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Tom Holdman poses for a portrait at Utah Valley University next to a his stained glass mural on Thursday, Jan. 28 2016. Holdman created "Roots of Knowledge," a nearly 200-foot-long stained glass mural under construction in the UVU library. SAMMY JO HESTER, Daily Herald

Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald

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Tom Holdman poses for a portrait at Utah Valley University next to a his stained glass mural on Thursday, Jan. 28 2016. Holdman created "Roots of Knowledge," a nearly 200-foot-long stained glass mural under construction in the UVU library. SAMMY JO HESTER, Daily Herald

Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald

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Tom Holdman speaks in the grande ballroom at Utah Valley University next to a his stained glass mural on Thursday, Jan. 28 2016. Holdman created "Roots of Knowledge," a nearly 200-foot-long stained glass mural under construction in the UVU library. SAMMY JO HESTER, Daily Herald

Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald

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Growing from roots

Tom Holdman poses for a portrait at Utah Valley University next to a his stained glass mural on Thursday. Holdman created "Roots of Knowledge," a nearly 200-foot-long stained glass mural under construction in the UVU library. See more at bit.ly/1RTf1k5.

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As he sat on a Utah Valley University campus bench and watched students hurry by, connected to each other through technology, Tom Holdman had a thought.

He wanted to create a piece of art that would inspire observers about how they can add to the world’s knowledge and make a difference.

“This idea, it pierced my heart and we have built upon that,” Holdman said, standing behind a podium next to three large stained glass panels.

Holdman, founder of Holdman Studios in Lehi and creator of “Roots of Knowledge,” a 200-foot-long stained glass mural currently under construction in the UVU Library, addressed a crowd of more than 130 people Thursday afternoon in the university’s Grande Ballroom.

He spoke as part of the UVU Student Association Academic Senate Speaker Series, an annual series that features talks from local and national figures.

Student senators Kari Dennis and Birch Eve organized Holdman’s appearance because they wanted students to know the man behind the mural.

“Once they see the windows, the creativity, you’ll want to know what inspired it,” Eve said.

The speech actually started with a video explaining the project, which Holdman said has been 10 years in the making.

He shared with the audience how he used to be teased in school because of his stutter and began expressing himself through the visual arts.

He also spoke of making an impact through small acts of kindness, and how he was inspired by his wife, Gayle, and how she would include a smiley face in her signature. Now, he does the same, with a smile hidden in the swoosh of his T.

The mural utilizes the symbolism of a tree, Gayle Holdman explained to the crowd, and the roots that flow through the windows include leaves from the part of the world a section is depicting, along with a DNA strand running through the roots and connecting humanity.

“We may hold different values, but ultimately, we are the same, we are human,” she said.

The ideas in the different windows become fruit, which carry seeds to begin another tree and set of roots. A section of the mural projected for the audience depicted humans emerging from and making up part of the tree.

“It will be an iconic piece that we hope will touch and teach you so you can touch and teach as well,” Gayle Holdman said.

In addition to sharing pictures of the piece and explaining the different ideas and work going into the final project, Tom Holdman pointed out details and secrets of the mural, like a fedora hidden inside a picture of the Ark of the Covenant.

“On this campus, we are creating one of the best pieces of glass the world has ever seen, here in Utah,” Holdman said. “And I would welcome you to be a part of it, whether it is with your knowledge or input, or anything you can help with sharing that we are all one, we have the same roots, that we can make the world a better place and help us on the journey, and we will make this a ‘we generation.'”