility. Job well done.” —Clement Mok

Role: Art Director & Designer

Recognition: 365: AIGA Year in Design, Graphis Design Annual 2022 “honorable mention”, UCDA “Award of Excellence”

11 in x 14 in Riso Print, Blue and Metallic Gold on 100# French Pop-Tone Blu Raspberry

The artwork No Más stands as a visual response to Robert Unanue, CEO of Goya Foods, who acclaimed President Trump as a builder while alienating marginalized communities. Unanue’s statement, “We’re all truly blessed, at the same time, to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder” (July 9, 2020, nbcnews.com), contradicts the very values Goya embodies within the Latin American community.

This single-color screen print resonates as a call to action. Through boycotting Goya products, a resounding message is conveyed: endorsing those who marginalize others is unacceptable. No Más embodies this sentiment succinctly, urging unity and demanding accountability.

Role: Designer

Recognition: Graphis Protest Posters 2 “Silver”, The Dallas Society of Visual Communications (DSVC) Dallas Show 52 “Judges Choice and Gold Light Bulb”

Enemy of the People resonates with poignant political commentary on the presidency of Donald Trump. This artwork delves into a landscape marked by divisive rhetoric and a barrage of accusations aimed at deflecting responsibility.

The print speaks to the President’s tendency to assign blame for his administration’s challenges. His denouncements, labeling the media as the “Enemy of the American People” and coining the term “Fake News,” reverberate within the art’s intricate lines. The President’s Twitter account becomes a conduit for further discord, spreading what he terms as “fake news,” all the while casting a shadow of cynicism.

11 in x 14 in Relief print on BFK Rives

A single-color screen print, D-O-N-E encapsulates the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad’s completion at Promontory Point in 2019. This event marked the union of east and west, a triumph with lasting consequences.

The Last Spike’s hammering sent a telegraph message, spelling out D-O-N-E—a symbolic conclusion that delves deeper. The railroad’s path disrupted Native American homelands, fracturing their connection to the land, and disrupting the bison crucial to their survival.

Through this artwork, D-O-N-E urges reflection on the legacy of progress. It serves as a bridge between eras, fostering dialogue about the impact of achievements and the complexities that endure.

8 in x 12 in, screen print

The film When She Runs unravels the story of Kristin, a determined young runner gripped by an unrelenting dream of Olympic glory. In her pursuit, she sacrifices not only precious time with her family but also navigates life-altering choices that promise a way out of her hometown.

The poster captures Kristin’s journey through a poignant image—a post-workout depiction encircled by track lines, emblematic of the hurdles and decisions shaping her path. This visual metaphor resonates deeply, reflecting the film’s exploration of sacrifice, ambition, and the intricate tapestry of human choices.

Role: Designer 

Divider in Chief poignantly engages with the political landscape by alluding to the title of “Commander in Chief.” In the United States, the President holds the dual roles of head of state and government, as well as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. These positions carry the responsibility of unifying the nation, as outlined in Article II of the Constitution. However, the artwork underscores how President Trump’s tenure diverged from this ideal, resulting in division rather than cohesion.

A two-color screen print, the composition offers a thoughtful commentary on the recklessness attributed to the Trump administration. The title itself is a play on words, evoking both the official title and its ironic twist. This artful response mirrors the complexities of contemporary politics, urging viewers to reflect on the consequences of divisive leadership.

Role: Designer & Printer

The Brigham Young University Department of Theatre and Media Arts presents a variety of drama, comedy, and musical theatre productions each year. I create a series of posters to inform patrons and the university community of the new season's productions. Each poster captures a character or moment in the storyline. 

Role: Art Director, Designer

BYU Arts is the umbrella producing and presenting organization for the Brigham Young University College of Fine Arts and Communications. BYU Arts presents more than 500 annual performances and events sponsored by the Department of Dance, Department of Theatre and Media Arts, School of Music, and Professional Performing Arts. With a broad range of performances and events the university needed to produce a season brochure to inform patrons and the university community of the upcoming performances. The brochure is mailed out to the season ticket holders as well as distributed to various locations around the community. The brochure serves as the informational guide and marketing tool for the entire year.

Role: Art Direction & Design

Production: 4/4 offset printing, 60 pages, perfect bound, Printed on Accent Opaque paper.

The Brigham Young University Department of Theatre and Media Arts presents a variety of drama, comedy, and musical theatre productions each year. We created a series of posters to inform patrons and the university community of the new season's productions. Each poster captures a character or moment in the storyline. 

Role: Art Director, Designer

Graphic Design: Stephanie McAllister

New lecture series presented by the college of fine arts and communications at BYU. The lectures focus on the ways that a faculty member’s faith and creative work or intellectual pursuits intersect and inform each other. The lectures describe journeys of faith within a disciplinary context.

Role: Art Director & Designer

Recognition: Copper Ingot (AIGA 100 Show)

BYU Arts is the umbrella producing and presenting organization for the Brigham Young University College of Fine Arts and Communications. BYU Arts presents more than 500 annual performances and events sponsored by the Department of Dance, Department of Theatre and Media Arts, School of Music, and Professional Performing Arts. With a broad range of performances and events the university needed to produce a season brochure to inform patrons and the university community of the upcoming performances. The brochure is mailed out to the season ticket holders as well as distributed to various locations around the community. The brochure serves as the informational guide and marketing tool for the entire year.

Role: Art Direction & Design

Production: 4/4 offset printing, 60 pages, perfect bound, Printed on Endurance Velvet paper.

Recognition: Silver Award (CASE District VII)

The Brigham Young University Department of Theatre and Media Arts presents a variety of drama, comedy, and musical theatre productions each year. We created a series of posters to inform patrons and the university community of the new season's productions. Each poster captures a character or moment in the storyline. 

Role: Art Director

Graphic Design: Andrew Galloway

Recognition: Gold Award (CASE District VII)

Through dance and music, Contemporary Dance Theatre explores the different forms of communication and interactions of all lifestyles with a balance of light-hearted performances and moving choreography. We wanted to express movement of the dancers through various cut pieces of one image across three posters. The creation of one big poster is a metaphor for the various dance choreography into one show. Throughout the campus and around the community we used the three posters as one, but they also worked individually if placing all three posters was not possible.

Role: Art Director

Designer: Sam Reed

Photography: Christopher Peddecord

Recognition: Print Magazine Regional Awards, Grand Gold (CASE District VII), DesignArts Utah, Judges Choice (University & College Designers Association), AIGA 100 show merit award (AIGA Salt Lake City Chapter), American In-House Design Award (Graphic Design USA)

Role: Art Direction & Design

Production: 5/5 offset printing, 60 pages, perfect bound, Printed on Accent Opaque paper.

Recognition: American In-House Design Award (Graphic Design USA)

By definition a commodity is something of use, advantage, or value. Immigrants should not be treated as commodities, but as humans. Once we humanize the immigration discourse, can we begin to examine ways to change the ever changing immigration landscape.

Role: Designer

Production: Burlap coffee bags, spray paint

The goat has been known to be used for their milk, meat, hair or skins. In agriculture the goat can be used for driving or packing purpose. I feel that the immigrants—like the goat—are treated like commodities. Immigrants are used up for the cheap labor and slaughtered when it comes to citizenship and human rights.

Role: Designer, Printer

Production: Mixed media, screen print, relief ink

Recognition: Utah Mixed Media & Works on Paper

Based on the Spanish expression "Pues Ni Modo" and translates to "Oh well". This print examines the lax attitude toward the ongoing death toll happening along the U.S./Mexican border.

Role: Designer, Printer

Production: 36" x 42" Relief print

Recognition: Utah Mixed Media & Works on Paper