A massive new mural now stretches across the Dunkin' inside the University of New Hampshire's Memorial Union Building, and if you look closely enough, you might spot the artist herself tucked into the scene wearing a cap and gown. Madeline Pender, a UNH alumna, was hired by Dunkin' to envision and paint the artwork as part of a redesign that turns the beloved campus coffee shop into the chain's first college-campus Signature Series store in New England.
A Hidden Self-Portrait Inside the MUBkin
Pender painted the mural, which spans the length of the Dunkin' store. She included a self-portrait tucked into the scene. The mural, unveiled Thursday at the Dunkin' location inside the Memorial Union Building, features UNH student athletes, Thomson Hall, the Wildcat statue, and students clutching coffee and donuts, per the same account.
It's a fitting tribute for a space students have long called their own. The Memorial Union Building's Dunkin' is so central to daily life on campus that students have nicknamed it “MUBkin,” according to the University of New Hampshire. The store is a familiar campus fixture, and Dunkin' chose it for its signature redesign.
A Friend, A Research Vessel, and Campus Icons
Pender also depicted Eli Bryant, a 2024 UNH alumnus and one of her closest friends, standing at an easel inside the mural, according to the Globe's reporting. The artwork he's shown painting on his easel depicts a waterfaring vessel built by UNH students. DriX is an autonomous surface vessel; UNH's Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping has housed and supported DriX vessels since December 2018, according to UNH's Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping.
The campus landmarks woven throughout the mural carry their own histories. Thomson Hall, one of the primary buildings rendered in the artwork, is a Romanesque structure at the center of campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to Society19. The Wildcat statue is another campus icon featured in the mural. The Memorial Union Building is the setting for the mural.
From Sketch to Signature Series Store
Pender worked with Dunkin' and UNH representatives through several mural iterations before the final design came together, the Globe reports. She hand-painted the design elements herself, and the artwork was then assembled as a digital collage and printed onto the wall covering.
The project marks the first Dunkin' Signature Series store on a college campus in New England, per Dunkin'. Pender said senior year was the first time campus life started to feel normal again, the Globe reports, a detail that adds personal weight to her return to UNH as both teacher and muralist. Her mural leaves a lasting imprint at UNH.
A New Mural at UNH
Pender's mural brings new artwork to the Memorial Union Building.
The MUBkin is now home to Dunkin's Signature Series store and Pender's mural. The sprawling mural gives the campus coffee shop a distinctive new look, with a UNH alumna's own face now watching over the counter.
