Carter Ellwood has worked for high-profile clients before. Ellwood has created content for the NFL, the PGA Tour and Team USA, among others. Yet he's rarely felt as much pressure as recent months, when Michigan State's athletic department commissioned him to design murals for Spartan Stadium.
His roots run deep: Ellwood graduated from MSU, and later returned to the school to head up the football program's efforts on social media, shooting videos and helping develop the Spartans' brand.
In July, MSU came to Ellwood with a mission: produce imagery for the two murals on the south end of the stadium.
"It definitely is a lot of pressure," he said. "Having gone to the school and having worked for the team, this is something where I knew how prominent these are. As a creative, I have a lot of belief in myself, but you also don't want to do a bad job."
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The previous murals, in place since 2016, were straightforward. Both featured a player wearing an MSU uniform − one displayed the team's Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff berth during the 2015 season, while the other showcased the 2013 campaign (another conference title and a Rose Bowl appearance) and the logo of the Cotton Bowl, where the Spartans played in back-to-back years (2014 and 2015).
Ellwood's new murals, which were installed this week, are a stark departure from the more staid look of their predecessors. These are colorful, busy and filled with nods to the past and present.
One of the murals incorporates messaging familiar to anyone who has followed the Spartans since Mel Tucker took over: "Keep chopping" and "Relentless." Another longtime Michigan State phrase — "It's a beautiful day for football" — appears as well.
"Then there are the historic logos: the block 'S,' the 'Gruff Sparty,' the script 'State' and the big Spartan head," Ellwood said. "But you've got some smaller things, too."
Like a reference to the legendary Spartans of the mid-1960s.
"It says, 'It started here,' which features railroad tracks," Ellwood said. "That's a nod to the MSU teams that had a large representation of Black players, which was uncommon at the time. The railroad beneath it is a nod to the Underground Railroad. Football was a space for Black athletes to come find a home when there really was not much acceptance at the time."
One nickname for the stadium, the Woodshed, also pops up multiple times, containing Ellwood's single favorite part of the two pieces.
"There's a small Woodshed logo with two axes and a tree stump and saw blades," Ellwood said. "I love that, because as long as I had worked for the football team, I had desperately wanted to do something as a homage to the nickname of the Woodshed. I like the imagery it draws up."
LaRhonda Burley's favorite element is even more subtle. One of the leads for the project, Burley noted both murals contain wood grain backgrounds.
"It's another nod to the Woodshed," said Burley, who is MSU's senior associate athletics director for strategic initiatives and brand innovation. "So from my design perspective, I appreciated the inclusion of that."
Carter said unlike other projects, MSU granted him "a ton of creative freedom" for the design. In his line of work, that's rare.
"The one thing that runs through all of them is there might be a certain amount of creative freedom, but there's also a thinking of, 'Stick to the brand and the brand elements,'" he said. "Michigan State gave me direction in terms of, 'Hey, here's what we'd want to include in terms of the elements,' but they really left it up to me to say, 'This is going to be what the final product looks like.' "
Burley said Ellwood's execution was flawless. But before they decided on the final design, the creative team showed it to Tucker for approval.
"Does Coach Tucker sign off on every single sign in the stadium? No. His job is to win games and coach football," Burley said. "But it's important when we're putting together such a large piece that represents the program that it aligns with the values of what he and his team stand for."
Tucker, whose mother was an artist, couldn't have been more pleased. His family's background, Burley said, made it easier for Tucker to "appreciate all the little parts" others might overlook.
"He was like, 'You know what? It's different. But let's go,' Burley said. "I appreciate that about him and about the way he leads."
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But being different also means the murals might not generate universal acceptance.
"I'm anticipating a little good and a little bad (fan reception)," Ellwood said. "But I think in terms of embracing this new wave of style that Tucker has brought in — all the swagger and all the things that are a change from what Michigan State football was — this definitely fits that."
Burley also conceded some fans might not be won over immediately. Time helps, though.
"Art means something different to everybody," she said. "There are going to be some folks who really enjoy it and appreciate it, and others, it's not what they're used to seeing. We understand that."
Art, regardless of its form, is supposed to trigger a strong response.
Ellwood, who said he is pleased with how the murals turned out, is confident they'll do just that.
"They're such big, loud pieces, you want people to have a reaction to them," he said. "Sports are emotional. People are really tied to Spartan Stadium and this football team. You never can capture the emotional connection to a team the way they want it — at least, not 100% of the time. So hopefully it gets people talking. Hopefully most of the talk is not, 'What the heck was this guy doing?'
"And hopefully they're up for a while."
Contact Ryan Black at rblack@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @RyanABlack.