SUMMER 2020 ‘Comforting beyond measure’ GETTING CREATIVE DURING A PANDEMIC

Faculty and students in the College of Visual and Performing Arts employed their critical thinking skills and creativity like never before during the spring semester due to the campus’ closure and the move to remote instruction.

For students in the Department of Music, carrying an instrument between campus and their homes wouldn’t sound like a challenge. But for one piano major, it wasn’t as easy to pack up her instrument. Through the use of university contingency funding, student Savannah Gaymon received an upright piano rental at home, which was necessary to complete her coursework.

“I was extremely grateful that finding a place to practice was no longer an uncertainty,” Gaymon said in a thank-you e-mail to administrators. “Music is a place of great comfort and peace to me, and having sure access to a piano may seem insignificant, but is comforting beyond measure.”

Other music students that took required piano skills courses received keyboards at home.

Kelly Ozust, assistant professor of dance in the Department of Theatre and Dance, faced the un- precedented challenge of virtually continuing her dance technique classes, which typically require immediate feedback, partner work and a hands- on approach.

“I was inspired by how the students rose to meet this difficult challenge,” Ozust said. “None of this was easy, but it showed me the resilience of students who are truly passionate about their majors, and want to push themselves to get better, even if they had to dance in their hallways, bedrooms and backyards.”

Ozust used a variety of methods to continue teaching dance techniques, including a platform called FlipGrid that allowed her to film herself dancing at home, share it with the students, and then get response videos from them performing the technique exercises.

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Amanda Campbell Familial Bonds

GETTING CREATIVE DURING A PANDEMIC

(when they could and felt like it) and get creative in promoting themselves and connecting with the creative community.”

In lieu of a physical event, students were featured in individual spotlights on the Design Senior Show website.

Similarly, in the Department of Fine Arts, senior B.F.A. candidates transitioned their exhibition “What Was & What Will Be” from the Rutledge Gallery to a virtual exhibition. Assistant Professor of Fine Arts Claudia O’Steen and Department of Fine Arts Chair Karen Oremus believed that having the exhibition online was important, even though the exhibition will be open in August for visitors in- person. “The students worked really hard to reach this point in their careers, and we wanted to make sure that their work was seen,” O’Steen said.

The shows must go on

At the end of each academic year, seniors in the Department of Design hold their “Senior Show,” often at an off-campus location. From the branding to promotion, students develop a look for the show and spend much of the spring semester promoting it.

The event, which was slated to take place in Charlotte, served as a way for graduating students to show off their portfolios, and it also provided an opportunity for them to meet with potential employers in the area.

Maggie Claytor On Jamie Love’s Wall

“The biggest challenge I faced was the question, ‘what now?’” said Jesse Weser, assistant professor of design. “The seniors looked at the event as their passage into the professional world. They kept asking me how to apply and get jobs now, and I didn’t have an answer. I was pushing them to make

Alongside the artwork on display, students recorded digital artist talks that were posted on YouTube to share their research process with the audience. “The students were amazing,” O’Steen said. “They were, of course, disappointed, because this exhibition was supposed to be a celebration of all of their hard work and accomplishments, but they also understood the need to come up with alternative solutions that kept people safe.”

The exhibition is and will be open for public viewing this August in the Rutledge Gallery.

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