Studio arts senior Nico Budde has been doing art for nearly his entire life.
He is from Watson, Louisiana, a small community outside Denham Springs, and grew up doodling during car rides and learning how to draw simple characters from his father.
“My earliest memories were of drawing… Since pre-k I’ve just been fascinated with it,” Nico Budde said.
His mother, Ana Budde, first noticed her son’s artistic ability at his pre-k daycare. During the holiday season, there were paintings posted on the classroom wall that the children made. Every painting depicted Santa Claus and his reindeer, but Ana Budde found that one was “exceptionally good” in comparison to the others.
“It definitely stood out from the other ones… I was like, gosh, I wonder which one is his – but that one is so good,” Ana Budde recalled.
The next week, Nico Budde brought home his painting – the one that his mother had noticed.
According to Ana Budde, her son knew what he wanted to be at a young age and never changed his mind.
“Since he was five years old, he knew he wanted to be an artist,” Ana Budde said. “His teachers were always huge supporters of him ever since then… They’ve always encouraged him and worked with him to be the best artist he can be.”
Nico Budde’s teachers were quick to notice his talent for art, and when he was in kindergarten, they recommended him for a gifted art class.
Since then, he has been drawing, painting and creating whenever he has the chance. But it wasn’t until he got older that he seriously considered pursuing art as a career.
“When I got into high school, that’s when I really started going, oh wait, I really want to do this, not just for fun – I think that I could make a career out of this,” Nico Budde said.
Chemistry senior Kaitlyn Hall has been friends with Nico Budde since middle school. She’s had the opportunity to watch his art develop through the years and says that his art is always improving.
“Even just in college, his art has gotten a ton better and I think he learned how to put his own personality into art a little better,” Hall said.
Nico Budde is of Costa Rican and Honduran descent, and his parents are from Louisiana. He grew up being a big LSU fan and decided to attend the university after going to a football game, where he was amazed by the energy from the student section.
He currently works for LSU South Stadium Productions, where he designs graphics for LSU’s swimming and diving team.
When creating his art, Nico Budde often uses memories with his family and friends as inspiration, and credits Walt Disney and New Orleans-based painter Terrance Osborne as being big influences in his work.
“I always thrived with [creating] things that I hoped would bring joy to others, whether that was LSU, or pretty colors or just fun paintings that I enjoy making myself,” Nico Budde said. “My main drive with art is to bring joy to myself and to others.”
Nico Budde said that his parents have always been very supportive of him pursuing art.
“Whenever I was offering to take commissions, [my parents would] be the first to share with their friends… To this day, working with South Stadium Productions, every time I do a little graphic, next thing you know they’re posting the graphic like ‘look at what Nico did!’” he said.
Nico Budde is a part of the LGBTQ community. As a gay Latino artist, he found acceptance in the art community and feels his experiences as a minority enhance his work.
“I think the good thing about the art industry and the community in general is that it’s so, so diverse,” Nico Budde said. “Being a Latino [and] gay, you know, it adds another level of colorfulness in the artwork.”
Painting professor Kelli Kelley taught Nico Budde’s Introduction to Painting class in spring 2021, and remembers him as being “very energetic” and always excited to paint.
“[Nico] was always present, not only in terms of attendance, but was really there in the present moment trying his best. He was always eager to learn and try new things,” Kelley recalled.
Kelley described Nico Budde’s art as “expressive,” with one particular piece he made catching her eye. He created an abstract painting for class that was inspired by the memory of attending a pep rally at LSU.
“It was abstract, so it didn’t depict a realistic scene, rather the high energy and colors that stayed with him from the event,” Kelley said. “It exuded a feeling of exuberant movement and excitement.”
Kelley says that he created a positive energy in her classroom that she believes will impact others.
“[Nico] seemed genuinely happy to make art [and] be creative… He mentioned wanting to teach art – I believe he would be an inspiration to young artists,” Kelley said.
LSU has also taken notice of Nico Budde’s art. In 2020, LSU’s Office of Academic Affairs reached out to him to illustrate their holiday card. The card features a digital drawing of Memorial Tower lit up by holiday decorations.
“It was a really cool experience, and I honestly think that was like the turn of ‘okay, this is something I can do for larger brands’ which is kind of what opened me up to South Stadium Productions,” Nico Budde said.
He was also featured as one of the students in an LSU commercial that was broadcasted in Tiger Stadium in 2020.
In the future, Nico Budde wants to continue making art that leaves viewers feeling positive.
“I want to continue to make art that brings a smile to people’s faces,” Nico Budde said. “If at the end of the day, after all is said and done, if my art career made people happy, I’m satisfied.”
An art piece depicting Mike the Tiger in his habitat.
