☆Semester 2 Reflection☆

Semester Two

The second semester of the arts scholars program was full of amazing art opportunities. Participating in the Art TRYathalon again was super fun, it pushed me to try new things. I think my favorite TRYathalon activity was the pottery workshop I did, creating 3D art is always so rewarding because you’re creating a tangible, functioning piece of art. The field trip in a similar vein pushed me outside my comfort zone. Being in a museum alone was freeing, spending time with each exhibit for the amount of time I wanted to do was refreshing. I got to look up the specific artist on the gallery's website and seek out their art within the gallery, it was like a scavenger hunt. While not a part of my TRYathalon my favorite arts event I attended this semester was the 'SEE Drag Show'. I love drag it's such an adaptive art form and watching all these diverse performances was the best. There was such variety in the performers from pseudo clowns to drag kings to horror performers, it was all there. I think a main theme I’ve taken away from the Art’s Scholars program is that it’s forced me to be more involved, I find that I am often more passive when it comes to being ‘involved’ so this benefited me greatly. 

The playlisting workshop I participated in this semester was an great way to socialize with other people in the Arts Scholars program. It felt like we were even more connected because we had a common interest in picking the same workshop. Attending the workshop was very beneficial to supporting my work, not only did it serve as an effective creative outlet it also served as an emotional outlet. A playlisting workshop was right up my alley as I enjoy a ton of music (I take my Spotify statistics very seriously) and I also play an instrument. I got to explore so many different aspects through the workshop. I’m already familiar with the more technical aspects of music but the music mental health connection was a new subject for me and I found myself applying it to my consumption of music throughout the semester. Preparing a piece for Arts Fest made me more intentional with how I listen to music and how I can present my curation skills to others in the form of a playlist. The coursework in Arts Scholars challenged me on what art can be, especially after attending the Arts Fest showcase. Art can be a children's book, a crocheted whale, or words arranged in a specific way on a page. 

I’ve yet to find a super meaningful connection through Arts Scholars. Yes, there is a semblance of community yet I found very few connections with faculty and staff this semester. I don’t think there’s necessarily a barrier to creating and developing these relationships but I just wasn’t really in a position to do that this semester I focused more on myself. I’d think I’d tell future freshmen to really take advantage of all the events Art’s Scholars hosts to connect with other scholars. The events provide a common space for scholars to interact and build community! This semester has left me looking forward to next semester. I definitely want to become even more involved as I’ve experienced the wide breadth of opportunities scholars provide.  Being able to work on a capstone, workshop and/or craft and chat will be a very valuable experience, they serve as a meaningful way I can connect my art to my community!