Sofia Stark '17

What art classes did you take while at Crossroads? Drawing, painting and sculpture classes all the way up to CAS Art and figure drawing classes.

How did Crossroads help to shape or influence you as an artist? Crossroads shaped me to be the artist I am today by creating a space for me to grow as not only a person, but also as a creator. They validated the artistic lifestyle as a viable option rather than just a pastime hobby.

The reality today is face masks are our new normal. By incorporating masks into everyday life we are doing our part in keeping others safe, and adding a fashion accessory in place of the sterile surgical mask. Through this series of oil paintings, I explore mask-wearing as fashionable self-expression and the importance of routine in daily life during the Covid-19 era. At the onset of the pandemic, living exclusively in jersey and fleece was liberating, but at a certain point only wearing sweatpants and no makeup didn’t feel good anymore. In returning to a routine and ritual of self-care, the gloom of living in a pandemic begins to fade a bit. With Quarantine by Design, I wanted to immortalize this idiosyncratic moment in time and portray mask-wearing as the work of art it can be.