☆Semester 4☆

**On my way out of the building, a girl stopped me saying I looked familiar. Apparently, My English teacher from senior year had been showing my capstone as an example since I’d left and she'd recognized me! Not only was it great to know my creative work was being remembered it also renewed me with vigor to complete my scholars capstone this semester.

Arts TRYathlon #1: Choose Your Own Art-Venture

02152025, Broadneck Highschool Spring Musical, Once Upon a Mattress

#musicaltheater, #technicalcrew, #livemusic

To kick off my last semester of Art’s TRYathalons, I saw a production of Once Upon a Mattress at Broadneck High School (the high school I graduated from!). One of my close friends is the head of the lighting department there so a couple of my friends and I always make time to go down and see his shows especially now that it’s his senior year. The musical this year did not disappoint! The set was beautiful and included many levels for the actors to stand on which created tons of interesting depth in a lot of the blocking. There’s a set piece of 20 mattresses that I was interested to see interpreted and it was amazing! Contrasting layers of fabric defined each layer of the ‘mattresses’ and it read very well to the audience. The lighting design was also great especially when it came to clueing the audience in on the time of day, the scenes taking place at night had such ethereal effects to them, with deep blue and purple hues scattering across the stage. All the performers were excellent emoting every single line and as our show was the last we experienced a ton of hilariously relevant improv that flowed seamlessly into the script. It was a wonderful production that showed excellent collaboration and teamwork from all parties involved!

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Arts TRYathlon #2: Choose Your Own Art-Venture

03142025, MIT Art Installation, Gaze to the Stars

#openair, #videogrophy, #ephemeral

For my second Art’s TRYathalon of the semester, I wanted to take advantage of my spring break trip to Boston. I was staying with my friend Anna (look to the Semester 1 reflection, she’s that friend) who goes to MIT. Anna suggested we see an art installation on campus by Behnaz Farahi. Projected onto MIT’s Great Dome was a video of a giant blinking eye that would disperse into more before reverting to just the one. It was captivating. Farahi and her team took advantage of the almond shape the side of the dome takes which perfectly housed the shape of the eye. It felt as if the building had come to life and was looking at me. The instillation is based on the idea that “eyes hold stories”. The footage was taken of individuals who were in a sensory pod being asked AI-generated questions. The ‘storytelling’ of the eyes came off extremely well, the swirling effects of particles in the iris of the eye made me feel as if I was looking into the depths of someone's soul. I also found the footage of multiple eyes reinforced the vastness of the human experience. While I enjoyed viewing this piece knowing AI had a part in the creation of this irks me, especially when the concept is based on the human soul and the stories we tell. Besides that, this was a fun outing with my friend and the expansiveness of the installation left me entrapped.

Arts TRYathlon #3: Art Scholars Event

03262025, Paperclip Jewelry Craft and Chat

#unconventionalmaterials, #accessories , #selfexpresison

For my final art scholar’s TRYathlon, I attended the Paperclip Jewelry craft and chat hosted by TA Sophia. The workshop's objective was to create jewelry out of the provided beads, paperclips, and jewelry hooks. I ended up coming in late so the materials were already picked through. This challenged me to make an appealing design out of limited materials. I decided to make a pair of earrings showcasing the metal from the paper clip and using red beads to adorn what would otherwise be a very simple design. I also used these large bow beads as a focal point on the earrings, hoping I could make up for my lack of intricate beading with a larger aspect to draw the eye. Creating my earrings was difficult because there were no pliers, so I had to use my hands! It was challenging, but I found myself adapting the shape of my earrings to what I was able to make with just my hands. I am very pleased with what I made in this craft and chat especially considering the constraints I had. It makes me think about how a lot of art comes from a lack of resources, and it forces artists to be more creative as a result.

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