Semester 3

Arts TRYathlon #1: NextNOW 

September 11, 2025, @ The Clarice

(WMUC Fest - Flowers for the Dead and Six-Foot Blonde)

#music 

This Next Now Fest, I was able to attend WMUC 90.5's sponsored concert, WMUC Fest! Unfortunately, I didn't make it last year, so it was interesting to see how it was this time. The two artists that performed were Flowers for the Dead and Six-Foot Blonde. I think it was extremely interesting how different these two bands were - Flowers for the Dead consisted of college students and a rougher style, while Six-Foot Blonde had a cleaner style and a more recognized name. It was obvious that Six-Foot Blonde had an extensive background in musical training and were very skilled singers and instrumentalists, but it seemed as though being in the industry for a while and having a formal manager had influenced their sound and stage presence. I enjoyed their music, but it just wasn't as raw as Flowers for the Dead's, which was my favorite of the two. Additionally, I think the generation gap between the two artists had an influence on their music - the various social cultures each band had been exposed to molded their presence and sound. Overall, this dichotomy demonstrates the influence that factors such as age, location, management, and history have on the production of music and the public's response to it. I believe that Six-Foot Blonde's more polished sound would have been more appealing to a general audience, but the crowd involved with the radio station often lean towards more unique sounds and local bands, like Flowers for the Dead. Nevertheless, both bands were wonderful musicians, and I hope to attend WMUC Fest next year too!

(Image credit: Cameron Lee)

Arts TRYathlon #2: Choose Your Own Adventure

October 19, 2025, @ the MoMA, NYC

#visualart #film

I went on a day trip to New York City with my family, and one of our stops was the MoMA, which I was super excited about. They have many famous paintings on display there, including Starry Night, which is pictured here. However, the exhibit I enjoyed the most was the one on the 6th floor displaying the works of Japanese-American artist Ruth Asawa. In addition to the works themselves, the presentation and setup of the gallery worked well to convey a cohesive narrative of growth, planning, and post-project work. The beginning of the exhibit started with her earlier works as well as planning and experimentation with different patterns and mediums, including stamps, textiles, and wire. This is reflective of the creative process for many artists, and it was interesting to see how her works developed over the years. I think the strategic setup of the gallery really worked to communicate this message of evolution in her art and convey the overall journey and focus of her artistic personality. In addition to this exhibit, I also enjoyed seeing the progression of art in recent history through visiting the exhibits on different floors. We started from the highest floor, which had the oldest works in their collection. Overall, this was a wonderful experience, and I had a lot of fun looking at all of the art. Hopefully, I can make it back there again soon!

Arts TRYathlon #3: Arts Scholars Event

September 19, 2025, @ Bel Air Lounge

(Maker Mixer: Sock Puppet Self Portraits with TA Jenna) 

#visualart

I had a lot of fun at this Maker Mixer! I did not actually realize that we were supposed to be making self-portraits until I saw others putting hair on theirs that matched their own. I was too far along with mine, so I just kept going! It was nice to talk with others and meet new people while making art in a low stakes environment. Activities like these can really bring communities together by giving people a reason to meet and just have some fun with a limited budget. There were no expectations for us to make the best or most beautiful sock puppets, so we were free to experiment with whatever we wanted. Due to this freedom, I was able to just go with the flow and not feel pressured to have a concrete plan before starting to work. This allowed me to experiment with bolder elements, including a primary color palette and the use of several materials that clashed with each other. My end product was something fun, colorful, and silly that I still have on display in my dorm! Furthermore, I believe art like this helps build community between groups that may not interact much with each other, like the first- and second-year Arts Scholars classes.

(Image credit: Jenna, Arts Scholars Instagram @umd.artsscholars)