Semester 4

Arts TRYathlon #1: Choose Your Own Adventure

Event Logistics (2/15/2026,STAMP Art Gallery, Economics)

#visualart #mixedmedia

When I visited the STAMP Art Gallery, the artwork Economics by Jeremy Dean caught my eye. I was initially drawn to the American flag, especially with all the political chaos now in our country. When reading the description, I discovered that he took the flag apart by each individual thread and put them on needles with a background of 1000 stocks in the last 100 years. He arranged the flag in two bands of a graph that shows the disparity of wealth between the top 1% of earners and the rest of the American population. Dean utilized his artwork to display his belief of the polarization that the nation is currently experiencing socially, politically, and economically, and how it is literally tearing apart the fabric of America. Although the artwork emphasizes a nation being divided, this still shows how art can function as a mechanism for building community. Artwork like this can spark dialogue and conversation, with viewers debating the meaning of the work or it’s implications. People can talk about sensitive topics like politics in a mediated form, even if they disagree. With a lot of the political chaos going on currently, there can also be a lot of emotional turmoil that people experience as well. When viewers see art like this that reflect these emotions publicly, it can help to reassure to them that they are not alone in feeling certain ways either and it can turn into a shared experience. This reminds me of my time so far as a workshop leader, seeing my students passionate in creating art to combat food and waste. It’s uplifting to have a community of people “fighting” for the same cause. Furthermore, each student interprets our lessons differently, resulting in distinct works that generates meaningful discussion at the end of each class. Through our discussions and comparisons, their perspectives become interconnected and strengthen a sense of belonging in the group with others.

Arts TRYathlon #2: Choose Your Own Adventure

Event Logistics (3/12/26, Digital Clarice, Transient)

#dance, #film

How this event illustrate the ways art can function as a mechanism for building community?

Today I watched a short film titled “Transient” from the Digital Clarice. Transient captures a common conflicting feeling many humans experience: the tension between our needs for individuality and our craving for collectivity. The film does this by using dancers who are caught in a push-and-pull of uniqueness (when performing their own moves) and social osmosis (by dancing the same and wearing the same things). As a college student, I catch myself trying hard to stand out while simultaneously trying to fit in. When watching this film, I felt moved because I never viewed this conflict as a common struggle. While navigating these struggles, it feels like I’m going through them alone while everything comes to others naturally. However, seeing this performance expose the cycling states humans go through helps emphasize that I’m not alone in experiencing these emotions. This art functions as a mechanism for building community because when others discover that they undergo similar experiences and emotions, it can help foster a sense of belonging and connection. Despite viewers coming from different backgrounds, this short film showed how art can transcend these differences and unite people in a shared creative endeavor by showing how this conflict is universal.

Arts TRYathlon #3: Arts Scholars Event

Event Logistics (3/6/2026, Maker Mixer, Stick With Me, DIY Stickers)

#visualart

1. In what ways did this event challenge and/or affirm your definitions of what counts as art?

I attended the Maker Mixer “Stick With Me, DIY Stickers” hosted by TA Vanessa on 3/6. During this Maker Mixer, I learned from Vanessa how to turn magazine cut outs into stickers using wax paper and tape. I made three stickers, one gingerbread man (pictured above), a sticker of pancakes, and a sticker of someone cheering. I view art as having many purposes such as communication and ornamentation, and these stickers that I created do just this. Stickers can be used for self-expression, to showcase my identity/interests, and allows me to personalize my belongings. I added the stickers I created to one of my notebooks, which I think is reflective of my bubbly personality. This event affirmed my definition of what counts as art because I was able to create something that expressed my creativity, myself, and also decorated the environment around me. This event is also like one of the workshop lessons that Robin and I led earlier this semester “Repurposing for a Purpose”. During this workshop, we had students create vision boards for a sustainable future by repurposing magazine scraps. These two events are related because they both utilize sustainable art practices. Thinking ahead to ArtsFest and when students are creating their final projects, I think that I could take inspiration from this Maker Mixer and have students who are making vision boards as their final project add stickers that promote sustainability. This would add dimension to their final projects.

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