Zosia Nicholson
Arts Scholar
Pentathalon Semester 1
As an experiential component of College Park Arts Scholars, I attended a selection of five art events during my first semester. These events ranged in art mediums and each sparked dialogue among my peers.
Cyrano De Bergerac through Theatre in Video
This 2009 performance from director Matthew Diamond, which I watched for my #Theatre Pentathlon event, was incredibly entertaining. Typically I find it hard to be engaged with theatrical performances, but I really enjoyed this production. The comedic aspects of the performance flowed well with the more serious parts and I found myself laughing a lot. However, some of the jokes made me wonder about how the work may be displayed differently depending on the translation used. I'm curious what jokes or lines would be different and how those changes would affect my interpretation and enjoyment of the performance as a whole.
Hanami: Beyond the Blooms at ARTECHOUSE DC
For my #Arts portion of the pentathlon I went to ARTECHOUSE to see the Hanami: Beyond the Blooms exhibit. The exhibition features work from Japanese artist Yuko Shimizu.  The exhibit was incredibly fun and engaging as every room involved some interaction between the viewer and the art. One room had two drums that when played caused lanterns on the wall to light up. While the definition of art is constantly evolving, I think people still often think of it as a purely visual thing or something other than themselves. To me, a piece of art is just as much the person looking at it as it is the artist and walking through this exhibit and almost being part of this exhibit really exemplified that. It reminded me of the activity we did in class where we tried to immerse ourselves in music. I wonder how much meaning or emotion in art I've missed throughout the years because I didn't look at it as an immersive experience even if it was.
Wild Nights with Emily
For my #Film pentathlon event I had the pleasure of watching the movie Wild Night with Emily from director Madeleine Olnek. I watched the movie on October 24th through the streaming service Kanopy and from the comfort of my bed, but my mundane surroundings did not parallel the wonderful time I had watching the film. The movie, which told the story of Emily Dickinson's rumored affair with her sister-in-law, Susan, was funny, sad, thought provoking, and everything else I could hope for.  A big focus of the film was how the first person to edit Dickinson's poems erased all traces of her sister-in-law's name in order to make them easier to publish. It is so interesting to think how much meaning can be lost from a piece by removing a few words. The movie also quickly mentioned how computer imaging software was used to recover evidence of Susan's name in Dickinson's poems which I thought was so cool. It also made me wonder how much information we can still learn about even the most recognizable and talked about works of art. I'm really excited to see how art and technology will continue to interact like this and what other discoveries will be made.
Why People Believe They Can't Draw
On November 15th, I watched a TED Talk on the TED website by Graham Shaw for my #Presentation Pentathlon event. In the talk, Shaw explained why people think they can't draw and then went on to prove that everyone in the audience could by teaching them how to draw cartoon characters. I thought it was a really fun and engaging presentation but more than that it was inspiring. Shaw talked about how he showed victims of strokes how to draw the same cartoon characters and showed pictures of how happy they looked at the result. It made me think about how fulfilling art can be and how good it can feel to overcome something that seems impossible. Shaw ended the talk by asking what other mental blocks people might have that hold them back which made me do a lot of internal reflecting. I think a lot of the time, people, including myself, get so hung up on not being able to do something that they don't even try. I am definitely going to be thinking about this TED talk for a long time and hopefully it helps me overcome whatever obstacle I encounter next.
At-Home Scavenger Hunt
On Sunday, November 22nd I attended the At-Home Scavenger Hunt #ArtsScholars and #Presentation event. Though the event was over Zoom, it felt very personal and I had a great time. I think it was the most interaction I had with other students the whole year outside of project groups. It was great to get a chance to see more of peoples' personalities instead of just the usual faces on a screen. The event also made me think a little about myself. I'm not usually very outgoing, especially around new people, but I felt comfortable enough to crack jokes and talk. I think communicating over Zoom is a big factor, but I also think I've seen myself grow socially this year in a way I that I didn't see coming but am very proud of.
Pentathalon Semester 2
How I Make Paint from Poison
For my first pentathlon of the semester I decided to watch a TED talk from John Sabraw. The talk took place in 2017, but I watched it from the comfort of my bedroom on the TED website on February 7th. The presentation was incredibly entertaining and informative in ways I didn't expect. Sabraw talked about how he makes paint from acid runoff in an attempt to satisfy both his artistic and environmental interests. If the mere idea of Sabraw making paints from acid runoff wasn't exciting enough, he also gave some insight into the process of making pigments and what one looks for when doing so. I think that more than anything, this presentation was really encouraging. Sabraw was able to combine his interests in a really unique way and it got me thinking about how environmentalism and art will interplay in the future. In this day and age it is hard to even exist without feeling like you're contributing to the climate crisis, but Sabraw has demonstrated that it is possible to both pursue your interests AND actively work against climate change or environmental issues. Climate change is forcing almost every industry to adapt and change and the art world isn't spared from that. I look forward to seeing what new art practices and materials will be brought about by the increasingly important need to protect our planet. #presentation
2 for 1: Scribble.io
On February 28th I attended the 2 for 1 #artsscholars event over Zoom. The first activity I participated in was playing Scribble.io with several other people for the #presentation category of pentathlon. At first there were a few interruptions and technical difficulties but once we all started playing it was really fun. It was interesting how you could tell who played the game a lot by how quickly they guessed the words. Since the game was completely online and didn't require speaking, it wasn't the most interactive game to play. I wish I had been able to talk to people more but it was still really fun to see how everyone drew and trying to guess and draw for myself.
2 for 1: Drawing together
The second activity I did on February 28th as part of the #artscholars pentathlon event was drawing for #visualarts. We did two activities, the first of which was working on a timed collaborative piece. I thought this activity was really fun because it allowed us to work on one piece of art over Zoom from wherever we were. I look forward to seeing how digital art is collaborated on and changed in the future with new technologies. People can make beautiful art together from across the world and I think that's especially important right now when everyone feels so separated. The second activity we did was drawing individually. This activity was fun, but less collaborative. I'm glad I got a chance to do both activities though, and winding down the night by drawing alone was actually very enjoyable. Overall the 2 for 1 event made me excited for when I'll be able to attend Arts Scholars events in person and hopefully make better connections with my peers.
Once
For the #film category of pentathlon I watched the movie Once. I streamed the movie through Amazon Prime on April 10th. Though the movie was made in 2007, this was my first time seeing it. The movie was about a street performer who meets a fellow musician while busking. The two go on to write songs together and even manage to record some songs. I thought the way the movie shifted from being told through traditional dialogue to being told through the music breaks which provided interesting visuals and insight into the emotions of the characters. The two main characters came from very different backgrounds and even different countries, yet were still able to make such a deep and fruitful connection really highlighting the bonding quality that music has. It reminded me of when I went to orchestra camp at UMD and, though I was worried about being lonely, quickly made friends through the different musical workshops I got to participate in. Overall I really enjoyed the feelings the film elicited and the songs that the characters played.
20 Minute Burst Art Project
For my #visualart pentathlon event I decided to do the 20 minute burst drawing that the website Artists Network recommended. I did the drawing in my room on April 25th. I decided to draw a picture of my cat and my dog at the door which I had taken earlier in the evening. I thought this exercise was really rewarding. The first twenty minutes I spent blocking out shapes and outlines. Usually I like to be really meticulous with my drawings so going quickly and just getting shapes down was a completely new technique for me. The next twenty minutes I spent coloring the picture in. Again, I usually take a long time to do this, but it was really cool to see how much detail I could get in the drawing while only using a few colors and not being super careful. The final 20 minutes I spent outlining and adding finishing details. It was really interesting to step back and look at my work and think about what was missing. When I draw something all at once I don't really take time to stop and think about what exactly I need to add. I am definitely going to carry that skill into my future pieces of art. Even though the drawing isn't my best ever work I am really proud of it. I had fun the whole time making it and I wasn't stressing over copying everything exactly. It really made me see that things don't have to be perfect to be rewarding which is a mentality I hope to implement in all aspects of my life, not just my art.
Sophomore Pentathlon Semester One
Maryland Night Live
On Friday, September 17, I attended a #theater event at the Kay Theater in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The event, Maryland Night Live, far exceeded my expectations.  At several points throughout the night I found myself throwing my head back with laughter. The comedic and musical talent that was displayed made me excited to attend future UMD performing arts events. All of the insightful and hilarious jokes made me really appreciate the creative and collaborative process that is involved in writing and performing such a show. Aside from enjoying the performance, being in the Kay Theater made me reflect about my past. Last time I had been in that room was in middle school as an actress in Macbeth through a summer theater program at UMD. Being in the space again really made me think about how far I've come from being a child participating in a summer camp to being an actual student of the university. This feeling was only slightly mitigated by some jokes in the show making me realize my sense of humor hasn't changed since I was 11. Regardless, this collision of past and present definitely changed my experience watching the show. I felt grateful that my life put me on a path that allows me to interact with creativity and performance as a part of my college experience. I wonder if in 10 years I'll find myself back in the theater reflecting on who I am now and the experiences I'm having as a UMD student. I'm sure no matter where I end up I'll be thankful that my time at UMD and in Arts scholars allowed me to attend such exciting and unique shows as Maryland Night Live.
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Pop Music Jeopardy
On Friday, October 1st I went to pop music Jeopardy in the Bel Air lounge. This was for a #music and #artsscholars Pentathlon event. The game was very fun and definitely fostered a little "friendly" competition. It was nice to meet some new people and learn some trivia about pop music, however, participating in the event definitely made me feel old. I haven't listened to pop music consistently since about 5th grade. I didn't realize I was so out of touch with pop music today until I saw some of the questions. I always pictured myself as someone who knows the current songs, but that's because I used to listen to the radio daily and listen to exclusively pop music. With Spotify and other streaming platforms becoming more popular, I usually just listen to whatever music I'm in the mood for on a given day. Aside from songs that trend on TikTok, having Spotify has definitely separated me from music pop culture. I'm sure in another decade I'll listen to different genres of music and feel incredibly disconnected from the music I listen to today, but I look forward to seeing how music streaming and the ways people consume music effect the popular genres and songs of the future. Overall I had a great time at the event and I would definitely participate again, even if it made me feel like I was growing up.
The Starling
On Monday, October 18th I watched the movie The Starling on Netflix for my #film Pentathlon event. The movie revolved around the main character, played by Melissa McCarthy, as her and her husband try to navigate the loss of their infant daughter. Naturally, the movie revolved around some pretty serious issues and got intense at times, however, the seriousness was periodically punctuated by Melissa McCarthy's classic humor. I thought the balance of humor and dark themes in the film was really well done, the jokes didn't take away from the important themes of the movie. I thought this was a particularly powerful film to while the pandemic is still going on. So many people are going through the process of grief over losing someone and the film really highlighted the rollercoaster of a journey that navigating those feelings can be. I also particularly enjoyed that a lot of the movie focused on the mental struggles of the main characters husband. I think men's mental health is often overlooked and this movie didn't why away from facing it head on. I also liked that it highlighted the grief her felt over no longer being a father as many movies like this tend to focus on the maternal side. The Starling also made me feel more comfortable with the way I process my own grief and emotion. I definitely like to deflect what I'm feeling with humor and seeing that reflected in the film with a positive resolution was encouraging and familiar. While it wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, it's definitely one that I'll be thinking about for the near future.
RAJAS
On Thursday, October 28th, I watched RAJAS perform in the Cambridge Community Center for my #Music Pentathlon event. The show included a lot of firsts for me. It was my first time watching a music performance that was mostly improvised. I thought the improvisation added a certain amount of fluidity to the performance. Instead of being constrained by songs, the musicians were able to play and sing what they felt needed to be added. I really enjoyed the switch between being largely instrumental based and allowing the words of the singer to shine through. It helped with my ability to focus on what the instruments were saying, not just the singer. The instrumentals at times reminded me of a movie soundtrack and at times I was almost envisioning what movie scenes I would see going along with it. This made it a much more complex sensory music experience than I am used to. It was also my first time attending a musical performance on my own. This allowed me to form conclusions about the music that were completely my own instead of being influenced by the opinions of those I went with. The performance really reminded me of the individuality that is involved in music. Each of the performers was playing from their own hearts and each of the audience members were listening and interpreting in their own ways. I think the fact that it was largely improvisation made it really reflective of the real world. There were all these different ideas that would blend together and sometimes work better together than others, just like people sometimes clash and sometimes build off of each other. I think it was really beautiful seeing the individual efforts coming together to create a show that really had me captivated.
RAJAS
On Thursday, October 28th, I watched RAJAS perform in the Cambridge Community Center for my #Music Pentathlon event. The show included a lot of firsts for me. It was my first time watching a music performance that was mostly improvised. I thought the improvisation added a certain amount of fluidity to the performance. Instead of being constrained by songs, the musicians were able to play and sing what they felt needed to be added. I really enjoyed the switch between being largely instrumental based and allowing the words of the singer to shine through. It helped with my ability to focus on what the instruments were saying, not just the singer. The instrumentals at times reminded me of a movie soundtrack and at times I was almost envisioning what movie scenes I would see going along with it. This made it a much more complex sensory music experience than I am used to. It was also my first time attending a musical performance on my own. This allowed me to form conclusions about the music that were completely my own instead of being influenced by the opinions of those I went with. The performance really reminded me of the individuality that is involved in music. Each of the performers was playing from their own hearts and each of the audience members were listening and interpreting in their own ways. I think the fact that it was largely improvisation made it really reflective of the real world. There were all these different ideas that would blend together and sometimes work better together than others, just like people sometimes clash and sometimes build off of each other. I think it was really beautiful seeing the individual efforts coming together to create a show that really had me captivated.
Sophomore Pentathlon Semester Two
The House
I started out my fourth semester of Pentathlons with a #film. On Saturday, February 5th, I watched The House on Netflix. The House is a Netflix original feature length anthology. The film follows three stories set in the same house but in different time periods. Though none of the stories are outright horror, they all have a foreboding and suspenseful atmosphere which, coupled with the unsettling stop-animation, makes for an interesting viewing experience. I really enjoyed watching the movie despite being creeped out at points. All of the stories featured a theme of not letting one's surroundings take control. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I've been spending a lot more time inside, as have many other people. Personally, I struggled a lot with being stuck inside and not letting my confined environment have a negative effect on my mood. Being on campus it has been especially difficult considering I spend a lot of my time in a dorm room. I had to do a lot of experimentation throughout the pandemic to learn how to overcome this challenge and how to not feel confined while still feeling safe from the virus. I really appreciated seeing characters going through similar struggles and having to make similar choices and sacrifices in order to coexist with the situation they are in. Overall, I really enjoyed watching the movie. I thought it was really visually interesting and I really appreciated the messages I took away from it.
The Sling Tour: Clairo with Arlo Parks
On Saturday, February 19, I attended a #music concert for the musical artist Clairo. The concert was at the Fillmore in Silver Spring. The performance was incredible. The music was really good live and I was shocked at how good the lead and backup vocals sounded. The atmosphere was also electric and it was really nice seeing everyone around me having so much fun and being connected through the music. While I was watching the band perform, my attention kept being dragged to the set. They had a screen with projections of beautiful illustrations and animations that would play for each song. It really made me think about how much effort and time and artistry went into the whole show. Someone drew those designs, someone else turned them into a video suitable for stage, someone else set up the screen and the projector. So many different people worked on this one tiny aspect of the show which helped elevate my experience that much more. It is crazy to think how many people are connected by music and art and how it's never just the performer and the audience, but also the amazing people behind the scenes who all have to come together in the moment to create an unforgettable experience. I really enjoyed the show and am grateful that I was able to have such a meaningful time while listening to the lovely music.  (Pictured on the right is me waiting in line in the cold, once I was inside, I was too focused on the show to take a selfie.)
Art Therapy Activity
After having a really stressful week I decided to do an art therapy activity for my #art pentathlon event. On Saturday, March 13th, I did the activity from my dorm room. I've been missing my family a lot so when I saw the activity "Draw a Place Where You Feel Safe" I decided to draw a picture of my living room at home with my dog on the couch. Usually when I draw, I like to put on music, but this time I decided to take the time to meditate. I thought a lot about growing up during the process. When I would draw the details of my living room, I would think about what things have been there for a long time and what things have moved and changed throughout the years. I've seen a lot of iterations of my living room through the years, but no matter how it was decorated, it always felt safe to me. It also used to be a place where I could almost always find my mom doing work, reading a book, or just sitting with my dog. As much as I love the independence I've gotten since moving on campus, and as much as I know it's made me grow, when I have rough weeks like this past week, I just want to be able to walk into my living room and find my mom. I also really appreciated taking some creative time to myself. A lot of my creative energy this semester has gone into my capstone project, and it was nice to sit down and be able to channel my emotions in a different direction. I forgot how cathartic it can be to get your feelings out through art and this activity really reminded me of it. I really enjoyed this activity over all and got a lot out of it.
Chivalry by Neil Gaiman
On Friday, April 1, I listened to Levar Burton read "Chivalry," a short story by Neil Gaiman, for my #literature Pentathlon event. I listened from the comfort of my dorm room, so I was able to put on the story, close my eyes, and really listen. Apart from enjoying the experience of having Levar Burton expertly relay the tale to me, I really enjoyed the themes that I took away from the story as well. One in particular, the theme of making room in your life for things, reminded me of something I discussed during my time in Art Scholars. The idea of saving emotional and physical space for what you have and making tough decisions about what gets to take up that space reminded me a lot of the idea of "killing your darlings." For our Capstone projects we have to make a lot of tough decisions about what makes it into the final cut. Sometimes letting ideas or progress go can be tough, but in the end its best to have just focused on what you had time for. One of the other major reasons I enjoyed this is experience is because I came out of it appreciating the magic of life a little more. Gaiman writes about fantastical things so casually in this story that the main character reacts to finding the holy grail like she just found a nice centerpiece. To me, the magical parts of the story being woven so seamlessly into the realistic parts made me think about all the magical moments of my life that I just gloss over. I experience some kind of magic every day whether it be through art, nature, or my loved ones. While these things may not seem as crazy, the everyday magic we see is just like the bits of fantasy that pop up in Gaiman's work, incredible things that we just have to take in stride, learn from, and appreciate while we can.
Sketch Around Campus
For my #ArtsScholars and second #visualarts Pentathlon event I participated in the Sketch Around Campus Arts Scholars Event. The events took place on campus on Sunday, April 17th. We started in Bel Air hall before walking over to Hornbake Library and sketching outside of it. We then walked over to Mckeldin Mall. It was a lovely day, though it was a little chilly outside of the sun. I really appreciated the opportunity to talk around campus with the intention of taking it in and appreciating the scenery. Usually I'm walking with a destination and the tunnel vision prevents me from appreciating the parts of campus I walk through. I really enjoyed once we sat down to sketch. It reminded me of some activities we've done in past arts scholars classes where we've had to draw things in a short amount of time. Since we only had an hour and I wanted to draw a few different things I worked pretty quickly just focussing on basic shapes. I also did an activity like this for a previous pentathlon event where I had to draw something in 5 minutes and it was useful to have the lessons I learned from that exercise while working on my different sketches.
