by Esmeralda
Being an artist at Duke is weird. Because it's Duke.
There's definitely a vibrant arts community - several in fact - in and around Duke, but art is treated as something more peripheral to the ~DuKe ExPeRiEnCe~ than sports, academics, and even food are. The result is this bizarre dichotomy where one half of the student body thinks of art as a fun way to de-stress from serious topics like organic chemistry, and the other half of the student body stresses out because of their art, which they are obligated to do by a deadline for some class, student organization, or freelance project (again: it is Duke.)
There's definitely a disconnect between the two camps. So many study break events involve art, but going from timed figure drawing to zen tangle is a bit of a culture shock. I can't seem to carry an art project across campus without being asked if I made that? and did I do it just for fun? Which is an irrationally annoying thing to hear when you've been up till 3 am hunched over a painstakingly inked poster and you'll be up till 3 again on your final paper as a result. And yes, I enjoyed making my creations, and I love them very much, but I would not have produced them at this breakneck speed if my GPA didn't depend on it, the same as any computer coder or mathematician on this cortisol-forsaken campus.
... this may just be a reflection of what it is like to be an artist at Duke during finals season. This entire semester has felt like final season though. So take that how you will.
/end rant/
Monday, December 3, 2018
Being an Artist at Duke - Victoria W
In my three years here, art has steadily meant more and more
to me.
I’ve always seen art as something I wanted to do that was not attainable—the more I wanted to
spend my time painting, the guiltier I would feel for using up time that I
“should” have spent working on assignments that were actually going to be due
one day. This, of course, assumes that said art was on my own and not for its
own class. Taking a step even further, if I ever even entertained the idea of
pursuing art full time, the ingrained expectations of a secure tech job would
always eclipse that.
I certainly don’t know exactly what I want out of life, but I
know one thing: it isn’t to work in the tech industry—software engineering or
summat like that. Still, that’s what I’ve been going for. The only consolation
has been that I know I’ll keep art with me—not as the main career, but as
something that I’ll always enjoy.
It’s like that too, while at Duke. My main focus, against my
better wishes, is probably always going to be my computer science major. And
yet, I’ve tried hard to always insert something I enjoy into every semester: a
painting class, a creative writing class (twice!), a Polish class, and this
time—a drawing class. To me, being an ”artist” has always been a means to keep
me sane. As classes have gotten harder and schedules busier, I’ve increasingly
counted on being able to fall back on art. Now, more than ever, I appreciate
the value of having hobbies.
I wouldn’t say right away that there’s a community that comes
along with “being an artist at Duke.” Fine arts, specifically. Back in freshman
year, a group of painters (including myself) had a long discussion concerning
Duke’s focus on the performing arts over the fine arts—we even tried to
petition Duke to expand the painting program. I think it's an ongoing effort. Sure, there are a ton of DUU
Visarts programming opportunities this semester, more than last, but those often attract a
certain demographic, and a ton of hobby / independent artists miss out. To no
fault of DUU—many artists simply prefer working alone. Still, I’m definitely glad that these art events are happening and
bringing different artists on campus together. The visual arts program might still not be
as large as we’d like, but at least the community is forming :)
As a busy, tired, stressed Duke student, art has never meant
so much more.
Ta for now! x
Being an Artist at Duke - Maya Rinehart
When asked to define myself, "artist" is one of
the first words that comes to mind. I don’t immediately think “engineer” even
though I am in Pratt, or “pre-med” even though I’m thinking about going to
medical school. I define myself by the way I express myself. I am an artist.
Even so, being an artist at Duke has honestly been more difficult than I had
anticipated.
I have been drawing and painting since before I can remember
and have always found a way to make time for art classes alongside other
academics. I still hear my high school art teacher’s voice in my head whenever
I draw or paint: “You can’t have light if you don’t have dark!” or “Look at the
masters. We are standing on the shoulders of giants”. Art is a time commitment,
but to me it's definitely worth it.
I’ve always known I don’t want art to be my primary major or
to dedicate my career to drawing and painting. Still, I can’t let being an
artist slip through the cracks. I am an engineering major because I enjoy math
and science and want to make an impact on the world, but being an artist at
Duke means finding time for myself. I realized first semester freshman year
that since I wasn’t taking an art class and wasn’t being held accountable, it
was easy to make art my lowest priority. So I enrolled in Drawing 199 as my 5th
class for the following semester. That was one of the best decisions I’ve made.
Even though I was overloading, my art homework felt more like a study break
than homework.
Intermediate Drawing this semester is the second art class I’ve
taken at Duke. I am taking it as a fifth class with four engineering courses,
and honestly it has been a lot more difficult to stay on top of my work than it
was last semester. I am probably taking too many classes in general, and then
on top of that art has been (understandably) a lot more time consuming than the
introductory class was. Still, I don’t regret taking Intermediate Drawing in
the slightest. I still find that my art homework is never a chore and I am
growing as an artist.
Being an artist at Duke for me means finding a way to
prioritize the things I love. I don’t think my experience with being an artist
at Duke is representative of all of the artists at Duke, however. I have never
been to the Arts Annex, for example, because I had brought my own art supplies
to Duke from the beginning. I think Duke does a great job of making art
accessible to many kinds of people with a range of interests and amount of
prior experience in art, which is wonderful. I am grateful for the ability to
take art classes seriously even though I don’t attend an art school, because
while I’m not an art major, art is an extremely important part of my life.
Being an Artist at Duke
During my first two years of
undergrad, it was difficult to incorporate art, especially visual art, into my life
at Duke. I have fortunately been able to take a painting and drawing class in
the past two semesters, and these classes have truly reignited my passion for creating
art. Art gives me the opportunity to engage creatively and deviate from the
rigorous science and math-heavy engineering curriculum that I am used to. I recently
joined a group called Arts for Life, a service program that brings arts to
children at Duke Hospital. It’s one of the most rewarding programs I have been involved
with on campus. Performing arts are also a very important part of my life at
Duke. I am part of Defining Movement, a multicultural dance team on campus. We
have dancers from all types of dance styles and backgrounds, and we perform at many
of the cultural shows at Duke. This group has taught me a lot about artistry- I
have learned from and been inspired by the choreography and creative visions of
so many of my talented team members.
I certainly
think there is a community of artists at Duke. I work at the Arts Annex, and I
have seen members of the Duke community come in regularly to do art with each
other or learn together at DukeCreate workshops. I also think the dance
community at Duke is very strong. Dance groups like Defmo and Streetmed have
workshops to bring together not only Duke dancers, but other dancers in the NC
dance community. It’s been really wonderful to be involved in both the visual
arts and dance community here.
I think art
is an incredible part of the Duke experience- I can’t imagine my time here
without art or dance. Duke draws in an enormous amount of talent, and has so
many resources for students looking for a creative outlet. The Rubenstein Arts Center
and Arts Annex are both such beautiful spaces, I find myself there even if I don’t
have dance practice or work. I didn’t expect to engage much with the artistic
community as much as I have in college, and I am finding more ways to incorporate
art even into small engineering projects and presentations. Art has always been
an interest of mine, and it serves as a cathartic escape from stress and work. I’m
really lucky to be at a place where art is encouraged and valued by both
friends and Duke’s artistic community.
Being An Artist At Duke
In high school, I spent a considerable amount of time drawing and making art. I took as many art classes as my schedule would allow and I would create pieces for fun in my free time. I recall my senior year of high school I was trying to get into a full art class, so I dramatically emailed my art teacher that I needed to get into it, since it would be my last art class I would ever take! At the time, I thought that when I got to Duke, I sadly would not be able to fit drawing classes into my schedule.
Despite not being a Visual Arts major, every semester of college thus far I have scoured DukeHub for a way to make an art class fit into my schedule. Ensuring I keep up with an activity I enjoy while providing guidance and a creative outlet, drawing this semester has been challenging, yet relaxing. Through my experimentation with different subject matters throughout the semester, I have learned the sort of art I hope to be capable of creating in the future: clean and with interesting lines. The limited direction given with the assigned works was unlike anything I ever experienced in a high school art class. I enjoyed the challenge of having to find the best possible subject matter as well as capture it artistically. This part of the course taught me about making purposeful decisions before even starting a piece. As well, I enjoyed work days in the classroom, where I could freely sketch, wind down, and refocus.
While I personally so appreciate art classes and the art community at Duke, I do believe the greater Duke population could benefit from taking an art class themselves. Many students would be pleasantly surprised with how much they enjoy the class, and I do not think many give it a chance. As well, I think many students would be significantly more challenged by the coursework and expectations than they believe to be accurate. For instance, if I tell my friends I have a ten page paper due, they are sympathetic, but if I inform them I have a whole piece to complete for drawing, they are less cognizant of the required time, skill and effort required in completing a polished piece.
Being a part of the art community in this small way by taking this class has encouraged me to continue my involvement for the rest of my time at Duke. Making art balances my academic life, exposes me to a crowd of creative, inspiring people, and allows me to grow in an area I enjoy. The opportunities and resources for artists at Duke are also a huge asset I plan to continue to utilize. Listening to guest artist speakers and attending new exhibits of the Nasher are also ways to expand my horizons as an artist which are readily at my disposal. Art has now become a larger piece in my Duke experience as a result of my participation in this course!
Drawing at Duke - Alexi Kontos
Drawing at Duke is something that I think more students could benefit from as a whole. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to fit a couple of drawing classes into my schedule despite not being a Visual Arts major and the outlet for creativity has been amazing. Often times at Duke its hard to find the time to sit down and relax, or to indulge in activities like reading a book, drawing, painting, or something that you may have enjoyed before you came to Duke. Being able to have a class that allows you to explore those creative aspects of your life is incredible. Theres nothing more relaxing then having a class and homework that is just to sit down, and draw. I truly believe that the drawing classes I’ve taken at Duke have helped me mentally through my tough classes by providing that outlet.
Another amazing thing about drawing at Duke, and even more broadly the visual arts department at Duke is the wealth of both opportunities and resources available to students. Now as a senior I have seen so many incredible guest artists, exhibits at the Nasher, and been able to take advantage of so much software, art supplies, and art classes that I never would have been able to had I been drawing another place. Being able to be exposed to such a large range of visual arts I feel has really helped me feel more comfortable defining my own style of drawing and art and motivated me to start taking the time to do more art even outside of class.
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Being an Artist at Duke- Sneha Mehrotra
I have always had a
strong passion for art. Ever since I remember, I was drawing on whatever
surface I could find, whether that be a textbook or class notebook. Throughout
middle and high school, I was able to spend ample amount of time on my passion.
I took private oil painting lessons for 10 years and AP art throughout high
school, making about a painting and 10 drawings a week. I grew upon my skillset and was able to
get in a lot of practice through my school assignments. I always thought that I
would be able to continue this passion at Duke. However, to my disappointment, my schedule in college
drastically changed.
During my freshman year,
I tried to force myself to take time out on a weekly basis for art. I quickly realized
that it was more difficult than it seemed as I prioritized completing my math problem sets
over freely sketching in my sketchbook. I started to slack off and ended up
getting minimal practice through my freshman year. This year, I made sure to take an art class so that I
could ensure that I had a set amount of time to continue my passion.
Intermediate Drawing has allowed me not only to follow a schedule, but also to
form a personal artistic voice. Through my experimentation early on in the
course, I was able to understand what I truly love creating and how it reflects
my interests. I began the class working off of pictures I took during my summer
in Guatemala and immediately grew interested in the detailed and textured look
of the drawings. This heavily influenced the continuation of my portfolio as I maintained
my artistic style and applied it to common scenes on Duke’s campus.
At the end of this class,
I believe that I have grown in both skill and purpose. The loose directions
allowed me to pursue what I was truly interested in and form a purpose in my
art that will go beyond any course and inform all of my artistic decisions
going forward. Also, when first signing up for this class, I was very hesitant
about the media choices. As a painter, I preferred working with wet media and
canvases. With little experience with drawing, I realized that it would be a
great growth opportunity to broaden my skillset. To my surprise, I started to
enjoy drawing. I liked the flexibility of being able to do my art wherever I
was and amount of detail I was able to create through a pencil. I became more
patient with every drawing and learned how to best utilize my time through our weekly projects. Looking
back at the work I have created this semester, I can proudly say that I have
greatly grown in my willingness to experiment as an artist.
Regarding the art
community at Duke, I believe that it is very open and inclusive. Most of the
students that I have met that are interested in art are studying a wide variety
of subjects, from History to Math. I find this particularly interesting as I thought
that most art students in my class would be Visual Art majors, which proved to be
false. There is also a community of art beyond the classroom at Duke,
especially through the Visual Arts committee. I have had my art displayed at
several of their events and attended many workshops. Organizations such as
VisArts do an incredible job of uniting different styles of artists across
campus and giving time to students to practice their passions. Art has become
an increasingly large part of the Duke experience for me as I have found it as
a unique method to portray my personality. I always love to share my drawings
with fellow classmates who are curious to hear about my projects. However, one
of the most incredible aspects about art at Duke is that it allows me to
destress. After coming back to my apartment after a difficult math exam, I know
that I can always relax by sketching or painting. Art gives balance to my life
at Duke and I hope to continue to grow my passion throughout my time here!
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