Being an Artist at Duke - Natalia Mesa

“Artist” and “Duke” had never been compatible in my mind until about a year ago when I took my first drawing class. Sure, there had been “art” at Duke but it was only a side hobby, something “cool” I did when I had time, it was never meant to evolve into being an “artist” at Duke. The reason for this is that since before I started my first semester here, I had determined what I would be: a Neuroscientist. Within a single semester I discovered that my worldview could not be restrained to a scientific perspective and I began taking philosophy classes, thinking this would balance out both my schedule and my worldview. A scientific lens focused on the brain and a philosophical lens focused on the mind. Yet something was still missing, and looking back on my first two years at Duke I realize that what was missing was right in front of me. My neuroscience notebooks were filled with doodles of neurons, brains, nerve fibers and distorted faces. My philosophy notebooks were riddled with sketches of Aristotle, Plato, greek statues and girls with their minds and souls materializing before them. I had been “doing art” while I was at Duke but I hadn’t let myself be an “artist”. 

Fast forward to second semester junior year, my crazy double major schedule finally allowed me to take a class that wasn’t neuroscience or philosophy and I took my first drawing class. Before taking this class, art fit into my life in the margins of my notebooks, in sporadic publications for The Bridge, The Standard or Form, and on the walls of my friend’s apartments. Now, art had a more “official” place in my life at Duke. It was finally an assignment, it was finally for a grade, and it was finally something I could tell myself I was doing “seriously”. Now, being an “artist” at Duke is one of my favorite parts of my Duke experience. Doing art has become a full-time project with directionality and purpose. I’ve found an impressive amount of support and inspiration among the students and teachers I’ve met in my art classes. The art community is richer than I imagined and being an Artist at Duke wasn't looked down on by all the engineers, econ majors, and STEM buffs like I expected - it was accepted and appreciated by every type of person. Being an artist is no longer something I do in my free time, its something I am, all the time. 

Being an Artist at Duke - Alexandra Uribe

Since a young age, I’ve been drawn to the arts because it provides an avenue for self-expression unlike anything else. For me, the act of gathering inspiration and then transforming a personal vision into an external visual form has always been a special experience. Throughout grade school, I would often incorporate drawing into my day-to-day activities, often doodling during classes, on homework, or even on dinner napkins at the table. I was particularly inspired by artists that focused on hyper-realism style drawings and fantasy illustration. During my high school years, I became more interested in digital art and graphic design. In college, I have tried to incorporate art in as many forms as possible while also balancing Duke’s rigorous academic requirements. For me, being an artist means somehow incorporating art into my daily life because of this intrinsic love for the creative process. Even if I am not studying the arts 24/7 like other students at art schools such as RISD, I try to incorporate the creative process in all my courses during the semester.

Being an artist at Duke, and/or pursuing a creative career, requires an extensive level of initiative and bravery. With the many internal and external pressures that students face today, one must prioritize and set aside time to participate in the art world and hone one’s craft. For me, engaging in all forms of the visual arts is important, yet challenging at times. As other students have remarked, Duke may not have as extensive a catalogue of fine or digital art classes, which can make it difficult to get into these courses. In addition, since there are fewer students studying the arts compared to other majors at Duke,  one has to take the initiative of reaching out to the art departments and to other students who share similar interests. Trying to incorporate the arts in my life as a hobby or career, takes bravery since art career pathways are often considered less financially sustainable and difficult to enter compared to other pre-professional careers. Between current job market pressures and the rising cost of higher education, many students may feel dissuaded to embark in art careers. However, my goal is to incorporate the arts as much as I can, whether only as a hobby or in my future post-Duke career. Taking this drawing class has helped me practice and remain balanced in all my classes. As a senior, it is one of my goals to continue engaging in the arts by connecting with alumni that have been involved in the various arts organizations and departments at Duke and by attending DEMAN weekend(s). Programs such as Duke in NY, internships at PBS, and classes with Duke professors in the AAHVS have helped me to develop my professional and personal development skills. In the future, I hope to continue “being” an artist in the literal and figurative sense, by cultivating my skills and adapting to challenges with a creative mindset.

Being an Artist at Duke

Being an artist at Duke is rather difficult. If it is not your main academic path, you have to struggle to make time for it. Heck, even if it is, you still need to work hard to make time for it. Many of the non-ALP courses necessary to graduate can be rather time consuming, taking away time to make art and be an active artist. Likewise, there is not a wide selection of arts courses at this University. Some classes, such as graphic design, are only offered at one level, leaving the rest to the artist after the completion of the course. Likewise, courses that are offered at various levels, such as drawing, are only taught by one professor at one time.

Regardless of the circumstances at hand, I am trying my hardest to be an artist at Duke, especially because my goal is to be some sort of artist outside of Duke. In addition to the two visual arts courses I am enrolled in, I am in multiple extracurricular activities that require some sort of creativity or artistic ability. Presently, I am Historian of Black Student Alliance, a videographer for Duke Football, Co-Head of Content for The Bridge, and Set Designer for The Wiz. Taking positions such as these were done purposefully in order to gain the extra experience I need to prepare myself for a creative career upon graduation.

Although I have learned some things through these positions or had to teach myself some things in order to maintain these positions, I honestly do not feel like it is enough. I am entirely too cognizant of the fact that there are many students graduating from schools dedicated entirely to the arts who have spent all of their undergraduate years mastering their craft. I definitely feel as if I am at a disadvantage. Despite this fear, I am still putting forth the effort to be a successful creative upon graduation. I want to prove to myself, my family, and my peers that art is a legitimate career. It’s been my ultimate dream from a young age that I constantly pushed back out of fear and insecurity.

Being An Artist by Alexis Joseph

For most of my life, art has been a passion of mine and also a stress reliever. I taught myself how to draw and paint when I was younger and ever since, it has been a major part of my life. Tattoos and alternate forms of art have also grown to be a new passion of mine. Since I started kindergarten, art class has been my favorite class and now that I am at Duke that has not changed. Being creative is important and I find my days to be better when I am being creative and practicing art. Being a student athlete, most of my days are stressful and long. I have found art to be my release, my happy place. I look forward to art homework and I look forward to my two-and-a-half-hour art class every Monday.

A few weeks ago, our class visited the Nasher Museum and I was asked if I was a “practicing” artist. My initial reaction was of course I am a practicing artist. However, once I really thought about it, my answer began to change. Duke is an amazing university that offers thousands of opportunities; however, those opportunities feel slim when it comes to art.

I have complete freedom for what classes I can chose which makes me very happy, however I find myself frustrated when book bagging. Not because I have to take an 8am class or because I have to struggle to find a language class, but because I plan to major in Visual Art but my schedule has no art classes. From my experience thus far, Duke offers few fine arts classes. The classes that are offered are during my practice schedule. So; being an artist at Duke is definitely frustrating for me. However, being an artist at Duke has taught me to be creative and take my education in my own hands. It has also introduced me to new forms of art and unintentionally made me more open to learning new forms.

I never thought about graphic art or a music theory class but after searching for classes here at Duke, I am now starting to become more interested in other mediums. Which I believe in the end will help develop my artist skills and ideas. 

Being an Artist

I’ve loved drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. Whether it was getting my hands and parents’ walls dirty with finger paints at age five, or losing all concept of time with chalk pastels at age 15, art has consistently been something I’ve enjoyed. But that doesn’t mean I’ve always listened when my mind rang out to me to do something I loved.

In high school, I had one goal in mind: get into a prestigious university. I worked hard to take the most rigorous classes and succeed in them in hopes impressing some admissions officer, so taking an AP art class was never a priority. And yet I vividly remember weekends when I felt overwhelmed preparing for midterms or tests, instead of studying, I spent 6+ hours drawing a portrait of my mom, or my backyard. Drawing was my stress-reliever, a space I only relied on when I needed to decompress. My biggest regret is listening to my advisors and teachers who insisted I take AP Physics over AP Studio, or AP Chemistry over AP Photography. Only after taking this class and reflecting on my time in high school do I realize that my passion to draw has always been there, I’ve just let noise distract me.

I’m so glad I took this class, not only because it has given me some balance in my STEM-heavy schedule, but also because it has forced me to consciously set time aside for something I love, and actively listen to my instincts. I’ve blocked out the chatter in my life and reclaimed a sense of my own voice. This class has given me a chance to express my creativity in ways that I never could in my math or economics classes. Since high school, I have always focused on the next step - whether that meant getting into Duke, or getting the best job. For too long I’ve discounted the whispers in my head that screamed “draw”. Now, more than ever, I’m listening to the part of me that wants to explore art. Regardless of what I pursue in the future, my journey as an art student is not over. I’ve promised myself to never silence that part of me.

While I’m fortunate that this art class has given me that awareness, I’m not sure many other Duke students who aren’t fully aware of their art passions will find the same clarity. Even in writing this, after formally enrolling as an “art student” for the semester, the concept of considering myself an “artist” is foreign to me. So I can only imagine how isolated students who only consider art as a side hobby must feel. Perhaps it’s because Duke is not an arts school in the traditional sense. I feel as though Duke breeds pre-professional students, who are encouraged to pursue their diverse interests, but not to fully explore them beyond a hobby. It’s disappointing, since all the resources to pursue art and be an “artist” are present; there are constantly events at the Arts Annex, and events run by student organizations trying to give students an art community to engage with. Perhaps then allowing “artist” to become part of students’ identity must materialize naturally and independently. Duke does all it can in encouraging people to listen to their art instincts, but considering my experience, it’s up to each student whether or not they will have an open ear.

On Being an Artist at Duke - Juliana Arbelaez

Until this semester, I had never seriously integrated art into my life at Duke. Beyond making my own dorm art or being asked to paint coolers for friends in the spring, I rarely dedicated time to seriously practicing art. If discussing art in a liberal sense, my dedication to film photography as a means to document my college years could be counted as practicing art. In high school, I took IB Visual Arts HL. Coming to college, I switched from dedicating a couple hours a day to art to almost none in just a summer. I think this is because of the overarching pressure at Duke to focus on “academic” or career-oriented pursuits instead of something that is often written off as extracurricular.

In the general sense, I don’t think that art is an important part of the Duke experience. I don’t think labs or late nights in Perkins or even the basketball team are an important part of the Duke experience either. Every individual at this school has a different experience and thus has factors with differing important to that experience. In saying this, I admit that can be an essential part of an individual’s Duke experience. It has yet to become part of mine, not because of lack of significance, but simply because I have chosen to dedicate the time that has constituted my experience thus far to other things. 

I do think that Duke has a community of artists if you desire to become a part of it. We have incredible spaces to practice different art forms like the Arts Annex, the Ruby, and Smith. Although the artistic community may seem quieter than some of the other communities on Duke’s campus, I don’t think this is because of its lack of existence or vibrance. I would encourage all students to take an art class at Duke, regardless of previous experience or desire to pursue art further. Whether it be a drawing, photography, or dance course, I think taking the time to grow in an area that may be unfamiliar or challenge a different part of yourself is beneficial and a necessary part of the college experience. 

To be an Artist at Duke

Art is what keeps me grounded. At Duke and other
Duke-adjacent schools, it isn’t difficult to become
consumed with grades and expectations and extracurriculars
and the all-too-familiar feeling of not doing enough.
Creating has become my solace. In the past, I found myself
perceiving art as a “breaktime” activity, something I’d do if
I got around to it--so I never did. Living this way--assignment
to assignment--is unsustainable and unhealthy. About halfway
through last year, I began to prioritize balance, carving out
time to create just as I carved out the time to study. 

Although art may not be put forth as a defining feature of
Duke, the campus is full of artists; it’s just a matter of
seeking out community with them. One’s first thought may
be to seek out this community by flocking to art-related
extracurriculars. In fact, when I arrived on campus, this is
how I assumed I should go about it. And although this is a
valid approach, I’ve found more community with artists
outside of extracurriculars--in happenstance revelations that
I have a passion in common with someone else. Many of
Duke’s artists are quiet creatives with a multitude of
different interests; fishing out who is also an artist has been
a really fulfilling experience for me. 

I think that art can be an important part of the Duke experience, if
one chooses to seek it out. Duke has so many artistic resources,
from the Ruby to the Arts Annex to film screenings, etc.
Experiencing art can be a huge source of growth; it exposes you
to different cultures, viewpoints, new ways of looking at things:
a time for reflection. College is a time to experience new ideas
and broaden your worldview. Art can help attain this. I believe
that incorporating art, whether it be as the creator or as the
viewer, provides the individual with a much fuller experience.