Lauren Welch
Arts Scholar
Pentathalon Semester 2
Follow along this semester as I document my arts experiences this semester.
Arts Scholars Online Game Night
February 6, 2021
#artsscholars #presentation
Vicki and Amy hosted this event as a way for arts scholars to bond and wind down with games together. We played a game of “telestrations” on a site called rocket crab, each taking turns to draw a prompt from someone else and guess what someone else has drawn after (think telephone meets Pictionary). While this event was mainly a relaxation session, there were elements that relate to Arts Scholars topics. For one, this activity could be seen as an experiment with group art therapy, and I learned that drawing with others adds another layer of enjoyment that could be therapeutic. Maybe this could inspire future research into group sessions of art therapy, where one could evaluate the effectiveness of making art alone vs. with others on a person’s psyche. Another way this activity could tie into Arts Scholars is the element of collaboration that was involved. During the game, the final resulting drawing is based on iterations and interpretations of one original prompt. This demonstrates artists’ ability to take the same information and inspiration and end up with completely different products. Aside from this, the collaboration also added a challenge to the game, as it was still something all 17 of us had to work together on. For instance, there were some visual artists on the team who would take much longer on each drawing than others, and that meant that everyone would have to wait for them to finish before we could continue to the next round. As time went on and more people grew frustrated with this, these individuals sped up so that we could all play the game more efficiently. This was also important because the point of the game is to have silly, less-perfect drawings that leave room for interpretation. By working through that issue, I learned more about the creative process as it involves collaboration.
2-for-1 Pentathlon Event
February 28th from 5:30pm-6:30pm
#VisualArts
This week I attended an event hosted by the peer mentors and arts advisory board with multiple choices for activities. The reason that I went to another hosted event rather than attending a show or conducting an independent project was that it gave me an opportunity to participate in a group. Quarantine has affected my (and I’m sure everyone else’s) mental health a little, and I enjoy talking in a smaller number of people to make me feel more connected, and hold myself accountable to pay attention.
For the first part of the event, I chose to go to something of a “Song Choice Challenge.” In this game, we each would anonymously submit a song to a category and we all had to guess which person (in a group of 11) had picked each song. The category/prompt we answered was a “feel good” song, and I chose “Sunday Best” by the Surfaces. The song is short and popular, with an upbeat tune and positive message. I consider it a really good song to start your day with if you’re trying to be motivated. Something challenging about this game was not knowing most of the other group members too well, which made guessing what songs they’d choose difficult. You had to guess based on their reactions to the song coming on, or conjectures you could draw up about them based on their clothes/rooms. In the end, there was an average of getting 2/11 correct, so it was kind of a fail, but it was fun to listen and try to guess what we think we might know about others. One take-away from this activity is how a person’s appearance could have nothing to do with their interests, so assuming someone likes a certain type of music or art due to their outward presentation will keep you close-minded.
The second part of this event was somewhat less successful for me. I went to the “Drawing Together” activity breakout room thinking it would be a perfect fit for me. I got all my markers and paper together to try to make something, and then sheepishly had to put them away when I realized we’d be drawing online, which was funny. Unfortunately, I had lots of technical difficulties, and was unable to draw on the site, so I just doodled on paper and watched other peoples’ drawings. However, I chose my favorite drawing of raining cats and dogs (I’ve included this in the image for the event). I love how they spaced the pets evenly and used different colors for the raindrops and lightning, forming kind of a pattern you might see on socks or pajamas.
Use this Footer Paragraph to add Image Credits when needed.
2-for-1 Pentathlon Event
February 28th from 5:30pm-6:30pm
#Music
This week I attended an event hosted by the peer mentors and arts advisory board with multiple choices for activities. The reason that I went to another hosted event rather than attending a show or conducting an independent project was that it gave me an opportunity to participate in a group. Quarantine has affected my (and I’m sure everyone else’s) mental health a little, and I enjoy talking in a smaller number of people to make me feel more connected, and hold myself accountable to pay attention.
For the first part of the event, I chose to go to something of a “Song Choice Challenge.” In this game, we each would anonymously submit a song to a category and we all had to guess which person (in a group of 11) had picked each song. The category/prompt we answered was a “feel good” song, and I chose “Sunday Best” by the Surfaces. The song is short and popular, with an upbeat tune and positive message. I consider it a really good song to start your day with if you’re trying to be motivated. Something challenging about this game was not knowing most of the other group members too well, which made guessing what songs they’d choose difficult. You had to guess based on their reactions to the song coming on, or conjectures you could draw up about them based on their clothes/rooms. In the end, there was an average of getting 2/11 correct, so it was kind of a fail, but it was fun to listen and try to guess what we think we might know about others. One take-away from this activity is how a person’s appearance could have nothing to do with their interests, so assuming someone likes a certain type of music or art due to their outward presentation will keep you close-minded.
The second part of this event was somewhat less successful for me. I went to the “Drawing Together” activity breakout room thinking it would be a perfect fit for me. I got all my markers and paper together to try to make something, and then sheepishly had to put them away when I realized we’d be drawing online, which was funny. Unfortunately, I had lots of technical difficulties, and was unable to draw on the site, so I just doodled on paper and watched other peoples’ drawings. However, I chose my favorite drawing of raining cats and dogs (I’ve included this in the image for the event). I love how they spaced the pets evenly and used different colors for the raindrops and lightning, forming kind of a pattern you might see on socks or pajamas.
Puppetry: Worlds of Imagination
By Speckled Koi Productions (New York, NY: The Cinema Guild, 2001), 43 minutes
#Theater
I went in with mild expectations, as I’ve always kind of thought of puppets as creepy, but I was intrigued nonetheless. I left with a much deeper respect for puppet artists, and a genuine value for this art form. Part of the reason I watched was just to see if Jim Henson (who went to UMD) would be brought up, and I wasn’t disappointed, so that helped me feel connected to the topic as well. The documentary talked to a variety of puppeteers with different specializations. You had Basil Twist, a guy who used fabrics in water for an abstract show, Michael Curry, who made large-scale inventions for festivals, and Ralph Lee, who influenced many professionals to come after him with his ingenuities in puppeteering. Basil Twist’s work surprised me the most as you could really see him evolve, from working in a small fish tank to a large spectacular show. His work reminded me of parts of the film “Fantasia,” there wasn’t a direct storyline but instead, as a little girl put it after the show, you are allowed to “use your imagination.” I haven’t made time to view abstract art in this way in a very long time, but I remember when I was young I was fascinated by fish and moving things in water, and I also loved to come up with storylines to music, so this would have been right up my ally. I think there is probably a therapeutic nature to this, and it strengthens your imagination. The work of Ralph Lee and other artists coming together to put on an annual Halloween parade in New York also really changed my view of puppetry. I loved how he got the whole community involved, saying that most of the work was done by volunteers who did it just for the joy of making things. Now with technology and such a fast-paced world, I cannot see adults coming together for work like this without money, myself included. It’s kind of tragic, because seeing all the people together and the large art pieces, this definitely seems like something I would want to be involved in. Alex Kahn described a really interesting point after working on the parade. He said “Technology is more of a raft that you use to get to the other side of the river that is then discarded... It's not where we're ultimately going… we're dealing with people who just, for that one night, become an artist and that's really what the parade is about.” I love this idea of utilizing puppetry in a large way for community building, and I think it is something we could implement on campus.
Use this Footer Paragraph to add Image Credits when needed.
“Bullfight” Directed by Shirley Clarke, 1910
Short film viewing
#Dance
For this pentathlon, I viewed a short dance film with a few of my fellow arts scholars. This is the first dance credit I have gotten, as the art form generally does not appeal to me, however I viewed this with an open mind. The film was called "Bullfight," directed by Shirley Clarke, featuring an interpreted dance performed by Anna Sokolow. The dance was meant to mimic the action of a bullfight, with Anna portraying each “character” of the event. She conveyed the aggression of the matador, the fierceness and eventual pain of the bull, and also what seemed to be the judgement or fascination of an audience member viewing the fight. The style of dance felt mainly slow and methodical, with a lot of emphasis on curving hand motions and bending at the waist. As the action picked up, sore twirls and motion was involved, and her face seemed to also be choreographed to reflect the emotion of the scene. Between each sequence of the dance, there were cuts to actual footage of a bullfight that would go along with the dance moves she had just moved to. I think for its time and perhaps budget, this film’s editing must have been ahead of its time, but for me I felt as though the cuts to the real fight took away from the dance. Part of what makes an interpretive dance good is allowing the music and the motions lead the viewer’s imagination to an idea, not showing them directly. For me as a visual artist, that’s like taking an abstract piece of art (let’s say in the cubist style) inspired by an apple, and feeling the need to put a photo of the apple beside the work when you’re finished to say “here, look, this is what I painted.” Trust that your audience is looking for an experience of the piece (dance, art, whatever it may be), and doesn’t need to be told what to see in it. And besides that, an interpretive dance is an interpretationof a bullfight, which leads me to believe that the audience too should be allowed to interpret the dance themselves.
Use this Footer Paragraph to add Image Credits when needed.
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.
Ethan Hawke TED Talk 2020
“Give Yourself Permission to be Creative”
#CPSAPentathlon #Presentation
In this presentation, well-known actor Ethan Hawke argues that creativity and expression has purpose and is vital at certain points in our life. One particular quote that stood out was: “Most of us really want to offer the world something of quality, something that the world will consider good or important… it's not up to us whether what we do is any good, and if history has taught us anything, the world is an extremely unreliable critic. Right?”I love this thought process, because I’d like to think that you should do things because you want to, not because society wants you to. However, it’s hard to fully commit to this idea. If everyone made creativity their career, for example, who would provide agriculture and industry? I think that almost everyone would rather do some form of art if they could, but only people in very fortunate positions even have the opportunity to do so. It is complicated to decide whether a field in the arts is providing the world with a need, or a want, and if there is a better use of our time here. The more important takeaway is that it is okay to have a creative outlet, even if people around you tell you it is a waste of time, because you know that your time doing it will impact your life no matter what anyone thinks.
"The Addams Family" (1991) Viewing on Netflix
#CPSAPentathlon #film
To get into the Halloween spirit for fall, I chose to watch the movie "The Addams Family" on Netflix. Even though this is a film you can primarily watch for entertainment, there are takeaways that apply to my Arts Scholars learning. The set design, costumes, and overall editing of this movie can be looked at from an artistic perspective. This movie broke conventional stereotypes of associating dark colors and grim imagery with evil, as even though the Addams are presented in a spooky light, they are the protagonists associated with good. The setting and mood given by the haunted mansion and monster-ish characters allow the film to have a unique presence you can associate with halloween, which the designers probably had in mind. Overall, I think the message of the movie was the cliche "don't judge a book by its cover," but that idea still holds value. The message, cast, comedy, and design factors make this movie a classic Halloween flick.
"Grimm: Brave Traveler" Podcast "Myths and Legends" with Jason Weiser
#CPSAPentathlon #Literature
This week I listened to episode “192-Grimm: Brave Traveler” of the Podcast “Myths and Legends,” hosted by Jason Weiser. In this podcast, Jason takes classic stories from mythology and famous literature (such as the Grimm’s fairytales) and tells them as close as possible to the original plot, often blending different versions, all in modern-day vernacular and with touches of humor. The description for this week’s tale was “an off-the-wall story from the Grimm Brothers about a young man who knew no fear… and why that was a massive problem for him.” I wanted to listen because I remember growing up loving reading different spin-offs of Grimm’s fairytales, and this main character sounded intriguing. In the story, there was a man who could not feel fear who stayed in a haunted castle for three nights trying to “shudder in fear,” but failing to be afraid of any of the horrors that came his way. I enjoyed listening to his clever solutions to problems that others would be terrified to face. The message perhaps is that keeping a level head in scary situations is valuable, or “the only thing to fear is fear itself.”
Acrylic Painting
#CPSAPentathlon #VisualArts
As this has been a really stressful semester for me, I decided to decompress a bit by making art. My sister’s birthday is coming so I took the opportunity to paint for her. The idea of this painting was just a collage of some of her favorite things, tied together with pink hues and triangle geometry. This was a little out of my comfort zone, as I mainly specialize in realism with more muted tones. I tried to think about visual composition rather than just detail and technique. I also had to use methods for painting I’m not used to (like saving lines with painter’s tape). Even though it is relatively small, this forced me to look at design in visual arts a little differently from what I am used to.
“Relaxing Writing Night” Hosted by AAB with Amy Groves
November 17th, 2020 at 7:30 PM
#CPSAPentathlon #Literature
During this event, Amy discussed the need to set aside time for creativity to promote health and well-being. She provided us with two prompts to choose from to write about, then gave us time to write while she played soft music in the background. At first, my writing was sloppy and slow, I wrote about anything that popped into my head related to the prompt. After some time, I narrowed my focus with the goal of creating a rhyming poem about things I was grateful for. This had the double use of practicing wellness with positivity and pushing myself to practice poetry writing. In my poem, I address feeling a lack of motivation and a bit of loneliness, but with the hope of moving forward, which was good to get onto paper. I think this event made me more aware of my need to express my feelings, especially through creativity. I think writing in this expressive format could one day be useful to my major (Architecture), because it involves the communication skill that will be needed to explain the justification for my designs.
Use this Footer Paragraph to add Image Credits when needed.