Jenna Land
Arts Scholar
Pentathalon: Fall 2020
Follow along this semester as I document my arts experiences this semester.
Pentathalon #1
My own type of 'Art Therapy'
#VISUALART
Throughout my summer at home, I was lucky enough to have the time and resources needed to keep myself busy through creative expression- more specifically watercolor painting. I found that I was able to enjoy doing something that I love, while also customizing it as a gift for others. Into this school year, I have been selling these custom watercolor portraits- each one more unique than that last. I've found that it's one of my most productive methods of self-care right now and I am able to do It wherever I go because of it's minimalistic and lightweight materials. I always told myself I wouldn't turn my art into some sort of "obligation," but this type of art therapy gave me a fun way to do it.
Pentathalon #2
My New Netflix 'Binge'...
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#FILM
Last week, I began to rewatch 'Glee,' a television series based on the performing arts and integrating one's own identity into their performance, all while the Glee Club members are dealing with their own unique problems from the "real world." While this show is meant to depict the life of an "average" high school student, many current modern issues for high school and college kids are addressed as well. The most recent episode I watched happened to be one where each member of the Glee Club was told to find and perform a song that best represented their own story. When the students performed each of these songs, the way they physically and emotionally expressed themselves contributed to their performances in a way that helped the audience better understand their purpose and meaning behind the specific piece they chose to perform. Since integrating purpose and meaning into my art is something I am specifically focusing on for my capstone project, I found that this episode of Glee inspired me when it came to ways of putting purpose into my art for others.
Pentathalon #3
TED Talk: Who Decides What Art Means?
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#PRESENTATION
I recently took the time to watch a TED Talk presented by Hayley Levitt that explores differences of perception when it comes to artwork, and how much the artist's intention affects the viewer's interpretation. While putting meaning into my work is something that I am specifically working on this semester in the Art Scholars program, this TED Talk reminded me that no matter how much meaning I put into my work, viewers will perceive it how they want to. I could see this concept as a disadvantage when it comes to expressing myself artistically, but I could also consider its benefits- with each art piece I create, I can broaden my perspective by listening to those of others.
Pentathalon #4
A DANCE CLASS WITH MY SISTER
#DANCE
Every week my sister participates in an online dance class with our local dance studio. While I have stopped taking dance classes, I thought I'd try to participate with her this week to get some exercise before sitting down to do school work. The class I did with her was "lyrical," which was actually one of my favorite types of dance. After "quitting" dance when I was fifteen, I never thought I'd be able to enjoy it again. I think that showing myself that dancing doesn't have to be a stressful activity has opened my eyes to trying things that I never thought I'd want to try again. Keeping an open mind is not only increasingly relevant when it comes to working with others in Art Scholars and schoolwork, but is so important when it comes to communication in the "outside world." Expressing myself through dance was something I never thought would be an option again, but this week I proved myself wrong.
Pentathalon #5
CHILL WITH THE QUILL
#ARTSCHOLARS
This week I was able to attend the virtual "Chill with the Quill" art scholars event, which revolved around creative writing. We began by listening to our peers read some of their own work, as well as those of others. We then took 20 minutes to use those poems as inspiration for writing our own piece. We were given the freedom to write about whatever we wanted, and I wrote about the sense of mindfulness I get when I stand outside. I wrote it while watching the California sunset which allowed me to pay attention to the "simple" things in nature that we often forget about. I found that this practice helped to ground me- something I can take with me into my daily activities when I get stressed. The exercise reminded me of the pleasures that we often forget about, which are the ones that I feel I can use to most inspire me when it comes to my school work- specifically when it comes to my creative work within the art scholars program.
Pentathalon: Spring 2021
Pentathalon #1
DOCUMENTARY: PICK OF THE LITTER
#FILM
Over winter break I was able to make time to watch a documentary on Hulu called Pick of the Litter, which explored the journey of a Guide Dog in training as the documentary followed a litter of puppies from birth. This film was particularly relevant to my life because I am currently very invested in my work with the Guide Dog Foundation’s club on our campus, Terps Raising Pups. I had always been interested in raising a lab puppy and training a dog that would eventually help another individual, but I never truly understood the the details of this process. Seeing the amount of intense training each dog goes through after they leave their initial raiser broadened my perspective when it comes to my own work with the dogs. Only three out of every eight dogs will actually continue through training to become a guide dog. The documentary was able to implement more meaning into my work with the program on campus, which actually is something I’ve been working on in the art scholars program. I will sometimes picture myself without sight as I am working with a guide dog, and praise them more when they do small tasks that would impact a visually-impaired person’s life.  I have also found that my growth within the art scholars program has accelerated as I had begun to focus on the meaning behind my work, such as a passion behind the purpose of my Capstone project. I plan on continuing to find meaning within my work- both inside and outside the scholars program, hopefully maximizing the impact it has on its audience.
Pentathalon #2
Watercolor Painting
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#VISUALART
February 19, 2021
This past week, I took the time to revisit watercolor painting. This art form is one that I used to engage in daily, but have recently stopped due to my busy schedule. I decided to engage in some "self-care" and take a break from my school work to do a stress-relieving activity. Through watercolor painting, I was able to capture the bond of myself and current guide dog in training- Coral. I was actually inspired to go back to watercolor painting during my art therapy workshop last week, when our warmup consisted of "freestyle" expression through art. I attempted to draw Coral through a minimalistic style, and when it didn't work out as well as I wanted, I was determined to set aside the time to create the image in my head. Once I was able to do that, this painting was created.
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I am always left in awe after being reminded of the sense of peace that art can bring to one's life. Something as simple as painting one's surroundings can be an indescribably calming form of expression. Many of my Pentathalon reflections have focused on exploring the ways I can add meaning to my work- both in and out of school. Reflecting on something as simple as watercolor painting as a way of self-expression has lead me to realize it's great power over the mind. I was able to become more aware of what aspects of my "stress" have been beneficial, as well as how to make the most of stress that could otherwise be detrimental.
Pentathalon #3 & #4
Art Scholars 2 in 1 event
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#presentation #dance
February 28, 2021
I was lucky to be able to attend an art scholars event tonight that allowed me to socialize and create more than I had originally expected. My own peers directed me and others through creative activities.
The first activity I attended was where we played an online game called "Skribbl.io." Though the link to play with the group did not work fo rme, I loved watching my own peers lead us in a cool and fun activity. Each person would get a turn to draw something on a shared "whiteboard" and then the rest of the group would try to guess what the picture is. I think that there were actually benefits to not being able to play with the group. Though I typed my guesses in the zoom chat, I had more time to calmly watch the person drawing and reflect. I noticed things like the rate at which certain people guessed, and compared my thoughts on one object to another peer's. I found it fascinating that so many people could look at one drawing and think different things. The event reminded me that especially in a creative setting, taking the time to learn the perspective times of others can actually make me a stronger thinker and artist.
The second activity consisted of a few of us learning a K-pop tiktok dance. Not only do I not dance, but I am also a rare college student who does not use TikTok. This activity was out of my comfort zone, but I was able to push myself to try it. Even if the activity wasn't my favorite, I enjoyed meeting new people and trying a new expressive art form. I will continue to practice pushing myself, and know that it will benefit me in the future.
Pentathalon #5
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#theatre
April 15, 2021
The Greatest Showman: "This Is Me" with Keala Settle
Fox Family Entertainment
Because my background with theatre is a complicated one, I was worried that I would not be able to find something for my final capstone event to reflect on from the category. I began browsing through "behind the scenes" videos on YouTube, and came across a rehearsal video from a show that I had forgotten about- one that I had really liked. while The Greatest Showman was a movie, I consider it to be theater because of the way that it was executed.
The clip I watched was one of a very meaningful run-though of the most powerful and infamous song in the show- "This is Me". I was searching for a "BTS" video that would remind me of aspects to any performance that are crucial, yet things that the audience does not typically see. Before the clip was played, Keala Settle and Hugh Jackman talk about how this the video was a emotional break-though that just "happened" to be caught on camera, making it so much more meaningful to the viewer. When watching this video, I got to watch Keala Settle walk from behind her music stand for the first time when singing this song. I got to witness genuine emotion from her and her castmates as she sung her heart out and put herself out there for the first time with this song.
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Watching this video and knowing that it is only one single piece of the work and emotion that the cast had put into the show, reminds me how essential an emotional foundation is to project. Thus is something that I continue too work on as I finish out my capstone project, as well as with the career field I go into and the rest if my time at college park.
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