Sasha Howard
Arts Scholar
Pentathalon Semester 1
As an experiential component of College Park Arts Scholars, I attended a selection of five art events during my first semester. These events ranged in art mediums and each sparked dialogue among my peers.
Art Project
9/4/20
I created a collage centered around a painting I did of Alexa Demie's face. This is the first time I experimented mixing two different mediums within one piece, and it helped me learn about a new method when creating. This encourages me to test out combining other mediums as well. Last semester in Arts Scholars I took Art Therapy, which inspired me to make this. In an exercise we matched drew how music made us feel, and in this I matched the colors and style that reminded me of her energy. #visualart
Frida Kahlo: The woman behind the legend
10/3/20
I watched this TED Talk that gave the history of Frida Kahlo, and how her life impacted her work. It was very interesting to hear the explanation behind this piece on the right in particular; this inspires me to think about the different versions of myself and how I can convey them in art. I also intend to research fashion history for my Capstone project, so I find Kahlo's intentional use of clothing and patterns within her paintings very inspiring. I also learned that she used her time while bedridden from the accident to practice painting, which may have been a form of Art Therapy for her, like we practiced in our workshop last semester. #presentation
Halloween Origami
October 13, 2020
In this activity I learned how to make Halloween themed origami including a pumpkin and a bat. This was a fun, new craft for me that encouraged me to try out more on my own. I could possibly incorporate origami into my Capstone project as a 3D piece of my collage. I think this project connected to my Art therapy class last semester, as it was therapeutic and definitely can be a de-stressing activity. #visualart #ArtsScholars
The Social Network
November 15, 2020
This film was very interesting and informative about the start of Facebook and Zuckerberg's journey. The entrepreneurial attitude he has encouraged me to think about my own business ideas, as I am a marketing major. Some of the cinematography was inspiring and encourages me now to play with darker and back-lit lighting within my art. The content of this movie related more to the relationships within my school and Arts Scholars, who I consider my community; I would work together with my peers instead of betraying them like Zuckerberg. #film
Dance in the Sun
December 8, 2020
I am not a dancer or someone who usually watches dances, but this video was a delightful experience. The communication between the choreography and the music was very apparent; his jumpy attitude reflected the tone. This could be a method of inspiration for the future when I am creating (interpreting music into another form). I loved the cuts between locations of the beach and the studio, and how it was left up to interpretation; they were executed very well and made me wonder whether or not he was imagining it or if perhaps the energy took him there. I hope that within my own art I will be able to recreate that sense of mystery and beauty. #dance
Pentathalon Semester 2
As an experiential component of College Park Arts Scholars, I attended a selection of five art events during my second semester. These events ranged in art mediums and each sparked dialogue among my peers.
Super Ruwaxi: Origins
February 4, 2021, UMD Dance streaming service
I was expecting an emotional story about gender identity, coming of age, and the immigrant experience, but was pleasantly surprised by the comical interpretation of these serious topics. Ruwaxi, the Hairy- Arm- pitted Feminist, discovers her power of “gender-bending body odor” that she can use to switch someone’s gender when she wants. The interpretive dance and moving hand symbols in the background work together to support the story. As gender identity and queer culture can be difficult topics for many people, I think this dance performance serves as a (somewhat) relatable journey that relieves stress and breaks the tension some may feel. Although the performance was silly and seemed random at points, the concept of an Asian girl fighting patriarchal oppression was a great version of the many superhero stories that are usually based around mainly white men and fictional enemies. It serves as a form of representation and finds a way to piece together Indian culture and dance with a storyline that is somewhat familiar to anyone. As I reflect on the origin story of Super Ruwaxi, I’m surprised by how genuinely creative the performance was. I haven’t before thought of a way that so many topics and methods of entertainment, which seem not related, can be combined to reinvent a new piece. This inspires me to search within my own culture and identity when I am creating art (within Arts Scholars or outside). #dance #ArtsScholars
In Search of the Truth (The Truth Booth)
February 26, 2021, Hirschhorn- Past Exhibits
This exhibit prompted me to think about humanity as a whole, our collective experiences. The Truth Booth is a 16-foot-tall tent, shaped like a speech bubble, where people can enter and record a short video of their “truth”. This project, unlike many others, relies on the participation from the audience, which allows us all to contribute into one large piece. The bubble has traveled around the world and has collected many diverse perspectives. Although there were some silly or personal truths, I was surprised to see how many people shared the same sentiments of how we are all humans who all have the ability to love and take care of one another (and need to start doing it). I believe this project really proves how similar we all are, no matter where you are from or who you are. On the other hand, many people spoke about various issues within society, the system, and other tragedies. This brought awareness to the issues in a way that prompts me to care, understand, and stand with them, which I believe is also a significant impact of this project. In a time where people are so divided, work like this is important and uses art to remind each other of our humanity and shared experiences. #visualart
2 for 1 Event
February 28, 2021, Zoom
In the first activity we played scribblio, a virtual Pictionary. Although this was a fun, lighthearted game, I feel that it gave me good practice as an audience member. I progressively got better and faster at understanding the point of view of the person drawing. By allowing my imagination to help me piece together the shapes, I became more creative with my drawings as well. This game also proved the importance and power of metaphors in art. For the prompt Batman, instead of drawing Batman, I drew a bat and a man. Although this example is only somewhat a metaphor, seeing many other players demonstrate objects in similar round-a-bout ways proves how art is so subject to interpretation. #presentation #ArtsScholars
In the second activity we guessed who chose what song. Shortly after this started my zoom stopped displaying the other participants’ videos, which made guessing exponentially more difficult as I had nothing to base decisions on anymore besides names. Initially I was basing my guesses off of their expressions as the songs were playing; when someone looked unusually happy, I assumed that was a result of their song. This experience was still a great way to explore new music and understand my Arts Scholars peers better through their taste. After getting every single guess wrong, I learned that someone’s appearance and name actually has no connection to their music choices. #music #ArtsScholars
Rug making
April 19
I created this rug. I drew a design onto my fabric, selected various shades of green that I believed would complement each other well, then used a tufting gun to punch the yarn into my fabric. This is only my second rug, so it was still quite a learning process in terms of scaling designs and the actual tufting process. When I thought of arts in the past, my vision was narrower. I would not have regarded rug-making as art, but after investing into learning about the practice, I realize that almost anything can be a canvas. As long as I am utilizing my creativity while producing something, it can be art. I have only had “boring” rugs in the past, and now that I have a more creative rug, I realize that I am much happier in my space. Surrounding yourself with creativity has an uplifting and inspiring impact. Tufting line after line also turned into a therapeutic experience; it allowed me to release pent-up physical energy, which in turn allowed me to be much more relaxed afterwards. I believe this connects to my Art Therapy workshop, as it is another form of expression for me to channel stress into. #visualart
