Semester 1

Arts TRYathlon #1: NextNOW

September 5th, 2024, Clarice Performing Arts center, Concert by Tiger Bones & Costume Sale

#music, #theater, #presentation

There were two events I had gone to at the festival were the costume sale and the concert in the main area. The costume sale felt like a whole festival in itself; I had gone with friends to look for a costume for an upcoming Ren Faire, but when going around I heard many people interested in taking pieces to wear as everyday clothing. I’ve always considered the art of costuming as something that can only happen for a performance (whether it be a stage play or a movie), and to many, costuming is an important form of everyday self-expression. I had come to a similar conclusion at the concert, which I visited at the time when a band called Tiger Bones had been playing. It was a type of music I hadn’t heard much of, but it felt natural to me to bop my head along to the songs. As I was looking around, many people had various reactions: some were starting a mosh pit, some waving their hands, and some simply nodding along. Music may feel like a static thing, as when it comes out, only those specific sounds may be heard; and yet, many people hear those sounds in many ways. Everyone reacts to and understands art in a different way, which is why it’s important to explore many different types to find that which connects on a deeper level.

Arts TRYathlon #2: Craft & Chat

September 15th, 2024, Bel Aire Lounge, Cyanotype Printing

#visualart, #science

This Craft & Chat seemed intriguing to me from the start. Cyanotype printing involves using a mixture of ferric ammonium citrate, potassium ferricyanide, and water as the activator to wipe onto a piece of paper, where, when placed in the sun, it will print the negative of any object on top of the paper. I mostly wanted to go because I thought it wouldn’t work, or that the results weren’t going to be as vibrant as all of the example photos. The joke was on me, as I have my paper hung up right next to me on my wall! It showcases a vibrant blue color, with the negative space of three different types of leaves. It has always been hard for me to see how the scientific process and the artistic process can merge together to create one work — in my mind there was always an “art to science,” but the science itself was never the art. This craft & chat completely changed my mind on that subject: not only are there thousands of different ways that objects can be put onto the paper, either to show stills or to create larger things, but there’s creative decisions that go into the chemical at the start! Deciding the amount of solution to apply to the paper is similar to choosing the type of paint for a canvas: science can be used to create art. I’m very glad that I got to experience this craft & chat, as I had never previously considered how intwined art and science truly are.

Arts TRYathlon #3: Craft & Chat

October 15th, 2024, Bel Air Lounge, Needle Felting

#presentation, #visualart

This Craft & Chat was definitely a scary one to look forward to for me because I know that I’ve never been too good at making sculptures out of traditional materials, much less tiny strings! I was stunned for a good few minutes when given a pack of string, a needle, and told to go ahead and craft: not only did I have absolutely no idea what to make, I had even less of a clue of how to make it. My product came out as a little kitty cat, but when going through I had the definitive thought in my head that it was going to be a wolf. When going through the event, I kept thinking about the day in colloquium where we learned and practiced slam poetry. In the beginning, I had no clue what to make of it. I was spit balling ideas, but I didn’t truly start until I made a base. Base in hand, I started to expand off of it; however, it wasn’t turning out right, and it wasn’t making sense in my head. It wasn’t until I let my hands take control of my head did I come out with a product I was proud of. Yes, that process did apply to both the class experience and the craft, but I’d argue that it’s representative of the arts as a whole: you need to let your hands take the reins to truly create something unique!

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