TAMIU Annual Report 2020

TAMIU “BE WELL PROJECT” CREATES ARTWORK FOR LOCAL HEALTH CARE HEROES This semester, TAMIUart students used their talents and creativity to support local healthcare heroes. Dubbed the “BeWell Project,” TAMIUprintmaking students, aswell as ceramics andpainting students, helped create artwork todonate to local healthcare workers. The project was organized by Jesse Shaw , Josias Figueirido and Emily Bayless , University assistant professors of Art, respectively, and was supported through the University’s “Act on Ideas” initiative. A profound element of the “BeWell Project” included the efforts of eight Printmaking students who created over 200 printed posters for healthcare workers. As one of thefirst assignments of the semester, the “BeWell Project” served as an opportunity for students to work collaboratively while acquainting themselveswith silk screenprintmaking techniques. This effort took some readjustment as students were socially distanced over multiple classrooms. A substantial undertaking, the printedpostersmade use ofmasked selfie photos. At first, students used their selfies and translated them to halftone dots. After a campus-wide campaign for selfie requests fromUniversity students, faculty and staff members, approximately 40 selfies were received. "Using masked selfies helped affirm a message of solidarity between the University community and local healthcare workers in their continued support of using face masks and practicing social distancing," explained Shaw. Each printed poster used a grid template showcasing anywhere between four to 16 selfies per print. While initially aimed as a two- week project, students continued to create prints throughout the Fall semester, often volunteering their time outside of class to complete the posters. The “BeWell Project” is only one of several initiatives taken on by the University’s Visual Arts department. Additional efforts included a virtual art exhibit showcased through Instagram, aswell as a virtual artist talk that included a livestream and socially-distanced in-class viewing. Learn more about the University’s Visual Arts Department and viewtheir “BeWell” printedposters on Instagramat www.instagram. com/tamiuvisualarts and www.instagram.com/tamiuprintmaking 10