From left: Dean Benjamin Harris, Rory McCarthy (winner),
and Lacey Brooks-Canales, Art & Art History Librarian.

Rory McCarthy holding the winning 2026 Sticker Thing artwork.

Artist Statement

 Rory McCarthy
“Constantly Evolving”

They did not lie to us. When they brought us to the library on my first Trinity tour, the tour guide commented on how easy it is to notice something new each time we see this mural (“Man’s Evolving Images, Printing and Writing”). Ever since I first walked into the library as a Trinity student, I have made it a goal to do just that. In my search, I have found something much deeper. The mural itself has stayed the same, but its meaning has changed every time I notice a new part of it. I think, strangely, this is extremely similar to how we have grown and evolved as people at Trinity.

We are both the same and different people from when we first got here. Some things that have always been a part of us, especially things that we had never noticed before, we now appreciate and see. Through our exploration, whether through our studies or our engagement with others, we have discovered what makes us us. The beautiful mural that makes us who we are. That’s what my sticker is about. It is often a steep and sometimes difficult time, as shown by the steep tilted staircase and the heavy load the tiger is carrying. Our excitement and passion for learning and exploring can easily cause us to overcommit, overwork, and exhaust ourselves. Still, we eventually find a way to reach the top of the staircase where our mural continues. 

Although a much simpler version of the actual mural, my sticker challenges people to be open to the new. To explore the possibilities, just as students do in their studies. It encourages people to visit the actual mural, appreciate all of its uniqueness, and carry that with them as they go through life.

Winning 2026 Sticker Thing artwork by Rory McCarthy (“Constantly Evolving”)