Trinity Art Alumna Now Denver’s Public Art Coordinator

Mandy Vink-Renaud ’05 of Pella, Iowa, now spends her days waking up in the mountainous city of Denver, Colorado, where she works as the city’s Public Art Coordinator.

In her recently acquired position, she spends time archiving the city’s collection of sculptures and murals from the late 1800s through the 1960s, allowing her to become an expert on Denver’s history in the process. She also works with city managers and project planners to select new submissions for the city’s collection.

Vink-Renaud graduated from Trinity with a degree in Fine Arts, part of which included an internship at Chicago’s Office of Public Art.

“Mandy was able to take advantage of her professors’ networks,” said Professor John Bakker, chair of the art department.  “Trinity’s art faculty are all active on the Chicago art scene. Our students get a sense of how the art world operates and how to navigate it once they are professionals themselves.”

Renaud moved to Denver in 2008 and worked for two different galleries. After meeting members of the Denver Public Art program in 2010, she accepted an internship with them while still working her full-time job.

“I was entranced,” Renaud recalled. “It was something I wanted to be a part of, regardless of the role.”

After working a year as an intern, the opportunity opened in the Public Art Program, and Vink-Renaud was hired at the end of 2011.