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For centuries, art has not merely functioned as a demonstration of aesthetics — it has served as a vital avenue for self-expression, communication and connection. If we turn to history, art has been a platform for communities of color to assert their identities and narratives in a world that often silences their voices.
Comedy has an incredible power to help us navigate some of the most complex and emotionally taxing experiences. A moment of genuine laughter can lift spirits, foster unexpected connections and create space for people to escape and face the challenges of life. In her one-woman performance, put on in conjunction with the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts, Brandeis alum Zoë Rose ’20 used her humor for the very purpose of inspiring audiences to look inward.
The fourth Dialogue and Action in the Age of Divides panel discussion was held on April 2, with the intention of discussing social media’s role in influencing modern discourse. Moderated by Deb K. Roy, the Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and Director of Center for Constructive Communication at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, sets the foundation of the conversation by denoting ‘constructive dialogue.’ “Those forms of communication … foster an authentic and accurate understanding of others,” Roy said. “We can contrast that with the various forms of communication that might amplify, inaccurate and overly simplify stereotypes of others.” After listing statistics related to the political divides in the country and clarifying the value of constructive dialogue with regards to strengthening communities and institutions, the panelists began to chime in.
On April 13, director Sam Ho ’20, visited the University to screen his documentary, Hero Camp!. The screening took place in Mandel G03, and was followed by a brief Q&A with a couple of the documentary’s primary subjects and part of the production team alongside Ho. The event was part of the 2024 Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts.
On a Saturday afternoon, 15 high school students were sitting inside of a Sound and Image Media Studios classroom. After enjoying some snacks, the groups split into several areas across the SIMS department rooms to finalize their projects from the semester. These projects are part of Melody Mentors, an initiative which began in the spring of 2023. Melody Mentors is an initiative which plans to run every spring semester as part of Basement Records, a student-run organization on campus dedicated to supporting student musicians, and with support from Samuels Ceneter for Community Partnerships and Civic Transformation. The program matches high school students throughout the Waltham area with Brandeis students to support them in their musical careers.
Program Administrator for Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies and Department Coordinator for Chemistry Mangok Bol came to the United States in 2001 as a refugee of the Second Sudanese Civil War after having spent 13 years in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya from the ages of nine to 22. He came to the U.S. as a part of the Lost Boys and Girls program, which resettled children who were orphaned or separated from their parents in the war. Bol’s story was covered in The Boston Globe, National Public Radio, The Justice and BrandeisNOW.
As an artist, I have a strong appreciation for the study of art history. When creating art, artists make references to and build upon the art they have seen before, whether they intend to or not. It is important to appreciate and study the visual language that one is participating in when creating art. As such, in an effort to further my understanding of the vast subject, I interviewed art historian Prof. Aïda Yuen Wong (FA). In our conversation, we discussed Wong’s experience with the study of art history as well as her projects, passions, and philosophies. We explored topics such as the impact of a good professor, the relationship between art and art history and the expanding definition of what art is and can be.
I had the pleasure of attending the Raku Firing event held by the Department of Fine Arts on April 7 as a part of the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts. Raku is a technique used in firing ceramics that originates from Japan in the 16th century. Raku involves making ceramic pieces, glazing them with a special lead based glaze and firing them to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. The pieces are then removed from the kiln and allowed to cool either in open air or a reduction chamber. The resulting pieces are unique and unpredictable due to the Raku technique’s exposure to carbon, whether in the air or in a reduction chamber. Carbon molecules bond to the clay, creating a matte black finish with a wide variety of effects on glazed portions of the piece. Glazed portions can take on crazed, iridescent or glossy qualities.
Non-priority course registration begins on Tuesday, April 16, so it’s time to create your schedule for next semester. Taking the time to craft the perfect schedule can make all the difference in having a successful semester. As such, this board would like to provide a few tips and reminders to make sure this process goes smoothly for you.
After opening locations in San Diego and Chicago, WNDR (pronounced as “wonder”), a chain of interactive art museums, opened its doors in downtown Boston, inviting student journalists to explore and document its 21 exhibits on April 3. These exhibits combine artistry with breakthrough technology, shifting reality through unique lighting and sound techniques to immerse visitors within their respective themes. WNDR enlisted independent artists as well as its own creative team to generate these interactive attractions.
From its inception, the Folk Festival is a Brandeis tradition that has amazed audiences and impacted the future of folk music while still honoring the past. The first festival in 1963 was at the Ullman Amphitheater, Brandeis’ outdoor theater that existed until the 1980s, and it included iconic performers like Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, The Lilly Brothers — who were credited for bringing bluegrass to New England — the “Mother of Folk,” Jean Ritchie as well as other famous voices. This year’s festival happened in conjunction with the Create@Brandeis Craft Market at the Sherman Function Hall on The Festival of the Arts’ “Super Sunday” from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. As the musicians were playing, you could hear vendors discussing their products with customers and see children running around, playing on the colorful inflatable shapes set up for seating. The unity and love of the Brandeis creative community felt palpable in that room.
Founded in 1952 by Leonard Bernstein, the Festival of the Arts, named in his honor, has become an annual showcase of talent. Composer, pianist and educator, Bernstein was not only a member of the Brandeis faculty but a renowned musician and conductor. His goal was to make art visible and accessible to all and thus the Festival of the Arts now aims to continue his dream. Everything from performances and selling art to sustainability tours and exhibitions, the Festival is a great way to bring the Waltham community and Brandeis closer. The Festival features a wide range of artists, performers and vendors, making it an ideal engagement for people of all ages.Debuting in 2021, the Create@Brandeis Craft Market is one of the more innovative events which attracts students and community members alike. The Market is held semesterly but particularly in the spring, gaining so much traction as a space where students and community members can sell their various handmade arts and crafts. However many events, talks and exhibitions receive a low-turnout. This is shocking considering how numerous the Brandeis student body is and just how many students have a passion for the arts.
At any Broadway show, the rustling of programs is a familiar sound. Audiences read cast member biographies, excited to learn about their past performances and accomplishments. These paragraphs are commonly littered with impressive resumes, but in some cases, the one most read looks a little different than the rest.
On Thursday, March 14, students received an email from University President Ronald Liebowitz which detailed the recent financial situation that Brandeis has found itself in. Liebowitz, along with Provost Carol Fierke and Vice President of Finance and Administration Stew Uretsky wrote that Brandeis is facing short and long term financial shortfall, so they must address the unanticipated budget cuts. The University is making four specific changes: temporarily increasing spending from Brandeis’ endowment, delaying merit increases until Fall 2024, pausing Science 2A construction to build a new dormitory, and more carefully considering filling staff and faculty positions that are not externally funded. Deans and Vice Presidents are making their academic decisions based on the financial updates.
Shelley Polanco ’24, a double major in African and African American Studies and Politics, is an Afro-Latina multi-hyphenate creative. Since her youth, she has always been drawn to creating change. Whether through poetry and creative writing or photography and cinema, she is always uplifting and building a legacy that visualizes people of color. Today, Polanco runs a freelance photography business called Shot by Shell and is embracing other mediums of artful expression.
Tiziana Dearing lent her unique perspective as a former professor, non-profit executive and current radio host to the Brandeis community on Wednesday, March 20 in an event sponsored by the Women's Studies Research Center. She was joined in discussion by Prof. Harleen Singh (WGS), a Brandeis professor of Literature and Women’s, Gender, and Sexality Studies as well as the Director of the Women Studies Research Center. Singh introduced Dearing as a “public voice for good” and a “lifelong student” of the world, while Dearing jokingly described her own career path as “Forrest Gumping” her way through life. Their discussion, while structured as a profile on Dearing’s professional career, found substance in evaluating the role of religious faith in her work and assessing the current climate of the American education system.
BUDDHA: In a sandstone sculpture — originating from Mathura, India during the Kushan period, late 1st–early 2nd century A.D. — a Buddha sits with fragments of attendants.
Student photographer Faythe Daly ’26 captures Buddhist scultpure pieces at the Museum of Fine Arts.
Last semester, the Brandeis community celebrated its 75th anniversary, which included the official grand opening of the Alumni Art Gallery in the Wien Faculty Center. “Sponsored by the Brandeis Alumni Association, the Office of the President, and the Division of Creative Arts,” the Gallery’s website states, “the exhibition features a different group of alumni artists every six months.” The current exhibit, which opened in October 2023 and runs until the end of March, is titled “Then and Now,” featuring eight alumni artists of each decade since the university's founding.
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