The format for this "Lunchtime Lecture" was so different than the ones we've had in the past, but I enjoyed the variety of perspectives it introduced to me. The speakers were all graduates of Maggie Walker: Lily May, who is a freshman at MICA; Eli, who attends VCU; Andre, who also attends VCU, Alex, who graduated from VCU (and she lectured for us either last year or the year before!); Jack, another VCU graduate; and Bailey, who is enrolled in the UVA Architecture program. As someone who does not see herself pursuing a degree in Art, I felt the most connected to Bailey's story about using creativity in practical applications. I thought it was interesting how he sort of fell into the major, as he had been dead-set on politics until the 2016 election. I could relate to the desire for a task that would allow for creativity in the process, as I often struggle with indecisiveness and that gray - fuzz which fills my brain when I hear the words "make whatever you want." How do I know what I want? What if what I want isn't right? You understand my predicament.
Nevertheless, I found the insights shared by the other speakers to be enlightening. I had never really considered what it would be like to participate in basic - level Art classes after having the education I've been fortunate enough to receive at Maggie Walker. I can understand how it would be frustrating and feel like a waste of time to spend hours reviewing concepts like Color Theory, but I also feel like those experiences are important to establishing relationships with peers. Also, idle time is perfect for brainstorming and sketching. Plus, there would undoubtedly be challenge areas -- things that one may not feel particularly confident in, like figure drawing -- that would force the student to revisit the topic. Some of the problems that the speakers shared about Art school surprised me. For example, I had never thought that there would be the types of bias that Lily has experience as an illustration major within the Art department. It's sad yet ironic that the Art department, which is widely inclusive in and of itself, would prioritize some "artists" over others. Also, I was not expecting for so many of the speakers to share common instances of the ungratefulness and sense of entitlement displayed by their peers. It seems like these well - established Art schools provide the students with such a wide - range of resources that the kids lose sight of the magnitude of these opportunities to work and explore. It is for this reason, among others, that Eli is considering the pros and cons to switching majors; as someone who never intended to follow a traditional career path, he is wrestling with the necessity of creating art in an institutionalized setting. He feels like the VCU Art community, rather than broadening his options, still imposes a set of expectations on him and his work that he dislikes. Interestingly, Jack shared that his impression of Art school was one of malleability; "make it what you want." He also said that the presence of grad students within the campus was motivating because of their intensity and dedication to their crafts. Furthermore, Andre brought up how unproductive, and sometimes even damaging, critiques can be. It makes sense that a work about the Queer, Trans, or Minority communities could not be helpfully critiqued some a majority of peers who have zero experience with the hardships that accompany such persons. He also presented a question that I think is important for all people of the Art world to consider: How do you critique a work that you don't understand? Critiques are incredibly subjective, but that quality of subjectivity can be taken advantage of when the people engaged in the critiques share either similar experiences or emotions that accompany a related situation. It's a reminder that even though I seem to have formed this notion of the Art world being spontaneous and accepting, it is still plagued by the same tensions between races, genders, and minority vs majority groups which we face in our everyday lives.
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