Semester Reflections

Semester 3

I found my third semester of Arts Scholars to be enriching both for professional development and community-building. I looked at various ways art can be used to reshape our beliefs about both society at large and ourselves. In the beginning of the year, I found the exploration of Mark Bradford’s work at the Hirschhorn to be a prime example of this. In addition, during election-season, we examined a series of artifacts that made us question what it means to live in this country. A major goal of this semester was preparing for our capstone project. We completed a lot of brainstorming and research activities. Between bouncing ideas off of peers and consulting outside resources, this large-scale project is teaching me a lot about the creative-process.

In the news this semester, nothing captured my attention more than the presidential election race. I found it interesting how art was used both as a tool and as a weapon. Art is powerful for shaping public opinion, and it can both lift people up and tear them down. I recall the artwork examined in class related to patriotism, and I wonder about how those works compare to the TV ads and endorsements (real or fake) I saw online. 

Many of my courses draw similarities to the activities done in Arts Scholars. As a Studio Art major myself, I took both a drawing and a 3-D Sculpture course this semester. I had to plan out a series of large-scale projects, just like my capstone. Especially when I approached my final projects, I had to consider what issues were important to me and how I wanted to convey them. A critical part of art courses are the critiques for peer feedback. There were a lot of activities like this in colloquium. Both of these courses and colloquium have showed me that one of the best ways to know yourself better is to connect with the arts.

Overall, it was valuable to be among many like-minded peers in the scholars community. This significantly aided my learning experience because I was able to know them personally through fun activities and receive genuine feedback on my assignments. Also, they brought fresh perspectives to many of the topics covered in class.

By far my biggest contribution to the Scholars community this semester was helping to run the social media account. I was responsible for both marketing the brand and boosting audience engagement. Communication, timing, and visual appeal were key to creating effective content. This job is critical for getting the word out about upcoming events and showcasing scholars highlights to the rest of the world. Also, I love how I could implement my own personal projects to further unify this community.

One insight I’ll take away from this semester is that one shouldn’t dismiss a work of art because of the form it’s presented in. Every great artwork has an underlying message, conveyed with beauty and creativity. It might be a painting; but, it could also be a film, a performance, or a song. These messages are often about universal human experiences (love, grief, joy, etc) and can help anyone learn more about themselves.