Cultural Events
Symbols and Meaning in Chinese Art
Tuesday, February 10th, 2015 - Art History Museum, Miami University
The first cultural event I attended on campus for ART 195 was "Symbols and Meaning in Chinese Art." This event was put on by senior art history students as a part of their senior capstone. The seniors that were involved participated with creating a gallery for their "Figures in a Garden: The Ideal World in Chinese Art" show. The individuals involved with this fantastic event were Abbigail Crawford, Alexandra Czajkowski, Naren Gao, Delaney Lee, Jim McClanahan, Wilson Pittman, Danielle Riggs, Gabrielle Turney, and Dr. Ann Barrott Wicks. At the event, they shared with everyone information about the research associated with the event, challenges they faced, and their overall experience. In addition, they discussed how every person involved was a key part in selecting the pieces that were implemented in the exhibit and each person was given the opportunity to briefly share with everyone the meanings behind the pieces they selected to display.
Before arriving at the Art History Museum, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. All I knew about the event was it had something to do with Chinese Art, something extremely unfamiliar to me. When I arrived at the event, I was surprised to see how many people were there. I've never been to any art-related event on campus, so this was a completely new experience for me. After reflecting on my experiences at the event, I believe I now have a much better understanding of the Chinese culture's values. Hearing the students talk about the meaning associated with their pieces provided me with insight about the Chinese culture - an insight I've never received or been particularly curious about. Overall, I was extremely impressed with the event, the fact that it was created and put on by students at Miami University, and how professional the exhibit was. Even though I don't have a strong appreciation and interest in Chinese art, this event was very impressive and interesting to me and provided me with information about Chinese art and their culture that I didn't have prior to the event, and most likely would have never had if it wasn't for this experience.
As a middle childhood education major with concentration areas in mathematics and language arts, I will not be teaching art to middle school students. However, this exhibit made me appreciate another culture besides my own. I can see creating lessons for my future students that involve them researching different cultures, possibly cultures of their classmates, in order for them to gain a better understanding of that particular culture, as well as appreciate the similarities and differences my students share with one another. I believe it is very important for students to feel like and believe that they are respected and appreciated for the person they are, no matter what race they may or what their culture is. I plan to make my future classroom a place where all students are valued and appreciated, as well as their cultures.
Asian American Association's "Fusion: How I Met Your Mother" Performance
Saturday, February 28th, 2015 - Hall Auditorium, Miami University
The second cultural event I attended for ART 195 was Miami University Asian American Association's Fusion dance performance, "Fusion: How I Met Your Mother." The event was at Hall Auditorium from 2:00pm-4:00pm and featured several different dances from around the world, such as China, Africa, Korea, the Philippines, and Japan. In addition to the dances being from several different countries, there was also a variety in the dances, such as some were modern where as others were traditional. For some of the dances, props were used, such as fans and swords. Every year there is a theme associated with event and the theme for this year's performance was "How I Met Your Mother." Even though I have only seen a few episodes of the television show and don't really know who the characters/actors are on the show, the theme was presented very well and worked well with the idea of traveling around the world.
Prior to attending this cultural event, I had seen the Asian American Association perform at various dance performances on campus. As a member on the Miami University Hip Hop Team, I have a strong passion and appreciation for dance, no matter what kind. I found this event to be extremely interesting because it featured styles of dance that I wasn't particularly familiar with, as well as dance styles I was familiar with, such as hip-hop. Even though I'm an individual who enjoys events similar to this, I would recommend this event to anyone, no matter if they have dance experience or not. The event had displayed a lot of variety and I never felt like I was watching the same dance more than once. I had a feeling that I would enjoy this event before it started because I've seen them perform before in the past and always found their work interesting and unique. Overall, I thought the event was very interesting and very enjoyable.
I believe this event can be connected to not only art education classrooms, but also classrooms of all other subject areas and grade levels. Even though my concentration areas are in mathematics and language arts, I can see myself incorporating lessons and projects in my classroom that allow students to explore and research different cultures. Students could also perform similar dances in groups. For example, small groups of students could be assigned a country and have to create a dance that reflects the country's culture and beliefs.
"Voices of Homelessness": Sponsored by Urban Leaders
Thursday, April 2nd, 2015 - Psychology Building, Miami University
The third cultural event I attended for ART 195 was "Voices of Homelessness", which was sponsored by Miami University's Urban Leaders. The event was held at the Psychology Building on Thursday, April 2nd. The event was supposed to begin at 6:00pm but was delayed roughly 45 minutes because it was difficult for the three individuals coming to travel from wherever they were currently living. Prior to the individuals arriving, one of my classmates in ART 195, Rob Con, who is the president of Urban Leaders, began asking us questions about homelessness, such as, "How do you feel about homelessness?", "What do you usually do when you walk by a homeless person and how does that make you feel?", "What are some stereotypes we have about homeless people?", etc. Once the three individuals arrived, they each began by introducing themselves, sharing their personal story about being homeless, informing us what we can do to help homeless people, and then ended with Q&A. The three individuals, two men and one women, were empowered to speak by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless.
I found this event to be an extremely interesting experience, perhaps the most eye-opening and beneficial event I've attended all semester. Prior to coming to this event, I had never talked to someone who was homeless or someone who had experienced being homeless. This event was a very humbling, eye-opening experience for me because it made me realize how much people make generalizations or assumptions about homeless people, such as they're all alcoholics or drug addicts that will go spend the money you give them on more alcohol or drugs. When the three individuals were sharing their story with us, I was surprised, I hate to say, that only one of them battled with alcoholism. The woman (I will refer to her as Anne) talked about how she was homeless in Cincinnati, built a cabin with her traveling partner, and had to make the decision to eat lunch instead of taking a shower due to the amount of money she had. Anne talked about how before becoming homeless due to the job and house market, she had never had a passion for anything but now she has something to be passionate about. The first man that talked (I will refer to him as Joe) shared his story and how he had become homeless about nine and a half years ago. Prior to becoming homeless, he worked, attended and graduated from University of Cincinnati and then began working after he graduated college. He married, had a kid, and one day his wife decided to leave him, while also filing for child support. Joe became unemployed when all of this happened and between not having a job and having to pay for child support, began drinking a lot. He was locked up in jail for ninety days and lost everything. He "couch surfed", or moved from house to house, shelter to shelter, until he became associated with Street Vibes, a way for homeless people to sell newspapers and receive a small profit. Of all the individuals who spoke at this event, the second man to speak (I will refer to him as Drew) had the strongest impact on me. Drew had been struggling with homelessness throughout his entire life. At the age of fourteen, he was affected by drug abuse, alcohol, and violence in his family which caused him to leave. He survived on the streets by sweeping porches and other miscellaneous jobs in order to make a small amount of money. Although Drew graduated from Ohio University, over the past forty years he has gone back and forth from not being homeless to being homeless. What Drew said that was the biggest eye-opener to me was when he said, "No one wakes up and decides to be homeless." He continued by saying, "As soon as you start feeling helpless or hopeless, it's suicidal." All three of the individuals' stories were very inspiring and I was able to connect to all of them in one way or another.
As a future middle school teacher with one of my concentration areas in language arts, I can strongly see how this content can be used in a language arts classroom. As a language arts teacher, I think it would be great to do some sort of research project about the homelessness situation in our community and discover ways to help out. Also, you could incorporate art by pairing up with other local schools in the same area/city and paint some sort of mural about homelessness in the community and how we need to do something about it. As a future teacher, this event opened my eyes to just how prevalent the issue of homelessness is. The three individuals that spoke at the event did not appear to be homeless because they did not dress like the stereotype that most people have. I will most likely have students in my class who come from homes that are struggling to pay the bills or are "couch surfing." As a teacher, it will be a priority of mine to develop relationships with my students and their families in order to better understand them and their situations. This will be beneficial because if a student is sleeping in class everyday or never turning in their homework, there may be an explanation, such as he doesn't have a place to sleep when he leaves school or he doesn't have a pencil to do his homework. Overall, this event was very beneficial and interesting to attend as both a citizen and as a future teacher.
Tuesday, February 10th, 2015 - Art History Museum, Miami University
The first cultural event I attended on campus for ART 195 was "Symbols and Meaning in Chinese Art." This event was put on by senior art history students as a part of their senior capstone. The seniors that were involved participated with creating a gallery for their "Figures in a Garden: The Ideal World in Chinese Art" show. The individuals involved with this fantastic event were Abbigail Crawford, Alexandra Czajkowski, Naren Gao, Delaney Lee, Jim McClanahan, Wilson Pittman, Danielle Riggs, Gabrielle Turney, and Dr. Ann Barrott Wicks. At the event, they shared with everyone information about the research associated with the event, challenges they faced, and their overall experience. In addition, they discussed how every person involved was a key part in selecting the pieces that were implemented in the exhibit and each person was given the opportunity to briefly share with everyone the meanings behind the pieces they selected to display.
Before arriving at the Art History Museum, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. All I knew about the event was it had something to do with Chinese Art, something extremely unfamiliar to me. When I arrived at the event, I was surprised to see how many people were there. I've never been to any art-related event on campus, so this was a completely new experience for me. After reflecting on my experiences at the event, I believe I now have a much better understanding of the Chinese culture's values. Hearing the students talk about the meaning associated with their pieces provided me with insight about the Chinese culture - an insight I've never received or been particularly curious about. Overall, I was extremely impressed with the event, the fact that it was created and put on by students at Miami University, and how professional the exhibit was. Even though I don't have a strong appreciation and interest in Chinese art, this event was very impressive and interesting to me and provided me with information about Chinese art and their culture that I didn't have prior to the event, and most likely would have never had if it wasn't for this experience.
As a middle childhood education major with concentration areas in mathematics and language arts, I will not be teaching art to middle school students. However, this exhibit made me appreciate another culture besides my own. I can see creating lessons for my future students that involve them researching different cultures, possibly cultures of their classmates, in order for them to gain a better understanding of that particular culture, as well as appreciate the similarities and differences my students share with one another. I believe it is very important for students to feel like and believe that they are respected and appreciated for the person they are, no matter what race they may or what their culture is. I plan to make my future classroom a place where all students are valued and appreciated, as well as their cultures.
Asian American Association's "Fusion: How I Met Your Mother" Performance
Saturday, February 28th, 2015 - Hall Auditorium, Miami University
The second cultural event I attended for ART 195 was Miami University Asian American Association's Fusion dance performance, "Fusion: How I Met Your Mother." The event was at Hall Auditorium from 2:00pm-4:00pm and featured several different dances from around the world, such as China, Africa, Korea, the Philippines, and Japan. In addition to the dances being from several different countries, there was also a variety in the dances, such as some were modern where as others were traditional. For some of the dances, props were used, such as fans and swords. Every year there is a theme associated with event and the theme for this year's performance was "How I Met Your Mother." Even though I have only seen a few episodes of the television show and don't really know who the characters/actors are on the show, the theme was presented very well and worked well with the idea of traveling around the world.
Prior to attending this cultural event, I had seen the Asian American Association perform at various dance performances on campus. As a member on the Miami University Hip Hop Team, I have a strong passion and appreciation for dance, no matter what kind. I found this event to be extremely interesting because it featured styles of dance that I wasn't particularly familiar with, as well as dance styles I was familiar with, such as hip-hop. Even though I'm an individual who enjoys events similar to this, I would recommend this event to anyone, no matter if they have dance experience or not. The event had displayed a lot of variety and I never felt like I was watching the same dance more than once. I had a feeling that I would enjoy this event before it started because I've seen them perform before in the past and always found their work interesting and unique. Overall, I thought the event was very interesting and very enjoyable.
I believe this event can be connected to not only art education classrooms, but also classrooms of all other subject areas and grade levels. Even though my concentration areas are in mathematics and language arts, I can see myself incorporating lessons and projects in my classroom that allow students to explore and research different cultures. Students could also perform similar dances in groups. For example, small groups of students could be assigned a country and have to create a dance that reflects the country's culture and beliefs.
"Voices of Homelessness": Sponsored by Urban Leaders
Thursday, April 2nd, 2015 - Psychology Building, Miami University
The third cultural event I attended for ART 195 was "Voices of Homelessness", which was sponsored by Miami University's Urban Leaders. The event was held at the Psychology Building on Thursday, April 2nd. The event was supposed to begin at 6:00pm but was delayed roughly 45 minutes because it was difficult for the three individuals coming to travel from wherever they were currently living. Prior to the individuals arriving, one of my classmates in ART 195, Rob Con, who is the president of Urban Leaders, began asking us questions about homelessness, such as, "How do you feel about homelessness?", "What do you usually do when you walk by a homeless person and how does that make you feel?", "What are some stereotypes we have about homeless people?", etc. Once the three individuals arrived, they each began by introducing themselves, sharing their personal story about being homeless, informing us what we can do to help homeless people, and then ended with Q&A. The three individuals, two men and one women, were empowered to speak by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless.
I found this event to be an extremely interesting experience, perhaps the most eye-opening and beneficial event I've attended all semester. Prior to coming to this event, I had never talked to someone who was homeless or someone who had experienced being homeless. This event was a very humbling, eye-opening experience for me because it made me realize how much people make generalizations or assumptions about homeless people, such as they're all alcoholics or drug addicts that will go spend the money you give them on more alcohol or drugs. When the three individuals were sharing their story with us, I was surprised, I hate to say, that only one of them battled with alcoholism. The woman (I will refer to her as Anne) talked about how she was homeless in Cincinnati, built a cabin with her traveling partner, and had to make the decision to eat lunch instead of taking a shower due to the amount of money she had. Anne talked about how before becoming homeless due to the job and house market, she had never had a passion for anything but now she has something to be passionate about. The first man that talked (I will refer to him as Joe) shared his story and how he had become homeless about nine and a half years ago. Prior to becoming homeless, he worked, attended and graduated from University of Cincinnati and then began working after he graduated college. He married, had a kid, and one day his wife decided to leave him, while also filing for child support. Joe became unemployed when all of this happened and between not having a job and having to pay for child support, began drinking a lot. He was locked up in jail for ninety days and lost everything. He "couch surfed", or moved from house to house, shelter to shelter, until he became associated with Street Vibes, a way for homeless people to sell newspapers and receive a small profit. Of all the individuals who spoke at this event, the second man to speak (I will refer to him as Drew) had the strongest impact on me. Drew had been struggling with homelessness throughout his entire life. At the age of fourteen, he was affected by drug abuse, alcohol, and violence in his family which caused him to leave. He survived on the streets by sweeping porches and other miscellaneous jobs in order to make a small amount of money. Although Drew graduated from Ohio University, over the past forty years he has gone back and forth from not being homeless to being homeless. What Drew said that was the biggest eye-opener to me was when he said, "No one wakes up and decides to be homeless." He continued by saying, "As soon as you start feeling helpless or hopeless, it's suicidal." All three of the individuals' stories were very inspiring and I was able to connect to all of them in one way or another.
As a future middle school teacher with one of my concentration areas in language arts, I can strongly see how this content can be used in a language arts classroom. As a language arts teacher, I think it would be great to do some sort of research project about the homelessness situation in our community and discover ways to help out. Also, you could incorporate art by pairing up with other local schools in the same area/city and paint some sort of mural about homelessness in the community and how we need to do something about it. As a future teacher, this event opened my eyes to just how prevalent the issue of homelessness is. The three individuals that spoke at the event did not appear to be homeless because they did not dress like the stereotype that most people have. I will most likely have students in my class who come from homes that are struggling to pay the bills or are "couch surfing." As a teacher, it will be a priority of mine to develop relationships with my students and their families in order to better understand them and their situations. This will be beneficial because if a student is sleeping in class everyday or never turning in their homework, there may be an explanation, such as he doesn't have a place to sleep when he leaves school or he doesn't have a pencil to do his homework. Overall, this event was very beneficial and interesting to attend as both a citizen and as a future teacher.