EA Orlando Mural Inspires Central Florida to Dream

What does it take to build a world-class game studio? 

Innovative technology? Meeting space? Brain-food? If you ask our Workplace Design team, all those things are important. But what really separates a good studio from a great one is if it inspires the team to dream big. 

In the months leading up to the opening of our new EA Orlando location in downtown Orlando’s Creative Village, senior workplace design manager Erica Nobori and her team were busy planning for the design elements that would celebrate the creativity, ingenuity and unique culture of our local teams. During that process, they came across the work of Orlando resident Don Rimx, a Puerto Rican artist whose large-scale murals can be seen around the world.  

“We learned about Don Rimx while searching for an artist to design a mural for the main stairwell inside our studio,” Erica explained. “We were struck by his style and how it consisted of so much symbolism and multi-layered meanings. As a result, we thought his work would be a better fit for an uplifting and inspirational exterior art piece that could be celebrated by the wider community.”

This lucky encounter not only led to the transformation of our building’s exterior but also added vibrancy to the skyline of the “live, work, learn, play” urban innovation district of Creative Village. 

Designing Sueños Naranja

Erica’s team started working with Rimx in late 2021 on a concept for the mural. The finished piece had to represent what happens inside our building every day as the creativity of visual arts and technological innovation collide to transform dreams into reality, while connecting our work to the broader community. Don Rimx also considered the hundreds of students who walk or drive by our studio every day on their way to school, designing the mural to spark their curiosity and remind students their dreams are only limited by their own imaginations. 

The result was Sueños Naranja (“Orange Dreams”). Featuring a young person looking out onto their surroundings with curiosity, the masterpiece also includes orange blossoms and blue heron feathers that pay homage to the beauty of Central Florida’s agriculture and wildlife.

At 85 feet tall and 60 feet wide, the five-story mural was a challenging task, made even more difficult by the large windows in the center of the facade. While some artists may have seen this as an obstacle, Rimx saw it as an opportunity. He designed the final piece as if viewers could peek inside the young person’s imagination and see EA employees hard at work. 

Rimx and his assistant completed the mural in two weeks, painting for nearly 10 hours a day with more than 40 colors. 

“I was so excited when EA Orlando reached out about this opportunity,” said Rimx. “When I was thinking of what to create, I couldn’t shake this idea in my head of the people inside the building doing the work. This piece is an outward representation of the creativity happening within the walls of EA Orlando.”

Celebrating Arts and Culture

Born and raised in a public housing development in San Juan, Puerto Rico, that was known for its high crime rates, Rimx is no stranger to the power of a dream. He started drawing at a young age and was lucky to have the support of his parents, who helped him stay out of trouble while fostering his creativity. It wasn’t long after graduating from Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño that his signature style began attracting attention from nonprofits, public officials and corporate brands around the world. 

From Brooklyn to Berlin, Rimx has participated in numerous urban beautification projects and even received a key to the city of Lynn, Massachusetts, for his impact on the local culture. His work has been described as “bridging the gap between the streets and corporate America,” combining his classical training with inspiration from the history and people of each city where his art is now enjoyed. 

Although Rimx was born in Puerto Rico, he has called Orlando home for nearly a decade after moving here with his family for the “warm climate and Latino culture,” which helped them feel more at home while allowing the artist to pursue his passion.

We’re excited that the Sueños Naranja mural at EA Orlando has joined Rimx’s impressive portfolio and adds Orlando  to a growing list of places where his art is inspiring bright futures. 

“This mural represents the idea that anyone can dream, just like anyone can play,” said Jocel Thornhill, director operations and program management at EA Tiburon. “It doesn’t matter how old you are, what you look like or where you’re from. There is no limit to your dreams.”

To learn more about Don Rimx’s work, visit www.donrimx.com.