SEMESTER 3

My participation in Art Scholars, and specifically the completion of my capstone project, has refined my skills in presenting my ideas and forms of communication. This is most clearly exhibited through my first and second look presentations as well as my final capstone project website. Through practice and incorporating feedback from peers, mentors, and faculty, I was able to become more comfortable presenting in both an oral and written format. I feel that I have grown in my abilities to communicate and I now know what goes into making and delivering a good presentation. Presenting in front of an audience is something that has always been something that I struggle with, but I have found that learning my creative process and getting better at articulating my ideas has greatly boosted my confidence in presenting. 

The way I look at art has been completely redefined as a result of my experience in the Art Scholars program. Some of my biggest perceptions of art have been challenged through the art supporting courses that I have taken the last few semesters. This semester I took a Women, Art, and Culture class that taught me skills in visual literacy and challenged the way I typically perceive art by inviting me to look deeper into the intent and tie it back to real life issues and current events. As I wrote about in my final pentathlon, I viewed the emotion-picture “Dirty Computer'' by Janelle Monáe and was surprised at how many elements I picked up on that were taught through the course, and it gave me a completely new understanding and appreciation for art activism and artists themselves. In addition, the field trips have given me a new perspective into art as well as the discussions afterwards. My last field trip was the viewing of “The Illusionist” and in the discussion following, we talked about how art and body image are closely related but not always talked about. We understand that art is subjective and view other people’s art as beautiful, but when it comes to our own body image, we feel that we need to fit an objective standard of beauty that is often unattainable. These field trips and discussions changed the way I perceive art and social issues like beauty standards and allowed me to view these things from a redefined lens. 

The biggest thing that was implemented into my capstone project was the element of peer feedback and its impact on my work. As part of the program, we have worked extensively on learning how to provide effective criticisms and suggestions that go beyond stating opinions on a piece. This process not only improved my skills at giving feedback to others in a way that is helpful, but it also gave me the opportunity to implement the feedback I got from my peers and it shaped my project into something much more refined and impactful. I have learned that art is always intentional and even if the intention is simply entertainment value, art is always serving a purpose that you should focus on making clear to your audience.

My time in Art Scholars has expanded my creative abilities much further that I could have ever anticipated. I was given the opportunity to enroll in classes that I probably would never have signed up for, and in these courses I have learned so much about my creative expression and abilities as it relates to the arts. I have expanded my definition of art through exploring different mediums and getting inspired through discovering new artists. My freshman year I enrolled in a dance and music class that was far out of my comfort zone but ended up being some of the best classes I have taken thus far. Additionally, through my participation in the workshops, I have redefined the way I think about art and found new artistic talents. My Art Therapy workshop taught me that art does not always have to be perfect or even finished; that it can be used simply as a tool for relaxation and self-expression, and those are equally valid reasons to make art. Through my Empowerment Through College workshop last spring, I discovered a love for a new art form that inspired me to keep creating, and was the medium I chose to use for my final capstone project.  

Looking back on my experience in Arts Scholars, the best example that I feel demonstrated our abilities to collaborate effectively with one another was the project freshman year where we all created individual pieces relating to a common theme and curated a gallery to present all of our final images. My team came up with the theme of “connection” and it was so interesting to see what everyone’s different artistic approaches were to creating their individual pieces, but the best part was being able to collaborate with everyone and curate an exhibit that tied all of our pieces together and showcased all of our combined creative ideas and perspectives. Although we all had different artistic abilities and ideas, we were able to work together to build off of each other’s thoughts and come up with something that represented everyone’s perspective in a way that was cohesive and beautiful. 

My time in Arts Scholars has shown me so much about myself and my relationship with art. I have built so much confidence in my abilities and artistic talent that I did not have at all coming into UMD. I always thought about art as a side hobby and something that I enjoyed doing but could never spend much time on because I felt I wasn’t good enough to pursue it, but I have completely changed my mindset and the way I look at my art. I believe that I will carry this confidence in my future art and continue to grow in my creative journey. I want to continue to create pieces that I am proud of and discover new art forms and new mediums that I am passionate about. Many of the lessons taught during this semester will carry into my personal and professional life, and I hope to further expand my skill set as I continue on my artistic journey.