Semester 3

Over the course of this semester, I have got to hear from so many amazing guest speakers sharing their stories and contributions to arts in their personal life and in their careers. Art is often seen as a therapeutic medium in which one can share their personal feelings and emotions with the rest of the world. Although our society is often divided on several subject matters, art stimulates one’s mind to be more open-minded and accepting. I personally feel that art is the only method that can truly reshape and recontextualize one’s beliefs. Since there are various forms of art, there are many ways to get one's message across whether it be through poetry, music, paintings, interpretive dances, etc. One specific example that comes to mind is the guest speaker who discussed his experiences with portraying art through murals in order to elicit change. Murals are everywhere and I think it's powerful to have pieces of art conveying various messages in places where one is not looking for it.

After spending all semester learning about the creative process for our capstone projects I have picked up on helpful models that have proved to be most effective. The very first activity we did towards our capstone was creating a map listing all of our skills, interests/hobbies, and possible projects associated with such. The most helpful aspect of that activity was when we got feedback from our peers in order to find out which projects they found to be most exciting.

I personally used feedback to my advantage in finding any aspects of my project that seemed weak or needed improvement. Since everyone perceives work a little differently, I found the feedback informative since my final capstone project will be perceived in numerous ways. Feedback also gave me the opportunity to challenge new ideas I had with my project to see if it was worth trying.

After the death of George Floyd I and several others around me became more aware of the injustices the African American community are facing. I believe arts that were used for the advocacy of the Black Lives Matter movement have the power in order to elicit change. In today's era, a lot of information and outreach is done via social media platforms and visual or auditory attraction. In a news article from a couple of months ago four people from California featured their murals of George Floyd. Murals can provoke one’s emotions and inspire them to take efforts in instigating change. This could be through other art murals or creating inspirational signs to hold while protesting.

In Introduction to Theatre I got to expand my knowledge regarding various injustices the world faces around me. Although this course isn’t directly towards my major I learned a lot about the approach to perceive art in various ways creatively whether it be through a drama or performance. I gained knowledge on the topic of the school-to-prison pipeline, and saw how many kids are currently being affected by it. I think an art mural would be a really amazing way to portray the message of stopping this phenomenon from continuously occurring. After hearing the social activism talk there is a lot that needs to change in the way our society works.

I think it is safe to say that several Arts Scholars students felt in person discussions and meetings were easier to connect with others compared to meeting through zoom. I unfortunately haven’t gotten the chance to take classes with other Arts Scholars students, so interactions with them outside of the colloquium are very rare which I truly dislike. A lot of the peers in my classes aren't as interested in the arts as I am, and it is comforting to know I belong to a group who enjoy art just as much as I do. I miss being able to talk to other scholars students easily in person since our class was the only time I could talk to them.

I have participated in several break out group discussions including the ones we had with our TA’s. I prefer discussing various topics in smaller group settings because I get to hear from most people in the group and it's nice to hear everyone's personal takeaways from what we are taught or have seen. One of my most favorite group discussions and discussions through writing was the field trip I attended. I got to partake in watching the Sundance Films with my peers and we got to explore various themes together and what it meant to us personally and as a whole. I hope to have more small group discussions with my peers in the future specifically next semester.

I always used to shy away from challenging art techniques and ideas solely because I didn't think I’d be good at it, but after listening to the guest speaker Alanna Reeves, I found that collectively challenging ideas and acts can bond people. We explored drawing objects in a pixelated view. I had not previously done it, and I don't think I would have if it weren’t for that class. In our A groups we were also talking about how it was difficult to turn something that is 3D with a lot of detail and depth into something that is 2D. Since this was a challenge we all hadn’t taken before it was interesting to see how we all made our 3D objects become 2D. Some of us focused on more intricate values to incorporate in our drawings while others focused on the object as a whole. That exercise made me realize that there will always be things you are not used to and it is important to challenge yourself because you may end up surprising yourself. I was a big fan of this exercise and I had a lot of fun turning my object into a 2D image.

Reflections: Image

Semester 4

An example of growth through written communication is evident through my pentathlon submissions. Looking back, my semester 3 pentathlon submissions weren’t that developed, and I focused the majority of my writing on what I had watched, seen, or listened to, rather than how that translates to my life, or what I already knew about that subject matter. However in semester 4, you can see that my pentathlon responses were more developed and I talked more about how the event I attended or the project I completed influences my life as well as our community.
My perception of art has changed in multiple ways over the course of the last two years. One example in particular is through the field trip I attended a week ago. I watched The Illusionists film about body image, and not only did I learn more about body images and ideal body types from around the world, but I learned how art often is at the center of it. An example of this is through Japanese female singing groups. In their promotional posters, videos, or commercials, each member appears to have the same body type, thin skinny, and perfect proportions. This paints an unrealistic beauty standard to millions of girls and guys who look up to them thinking they have to look that way. Through this experience, I realized that some art can be harmful or negative since it creates insecurities among adolescents. An example where artt can be used as a means of change or transformation can be seen in my pentathlon 5 for semester 4. I watched a Ted Talk where the speaker used a painting to change the point of view and the focus of the subjects in the panning from the richer white people to the African American guy who appeared much poorer than the other subjects. I learned that we amend the art that already exists to hear more and see more about our African American counterparts.
One way my capstone project drew upon the techniques learned throughout the past two years in the program was through the critiques I received for my art pieces. From my first semester in Scholars I learned about the importance of constructive criticism, and how to properly critique art without offending anyone, but still providing helpful feedback. Knowing the importance of constructive criticism, I made sure to set up/attend office hours with the Arts faculty in order to create the best version of my capstone project. I also took advantage of asking past alumnus of the program their input on my project and my ideas. Finally, I used aspects of both of the Art therapy workshops I attended over the last two years and formulated my idea for the project off of how much I enjoyed attending both workshops.
Outside of participating in this program, I don’t think I would have taken any classes related to art despite having a strong interest in art. However, through the program I was able to take a theatre and music class where I learned how art can be used as an influence and inspiration in our everyday life as well as a mode of initiating change. In addition, through the program I learned how easy it is to express yourself and your life through art. More specifically, I learned a lot of art through expression from the guest speakers we had over the last two years. One particular speaker stood out who discussed the impact art and expressing oneself is through painting murals on the walls of cities. You never know who will walk past the wall and get inspired by it. It made me want to participate in a mural painting to relay various messages and concerns I want to address through art. I hope to participate in a mural painting some time in the future.
I have been able to effectively demonstrate all that I have learned through Art Scholars in my capstone project. My capstone project features various forms of art including painting, coloring, music, exercise, writing, etc. Everything I have learned about art through the speakers, my colloquium classes, my supporting classes, and workshops, I felt prepared to complete every art therapy activity for my capstone project.
Although art may not have any correlation with my major and future career aspirations, I hope to use art personally as a break from the academic and professional world. I also hope to use it through creations dn viewing it as a form of educating myself on the different cultures and backgrounds from around the world. I hope to learn about the historical backgrounds of various figures in life that shape our world today by attending museums and historical landscapes and wonders.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time as an Art Scholar over the past two years, and I want to thank all of the Arts faculty and scholars students for making my experience so amazing!

Reflections: Image