Semester 4

Arts TRYathlon #1: Still/Here

2/05/2026, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: Still/Here

#dance

Still/Here was a beautiful multimedia dance showcase. In its abstraction and lack of outward narration, the narrative of the production shined as a memorial to those who lost their lives or loved ones to HIV. The bodily imagery displayed as the dancers spoke the names of those lost, and the beauty in their movements added to the work as a whole and proved to be a very informative and enlightening experience. I can specifically apply these experiences to those in the various LGBTQ+ Studies courses I have taken, which all extensively discuss the impact of the AIDS crisis on the queer community, especially. So much of queer existence and history is acknowledging moments when people were sidelined or treated terribly by the institution or government they were a part of, and this performance did an excellent job of that. The event served the significance of finding beauty and meaning in something terrible, and being able to convey the importance and impact of these people. The introduction of the performance saw each performer recite names and motions or phrases associated with the deceased, and the life and power within those motions was critical in humanizing those afflicted with HIV and de-generalizing and de-stereotyping those suffering from it. In that way, it built empathy and garnered sympathy from the audience, by showing the horrors of these humanized individuals who dealt with so much.

Arts TRYathlon #2: Iron Lung (2026)

01/31/2026, Hyattsville Regal, Iron Lung (2026)

#film

Recently, I attended a screening of Iron Lung at the Regal in Hyattsville. Iron Lung as a movie follows convict Simon as he delves into a blood ocean planet to search for a way to help humanity after the death of every star and a large portion of the population.

(PROMPT 1) With regard to the ways Iron Lung affirmed my definitions of art, I think the value of the movie lies in its creation and distribution. I wanted to see this movie in theaters because it was independently created from an idea, a product of a singular man playing a video game and collaborating with that game’s creator for the sake of turning it into a feature-film. The artistic endeavor of these individuals made a beautiful film, independently made and distributed without a company attached. With their limited budget, this small film became widely popular, gained critical acclaim and remains one of the best films I have seen. The plot is compelling, the special effects are wonderful, and it is all so eerie and horrifying in a way that not a lot of horror films are these days. Frankly, this was an excellent movie and the story behind its distribution and creation is something aspiring. That is what art should be, in my opinion. An idea fostered into something beautiful and meaningful to those who matter.

Arts TRYathlon #3: Threads and Trinkets: Patchwork Keychains

02/19/2026, Bel Air Hall Scholars Lounge, Maker Mixer

#visualart

In recent months, I attended the Threads and Trinkets Maker Mixer hosted in Bel Air Hall by TA Kaylin, which was an event centered on the creation of fabric keychains with the utilization of sewing, embroidery, and other opportunities for fabric manipulation and fiber crafting.

(PROMPT 4) This event was certainly community building, and functioned a great deal as a mechanism for it. Namely, the inviting atmosphere and freedom of creation lent itself to conversation and communication amongst peers. There was a collective sharing of resources and the intrigue of admiring others' creations that meant everyone was active in their discussion and participation. The creation of art, in these respects, is very useful as a community tool, as something that brings a group together to discuss and collaborate and share in these experiences. A community was built in the bonding of our fabric manipulation. Art drives people together, as collective participation in a shared medium, as a shared language and, in some ways, struggle. Failure to thread a needle lends itself to a conversation from across the room as a dozen hands try to help. An inability to come up with a concrete idea lends itself to all the other artists in the room to relate their experiences with artists’ block and try to help. An environment that exists as a group of people sharing and communicating is artistically stimulating and community-driven, a space of creativity and uplifting one another. It does, regrettably, also serve as an overstimulating and crowded experience.