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.

Breath & Delirium: Selected Works By Glenda León-UMD Art Gallery Virtual Exhibition

Spetember 19, 2020
#VisualArt

As a fan of art galleries, I was very excited to view Glenda León's Breath and Delirium through the UMD Art Gallery's Visual Exhibition. Watching the exhibition, however, I was very surprised at the selected works that were presented. I found each of León's work to be surprisingly simplistic, yet very impactful. Her selected works were meant to represent the "fragility of the body", and through the uneasy sense of loss I felt at the end of each of her works I'd say they were very effective. It was a rather intriguing experience for me.

John Sabraw: How I Make Paint From Poison-TED Talk

October 3, 2020

#presentation

The name of this TED talk caught my eye instantly. How could poison have anything to do with artwork and paint? I found the presentation to be rather interesting as it related to some of the topics we had talked about in recent weeks about how art can create change. Though this doesn't create social change as we had spoken about before, it creates an environmental impact which is equally as important.

Halloween Origami Night with the Arts Advisory Board

October 13, 2020

#VisualArt

#ArtsScholars

I grew up making so much origami in my free time, so going to this event brought back some great memories for me. This was a great opportunity for me to meet other art scholars who love arts and crafts. We made origami bats and pumpkins, all of which everyone seemed to enjoy making together. I really enjoyed seeing how everyone decorated their pumpkins at the end. The variety of colors and designs really showcases how talented our fellow art scholars are!

Hamilton on Disney+

November 7, 2020

#Theater

Hamilton is a musical that I had been wanting to watch for many months now. The musical does an incredible job portraying history in a way that is both immersive and incredibly unique. Having the story of Hamilton acted out on stage really brings the characters to life and gives them far more personality than they would have had on paper. It is very inspiring to see how passionately each of the characters were in their push for freedom and change, similarly to how passionately many activists are pushing for change in society today. In many ways, the musical portrays the importance of perserverance despite any hardship and the importance of fighting for our values and our beliefs.

UMD School of Music: Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols

December 11, 2020

#Music

I found listening to the UMD choral ensembles was a great way to relax as the holiday season approaches. It's incredible to see the amount of effort these choir groups were willing to put in to deliver a performance despite the circumstances we are currently in due to COVID. As someone who used to play in musical ensembles, I can relate to how much time they must have put in to rehearse and record these performances on their own time. I am truly grateful that each of these performers were willing to take the time and effort to make their audiences' day a little better as the holidays approach.

Pentathalon: News

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.

Cody Gallery | Magnolia: An Intimate Conversation with Nekisha Durrett & Endia Beal

February 6, 2021

Prerecorded talk by Code Gallery at Marymount University

#Presentation

I found Nekisha Durrett's installation to be very unique. For one, it is an installation created by magnolia leaves and a hole puncher, neither of which are traditional art materials. When she first mentioned this piece of artwork, I immediately thought back to one of my classes, where we had recently learned about immersive art and artistic installations. However, the pieces mentioned in my class were mainly used for entertainment. Durrett's piece is used for activism and to bring awareness to a key issue in society.
The issue that Durrett and Beal speak about in their talk is yet another reason why I found Durrett's art piece, and this talk to be unique. Durrett's piece is meant to bring attention to the stories of Black women who have been victimized by racist police violence. Each of the magnolia leaves in her installation have the names of Black women who have died to police brutality hole punched into them. While talking about her installation, Durrett mentions that though we constantly hear about racism and police brutality, we really only hear about the stories that apply to ment. Black women are hardly ever heard. This got me thinking about how we spoke about using art as a form of activism last semester in Arts Scholars. It also made me think about just how much inequity there is among minority groups. I can't help but wonder, if we as a society are already overlooking important issues like the one Durrett brings up, what other issues are we facing that have also gone unnoticed?

Collage Night - Hosted Over Zoom by Celia Cook

February 25, 2021
#VisalArts
#ArtsScholars
Screenshot taken from Zoom

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to join Celia and a few other Arts Scholars for her Collage Night. Before we officially started collaging, we first went over different methods people tend to use to create collages such as layering and shredding. This event was a great opportunity to learn more about different methods people use to create collages and it was also a great way to destress before midterms.
Making a collage was a lot of fun. I made mine digitally on Photoshop, though I would like to try creating one another time using magazines instead. Prior to this experience, I hardly ever experimented with collages and had no idea there were so many different methods to create them. Looking at examples, both from online and from other students, it is truly incredible to see how creative some of these can get. Especially when it comes to layering, it is very interesting to see how perfectly certain shapes can be fit over others despite it not naturally being possible to do so. I found this event to be very inspiring. It was a great way to relax, have fun, and get to know my fellow Arts Scholars just a little more.

Ekklesia March Dance and Dialogue - Presented by Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet on YouTube

March 20, 2021

#Dance

Screenshot taken from Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet Official's steam on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSstAIzEVwU

Ballet is not a topic that I know very much about. Attending this event, I had expected a typical dance performance. However, what I saw was far more meaningful than I could have ever expected. Ekklesia's March Dance and Dialogue sparks a discussion on the topic of climate change, a topic that many people know about yet continue to disregard anyways. In this performance, Ekklesia works with the composer Scott Simonelli, blending original composition with the well known classical piece, Vivaldi's Four Seasons. What results is an emotional piece of music that is both beautiful and also eerie at times. The piece is meant to act as a parallel of how the seasons have changed over the past few centuries. In the discussion, the speakers bring up the idea of how each season has come to bring about many natural disasters. This is represented in the dance and the music. For example, Winter includes sounds of glaciers craching and Spring includes choreography that represents severe flooding. The entire performance acts as a way to represent some of the consequences we now face because of climate change and foreshadows potential consequences that may occur in the future. It brings up important issues, some of which I hadn't thought much of before. The discussion portion of this event really highlighted the severity of climate change and this topic is definetely one I plan to look into more in the future.

Virtual Lecture Rectial: An Analysis of Debussy's Proses Lyriques, Streamed from the Clarice by Isabella Cadirola

April 10, 2021

#Music

Screenshot taken after the virtual steam on vimeo hosted by The Clarice

I was excited when I first saw the name of this event. I am no stranger to Debussy's works. I have listened to and played a good handful of his pieces before. However, most of the works that I am farmilar with are arranged for piano or for an orchestra. I was intrigued to see how a vocal performance would differ from the works that I had previously listened to.
Isabella's lectural recital was very insightful. Going into this event, I was not expecting such a detailed analysis of Debussy's works. It was interesting to see a thorough analysis on the small decisions Debussy made in order to ensure that certain segments of his music would create a desired effect or evoke a specific emotion. Some of the things that Isabella mentioned, such as the use of motifs to create differing moods throughout the course of a piece, are things that I was familiar with due to my previous experiences playing clarinet. However, some things, such as the usage of certain scales or note progressions, are aspects that I rarely consider, so it was interesting to hear another person's perspective on this idea. Many of the concepts that Isabella mentioned reminded me of ideas mentioned in the Impact of Music on Life class that I am currently taking, a class which also breaks down many musical concepts and how they have been used in different genres and cultures over time. It is always interesting when concepts I learn in class relate to events I attend and it reminds me that there is always plently more to learn about all subjects, even ones I am more familiar with.

The Terminal

April 17, 2021

#Film

Screenshot taken from Amazon Prime Video

My friend and I like to stream movies together once every couple of weeks. This time, we watched the movie "The Terminal". "The Terminal" is a drama/comedy and was a random choice that was pretty different from the usual movies that I watch. After watching a few too many bittersweet slice of life movies, this one was refreshing to watch.
"The Terminal" follows the story of Viktor Navorski who, after flying into New York, is unable to enter or exit the US due to a war that broke out in his country while he was on the flight. As a result he is stranded at the airport indefinetely. I expected this movie to be light hearted and funny and, for the most part, it was. I was not, however, expected it to be as unpredictable and inspiring as it was. Throughout Viktor's time at the airport, he goes out of his way to make the most out of his situation. He truly manages to make a life for himself at the airport. He stays optimistic and finds a way to survive at the airport despite having little to nothing on him. He even manages to build a reputation for himself among the workers at the airport and goes out of his way to help those he does not know. His actions were very inspiring and had me wondering if I would have been able to do the same if I were in his position.

Pentathalon: News

Pentathalon Semester 3

As an experiential component of College Park Arts Scholars, I attended a selection of four art events during my third semester. These events ranged in art mediums and each sparked dialogue among my peers.

NextNow Fest - IMDM

September 17, 2021

#Presentation

Immersive media is a relatively new field of study that was recently officially added to UMD this semester. Last semester, I had the opportunity to take an immersive media and design couse as it caught my interest as something I may want to pursue in the future. This presentation reminded me of what had initially interested me about this field of study - the ability for a combination of technology and art to create a truly memorable experience that could change someones life by bringing about new perspectives. The exhibit allowed users to directly interact with many of the projects. There were a variety of creations, such as a vr night market and a program that translates movement to a series of colors on screen, that reminded me of the versatility of art. As we've mentioned various times in Art Scholars, art can be used for many different purposes. Immersive media often works within the realm of extended realty which allows art to reach beyond the boundaries set by the real world. However, viewing an exhibit like this, I do wonder what benefits and downfalls there are to using traditional art forms as opposed to digital ones. With new technology constantly being developed, I look forward to seeing whether there will be a shift in common artistic mediums, though, I do suspect that traditional mediums will never fully be replaced.

"Kin" by Bruce McAllister podcast

October 3, 2021

#Literature

I've always been a fan of reading and listening to audiobooks. Listening to a story through a podcast, however, is new to me. Though the style is very similar to an audiobook, LeVar Burton's telling of it brings the characters to life in a way that I find audiobooks rarely do. The emotion and variation of tones in the retelling of the story give the characters another dimension to their personalities and give us a better idea of what the characters are like. In terms of the story, I found it to be quite enjoyable. "Kin" is a story about about a twelve-year old boy who hires an alien assassin to kill someone so that his sister can survive. For a short story with a seemingly simple premise, I was not expecting "Kin" to have quite as much of an emotional impact as it did. The approach that McAllister took to writing this story and particularly to writing the interactions between the main character and the alien was quite touching. Listening to this story reminded me of our podcast assignment from last semester, where we worked in groups to create our own podcast. It's interesting to think of how much time planning it must have taken to choose this story and decide how to present the narration.

JR: My wish: Use art to turn the world inside out | TED Talk

October 17, 2021

#Presentatio

Recently, I listened to JR's TED Talk on using art to change the world. JR is a French street artist who pastes his photographs on walls all throughout various cities in order to tackle the question, "could art change the world?" I found this question to be particularly inspiring. So often when people think about art they think of it as a leisurely hobby or as a form of self expression. Very rarely do people consider the ability of it to change the world. This TED Talk reminded me of all the instances of art acting as a form of activism in class. However, what struck me as unique about this in particular is the scale of many of the projects. JR pastes his photographs on entire walls and other surfaces that can be easily seen by many people. Some of his projects create a story using the an entire city's worth of walls as a surface. Created on this scale, the amount of people art like this can reach is incredible. Though we talk about activism through art in class, many of the pieces we talked about are much smaller projects. Another factor that I found interesting, is the amount of people that can contribute to these works. JR often creates his pieces out of close up images of people's faces. People often reach out to him, requesting to have their story told through a photo, contributing to the project in the process. Listening to this TED Talk has not only enhanced my understanding of art being used as a form of activism, but also reinforced my belief that art can be used as something that brings together communities of people.

Concert in the Quad(CitQ) featuring RAJAS

October 28, 2021

#Music

#ArtsScholars

As someone who has a background in classical music, I found the performance by RAJAS to be incredible. On the description for the event, the style of music was described as a blend of jazz with South Asian harmony and rhythm, neither of which styles I have much experience playing or listening to. What surprised me the most was that the majority of what was played was improvised. For a group of musicians, even ones who have played together for a long time, improvising in a way where every musician gets their own spotlight at some point and in a way where no one overpowers anyone else is incredible. Going to this event reminded me of the various times we talked about art being used as a way to bring people together during ArtsScholars. This event is a prime example of how music can bring a sense of unity and community to a group of people. Art can bring out a level of understanding of others that can be hard to find elsewhere. This event also showcases how blending different styles and sounds can bring together something that is altogether unique. Following this performance, I would like to experiment more with different types of sounds and see what I can create by blending them together.

Pentathalon: News

Pentathalon Semester 4

As an experiential component of College Park Arts Scholars, I attended a selection of five art events during my fourth semester. These events ranged in art mediums and each sparked dialogue among my peers.

Pentathalon: News

Art of Protest - Resistance & Humour in the Age of Political Absurdity | Kacey Wong | TEDxVienna

February 5, 2022

#Presentation

Kacey Wong's presentation on Resistance and Humor in the Age of Political Absurdity sends an intriguing message on how versatile art is as a medium for activism. Wong has used many different forms of art such as installations, performances, and photography among other styles in order to spark change against problematic aspects of society. His presentation touches on some of the ideas we have mentioned in Art Scholars regarding using art as a means of activism and connecting with people. Seeing videos of Wong cosplaying and speaking to other protestors demonstrates how effective art allows people to connect with like minded individuals. His examples also reminded me of the class that I took last semester on riots where we talked about the relationship between riots and the identity of a crowd and how sometimes this identity is enough to spur people to action. I suspect that by bringing people together, Wongs actions also may have the same effect. After watching this presentation, I'm curious to see why he chose to take action by using art. While I agree that it is effective at accomplishing his purpose, it is still considered a rather unconventional method, so I'd like to know some of the inspiration behind this decision.

Coffee and Crafts - DIY Mask Chains

February 11, 2022

#VisualArts

#ArtScholars

Just the other day, I had the opportunity to go to an Art Scholar's hosted DIY mask chain making event. This event was a really great opportunity to meet more of my fellow Art Scholars. With the pandemic and my busy schedule the past semester, I found it difficult to find ways to connect to my peers and the community as a whole as much as I would have liked to. This event was a great way to get to know some of my peers and destress before my midterms start. I have never made mask chains before and I rarely work with beads, chains, or wires in general, so I had fun working with materials that I do not usually use. Though my final product was more of an ornament than a mask chain, I am still happy with how it turned out. This event has encouraged me to start experimenting more with different artistic mediums. From this event, I have learned how many different things can be made from a limited amount/type of supplies. I look forwards to seeing what other Art Scholars events there will be during this semester and I hope I can find enough time to attend more of them.

Encanto

March 13, 2022

#Film

It has been a while since I last watched a Disney movie. To be honest, I wasn't originally planning on watching this one - my friends talked me into it - but is one that I really enjoyed watching. Disney movies have a way of drawing its audience in. For me, I always found that they most effectively do this through their music composition. Not only are their songs catchy and memorable, but they also send subtle messages about the movie's overarching themes that people can easily relate to. This idea reminds me of a concept we went over in a music class that I took last year regarding the purpose/role of certain types of music. In class we mostly looked at things like sea shanties which historically play a more practical role in helping those that are working. The way Disney uses their music, however, has a far more educational role that focuses on emphasizing the importance of community. Similarly, in Scholars, we also frequently go over the role of art in community building and bringing people together. I always find it very interesting when concepts like these are brought up in media or every day life as they are subtle ideas that we see often yet rarely emphasize.

"Troll Bridge" by Terry Practchett

March 25, 2022

#Literature

I was looking for short stories to listen to when I saw the title "Troll Bridge". I immediately thought, Oh, this is probably a retelling of the classic, The Three Billy Goats Gruff. I later found out that, while "Troll Bridge" is a reimagining of the classic tale, the plot and overall theme are entirely different. "Troll Bridge" tells the story of Cohen, a well known hero in the Discworld who seeks to defeat a troll, but instead, upon meeting one, reminisces with it while reflecting on how different Discworld used to be and on how things evolve over time. "Troll Bridge" is definitely not what I expected. For a tale with a surprisingly significant message regarding the value of change and the effects it has on those who are left behind, it is very easy to understand. While listening to this story, I was reminded of a course I took last semester on fantasy literature and where we discussed how fantasy mimics reality as a means of creating change. I believe "Troll Bridge" is a great example of this as many of the concepts regarding the benefits of change and the disregard for those left in the past are those that people can apply to our current society. The ability of literature to spread valuable messages and cause changes in mindset is also a topic that we have covered in Art Scholars and is yet another example of one of the many values of the arts.

The Transformative Power of Classical Music | Benjamin Zander | TED

April 17, 2022
#Presentation

As someone with a background in classical music, I found Zander's presentation on the transformative power of classical music to be incredibly inspiring. Classical music is a genre that is often underappreciated or labeled as boring by many, but Zander did an incredible job not only engaging his audience during his speech, but also proving how impactful classical music can be on its audience. He covered many concepts on musicality that I have learned about before. However, while much of my learning on this topic was done through trial and error and broad explanations, Zander manages to explain the concept in a way that is both technically detailed, yet easy for someone with no musical knowledge to understand. With his speech the various examples he played, he proved how impactful classical music can be when played expressively. This reminded me of how we always talk about how impactful art can be on an audience of people. Zander explained this idea and how you can tell if a person has been moved by a piece by whether or not their eyes sparkle after the performance. I found his speech to be incredibly engaging and I hope to incorporate some of the concepts he explained when I create music as well.