Carey Cameron
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.
mxmtoon at NextNOW Fest
September 10, 2020 #music
mxmtoon is an artist who I have recently begun listening to (after her song "Prom Dress" and her TikTok popularity). It was amazing to get to see her perform in such a stripped down and personal matter (just her ukulele and a mic). Her lyrics are crafted to tell amazing stories, and the intimate nature of the concert only heightened that factor. I learned that musicianship and artistry are not reliant on flash and extravagance, they need skill and creativity to thrive.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
September 19, 2020 #visualart
On the week of September 19, some Smithsonian museums reopened, including the American Art museum. However, the painting in the gallery that struck me the most was a painting entitled, "The Four Justices" by Nelson Shanks, which displays all of the female Supreme Court justices. This was the day after justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away, and even though both her and Justice O'Connor have passed, their legacies are able to live on through art. I think that is one of the things we learn in Arts Scholars. Art is able to capture not only fleeting moments, but people and their legacies.
Arts Scholars Halloween Origami Night
October 13, 2020 #visual art
I decided to attend the Arts Scholars event, "Halloween Origami Night" over Zoom on October 13. I have never done origami and I have never had too much luck with visual art projects, but this seemed interesting and somewhat challenging. As a communications major, I have to learn not only how to effectively communicate an idea to someone unfamiliar with it, but to be able to digest other people's ideas. The arts students leading the event were able to easily help me learn how to make complicated origami in concise steps. It was a great lesson not only in how to make a pumpkin out of paper, but in effective communication.
Pride and Prejudice
November 12, 2020 #film
This week, I watched the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (directed by Joe Wright). I have been a fan of the Jane Austen novel for some time, and I was worried that the charm of the novel would not translate to a condensed film version. Luckily, I was wrong, and the humor and tension of the novel are amplified by the great performances and sweeping cinematography. I hope to one day be in the entertainment industry, and this version of Pride and Prejudice provides a blueprint on how to effectively tell beloved stories in a new way that evokes the same emotional response as the original material.
Martius
December 13, 2020 #theater
On Friday I was finally able to sit down and watch the UMD student-written one-act musical, Martius, which premiered on November 5th of this year (can be found on Vimeo) and happens to have an art scholar (Katie Quinn!) in the cast. Martius is a gender-bent retelling of Shakespeare's Coriolanus that questions the family dynamics and character motivations of the original. As an English major who hopes to focus on studying Shakespeare this performance was entertaining and thought provoking, and allowed me to rethink a classic piece of literature/drama that I thought I knew. Virgilia's song questioning Martius' actions at war was one of my favorite parts as it contained beautiful singing and reinterpreted a great part of the story. Even during a pandemic, the cast and creative team found a way to craft the magic of Shakespeare into a lovely musical that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Pentathalon Semester 2
Follow along this semester as I document my arts experiences this semester.
No Country for Old Men
February 6, 2021 #film
I was able to watch the Coen Brothers' masterpiece, No Country for Old Men, this week. The film has been on my list for a while and it definitely lived up to its immense hype. It follows Llewelyn Moss and the money he has picked up as he runs from the homicidal Anton Chigurh. The most hyped-up part of the movie was Chigurh's role, and now I understand why. He kills with no remorse and no emotion. There is no changing your fate once you meet him. I think that's the most interesting part of the movie: Chigurh's symbolism as death (unstoppable, kills with no remorse or real reason). That really reflects my favorite aspect of filmmaking, which is to use film as an allegory. It's so fun to find all the hidden symbolism in what seems like a normal scene. For example: there's a scene where Chigurh makes a man play a coin toss for his life. If he wins the toss, he lives, if he loses, Chigurh shoots him. It reflects the uncaring and sporadic nature of death. As a writer, this film is a perfect example of effectively using allegory in film. I hope to incorporate that style of writing in my future career in entertainment. That style pulls you in and makes you more invested in the story (a goal of my writing). It is clear from the amazing writing style and fantastic performances why this film is often seen as the best Coen Brothers film of all time.
Colorful Playlists
February 19, 2021 #artscholars #music
On February 19th, I joined a few of my fellow arts scholars to create playlists based on colors. This was an interesting because it may seem that color and sound are unrelated, but sometimes color can describe both the mood and the song. We picked two colors to create playlists for: seafoam green and gray. Each person in the group added songs they felt represented the color to the Spotify collaborative playlist. The seafoam playlist generally had a more upbeat, whimsical feel while the gray playlist was generally more sad and grim. At the end, we listened to the playlists. It was interesting to see that every person had different songs with different moods that they felt represented the color well. For example, I used a lot of sad, Phoebe Bridgers and Mitski songs in the gray playlist, but another group member but some more upbeat Kpop by NCT 127 as their gray song. They connected gray to something completely different than I did. As an English major, I examine stories and storytelling. In this event, I was able to see how different people can connect color to different moods and stories (through stories in song). I can use this information in the future to inform my own writing and what colors I include in it. I might use a gray color when a character is feeling down, and a brighter green when they are more cheerful. Overall, this was a fun collaborative "experiment" with my peers. I might even try this with my friends or in my own playlists.
Frankenstein at the National Theater
March 20, 2021 #theater
I watched the National Theater of UK's production of Frankenstein after rereading the novel for my English class. Unlike the adaptations of Shelley's novel that I have seen previously, this production stays close to the source material. Normally when we think of Frankenstein, we think of a scary green monster with bolts sticking out of its neck. However, this production, like the original book, emphasizes the monster's humanity. Benedict Cumberbatch portrays the monster, who looks mostly human. He also does a great job of showing the monster's progression from a newborn thing to cynical monster. The monster is not supposed to be just a villain. We are supposed to sympathize with him, which this production ensures through acting and directorial choices. One of the most enjoyable things about this production was the set. The novel of Frankenstein, is a chase for most of the book. The stage production displays this through the use of a turntable as well as some impressive props of a sled and train. I think all mediums of stagecraft (lighting, text, sound, set, costumes, makeup, etc) came together beautifully and impressed even me (who is a huge fan of the novel).
In my Painting of Gods and Goddesses workshop, we often discuss how myths are adapted to be paintings and why they are portrayed in paintings they way that they are. This reminds me of how books are often adapted to other mediums, especially visual ones. In theater, the whole story has to be reflected visually now, and remain just as effective. I think Cumberbatch's acting as well as the impressive visuals really swept me into the story and kept the heart of what Shelley wanted to say. This is definitely my favorite adaptation of Frankenstein I have seen for those reasons (maybe excluding Young Frankenstein).
Maryland Night Live
April 10, 2021 #theater
On April 10th, I performed in Maryland Night Live's season six show as a writer and cast member. I joined MNL in order to improve my skills as a writer and comedian and to hopefully have fun along the way. I wrote and edited a sketch that was eventually put in the show, played characters in various sketches, and played a live UMD Alerts character that I wrote. I learned so much about sketch comedy through this experience. There are some basic things that make sketches funny, such as a "button" which is a funny ending that leaves the audience off on a funny note. I was able to pick up on the lingo and put it into good use throughout production. I also learned about the filming and editing process of sketches, as I got to edit my sketch. Although there was a learning curve, it was so rewarding to see the finished product being streamed.
I would love to write for a sketch-comedy type show as a job, and this was a great first foray into that. MNL is a very collaborative environment that helps you learn about the sketch comedy basics. I also got to expand my horizons as a writer by writing in a new script format (unlike my traditional English major essays) and by writing shorter bits than I am used to. These skills plus the video editing skill create a great foundation for a future career in entertainment. MNL gave me a new perspective on creativity by encouraging collaborative creativity. I always thought that creativity could not really be shared. But through our late-night table reads and idea discussions, I learned that creativity thrives more when fostered in a collaborative environment. I enjoyed my time with MNL and I hope to do it again soon.
​
Titus Kaphar TED Talk
April 25, 2021 #presentation
I decided to watch a TED Talk by the artist Titus Kaphar titled: "Can art amend history?". He talks about the intersection of art history and racism. He talks about his art history classes skipping over the art history of black artists. He tells the audience that art is a language, and a lot of the most well-revered art often overlooks the black experience. Probably my favorite part of the lecture was when he dissected a painting of a wealthy 17th century family and their slave. He uses paint to move the audience's gaze towards the enslaved person in the picture that was used as background. It was very eye-opening for me. To change this racist tradition, he proposes making new art that puts people of color at the forefront, and educating people about the lack of representation in "fine" art. I agree with his solution. When I was educated more on the racist history behind certain artworks, it gave me a greater understanding of the racism that exists in the art world as a whole.
​
I chose this lecture because I am currently in ARTH263: Art and Difference. In this class, we focus on the lack of representation in art, and how certain artists are striving to fix this problem. It was interesting to hear a perspective of an artist making art to combat the art world's racism, rather than from someone who is studying art history. I especially enjoyed his analogy of wanting to refocus our gaze like a camera lens. For our final project, we are designing labels for artworks =, and what is in a label can greatly emphasize what the audience chooses to look at. As an artist, I think it is important to keep in mind the effects of our artistic choices on who/what is at the forefront of our audience's mind. This applies not just to visual art, but to my realm of creative writing. Who is at the forefront of our stories can have an enormous impact on sterotypes and societal views.
Sophomore Year: Semester 1
Year Two!
Maryland Night Live Season 7
September 17, 2021 #theater
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center,
NextNOW Fest 2021
(I am pictured on the right in the green dress).Â
NextNOW Fest was an extremely rewarding experience both as a student curator and a performer. I have been on the planning team for NNF since December, and have been working on the MNL performance since the beginning of the semester. In both instances, I have been able to see how creative ideas are able to come to complete physical fruition. I am going to use this space as a reflection on both of those experiences. Both MNL and NNF started with small ideas. I wrote a sketch for MNL that was based on an inside joke with my fellow cast member, Megan Barnes. From the idea, I had to write the sketch, edit it, cast it, costume it, and stage it, all before we were remotely ready to perform. This allowed me to stretch my creativity beyond my normal lane of just performing or writing. It took a lot of planning and rearranging my idea to fit reality in order to get my idea from pen to stage. Similarly, it took an immense amount of planning in order to see NNF come to life. Although I helped to find ideas that could be used as festival events (MNL, Illegal Art's To Do, Sketchup, etc...), it took more than just creative will to see them come to life. I had to seriously work out the logistics of the events. This manifested itself through letters of agreement and contract drafting. These experiences fundamentally changed my understanding of my own creativity. I am now more aware of the logistics of creative ideas, a side I had previously ignored. Creativity is not only limited to the ideas that stem projects, but it extends to the creative ways people decide make these ideas happen. Now, I am considering a minor in Arts Leadership to further pursue this career path.
Studio A Frame Making
September 30, 2021 #visualart
(The first picture is of my frame, the second is of the Studio A sign up sheet that proves I was working there that night :) ).
​
I was able to work and participate in the frame-making event at Studio A in the Stamp Student Union a little while ago. I work at the front desk at Studio A, and was hesitant to work any visual arts events, as I am very much not a visual artist. However, I signed up to help out with the frame-making event that was sponsored by Terps After Dark as it seemed fun and fairly simple. My boss encouraged me to create a frame of my own during my down time. I discovered during this workshop that the frames were fantastic outlets for creative ideas, even if I was not a refined visual artist. At first, I went for a floral motif, which ended up looking wonky. I then turned my wonky flowers into aliens and created a whole new theme: alien abduction. I added a UFO and some cows being absorbed. The UFO is also broadcasting a message reading: "Howdy Earth!". I really enjoyed having this new medium in which to tell a story. This process reminded me of some of our conversations on the creative process we were having in class. Often, our initial direction for a creative project is impeded by an obstacle of some kind. You can always navigate around those obstacles by using your creativity to forge a new path. In hindsight, I am SO glad I messed up on my simple flower motif, or else I wouldn't have my fun aliens! For my capstone, I know I will probably end up changing the direction of my film somewhat based on an obstacle presented. However, now I will be more likely to embrace the changes I make whole-heartedly.
WMUC Radio Show
October 14, 2021 #music #film
I am a DJ for the college radio station, WMUC 88.1. My friend Molly and I became DJs last spring when we started our show, GASLIT. GASLIT talks about male manipulator movies and music, and we examine a different movie each week. This week we examined the 2018 film Hereditary, directed by Ari Aster. For every show I do research on the film, the production process, fun facts about the film, and how it connects back to out general theme of male manipulator media. We then broadcast the show live at 10 PM to the FM station (88.1) and the WMUC app. As a film and music enjoyer, I love being able to share my commentary on those media forms with the general public. Throughout my time at college radio I have learned how important keeping the medium alive is. It holds a rich history within college communities, acts as a connector for the entire campus, and promotes up-and-coming bands and entertainers. I have also learned a lot about collaboration as I work on creating and producing each show with my co-host, Molly. This skill will help me in the future with my capstone project as I need to collaborate with actors and people who will assist me with camera/microphone operation. I also want to get involved with media production in the future, and producing my own radio show has allowed me to learn the general skills behind producing an idea from start to finish. Prior to my show, I had assumed that one could not be creatively free when under creative constraints. However, now that I have had the same show with relatively the same format for two semesters, the creative constraints force us to be more creative with the movies/music we choose and how we present our topics in order to stay fresh and relevant.
Record Painting
October 20, 2021 #visualart #artsscholars
On October 20, my friend Connor (and fellow art scholar!) and I attended the Coffee and Crafts: Record Painting event at Bel Air Hall. Connor and I are both more into writing and the performing arts than visual art, so it was interesting being out of our comfort zone. I am a huge record collector, and loved being able to repurpose records that were given away into fun pieces of art. At first, I was doubting if my subpar art skills could manage to create a piece that I was happy with. However, I learned through the activity leaders that I did not have to create a brand new piece of art to make something I enjoyed. I then decided to alter a record cover I really liked. I made the two people have mohawks, piercings, facial hair and tattoos. I also added a little grim reaper who is watching over the conversation. The piece is absurd, with a UFO even in the background, but IÂ really enjoyed making it. Through this process, I learned that making art is where the enjoyment should lie, not necessarily the "perfection" of the finished product. I have also been needing to learn this is my scriptwriting class, as I sometimes get so caught up in trying to write something "perfect" that I forget to enjoy my writing it and sometimes do not have an authentic voice.
Lady Bird Viewing
November 21, 2002 #film
This week I watched the film Lady Bird on Netflix. This film is one of my personal favorites, but I rewatched the film in order to get inspiration for the short film I am working on for my Art Scholars capstone. Upon rewatching it, I remembered all of writer/director Greta Gerwig's creative decisions that touched me so much. I decided to view this movie because it is a coming-of-age tale of a young woman struggling to find herself while also dealing with her relationship with her mother. I really appreciated how Gerwig chose to portray Lady Bird in her scriptwriting as headstrong and confident only to mask an insecure inside. I also liked how the different color palettes match the different moods of the film. One scene in particular that I would want to take inspiration for my film from is Lady Bird's post-hospital walk to the church, where she realizes she needs to mend her relationship with her mother. My film will also deal with coming-of-age as a young woman, except focusing on the unique struggles that come with college and bipolar disorder. Lady Bird is a great example of a coming-of-age film that profiles one person and their emotional journey. I hope I can emulate Gerwig's style and naturalistic dialogue in my own writing for my scholars capstone. This style of writing has also been an influence in my writing for a scriptwriting class I am currently taking for my English major. My main focus for every script is the dialogue. In the future, I would love to write scripts professionally (a pipe dream, I know) and this film is one of my biggest inspirations to do so. It relies on naturalistic dialogue that creates fully formed characters that the audience can empathize with. Even though I am out of high school, the way Lady Bird is written and portrayed on screen makes me feel a connection to her. I hope I can create characters like that in my own work someday. By viewing this film, I can see that creativity does not have to be defined by creating something fantastical and wild, but can be utilized to do a deep dive into the mundane, universal human experience as it is done here in Lady Bird. Nothing magical happens in the movie and we just follow her ups and downs, yet it is still enthralling and will make you cry at the end (I promise).
Sophomore Year: Semester 2
Get the Latest
All Niter Paint Whatever
February 4, 2022 #visualart
On Friday, I had the opportunity to work the "Paint Whatever" event run by SEE at the Stamp All Niter at Stamp Student Union. This was the first event I worked as an incoming SEE director and it was a very enjoyable, albeit stressful, experience. Originally, the event was supposed to be rollerskating, but we had to change it to painting due to unforeseen circumstances. I also participated in this event, painting miniature versions of my fellow SEE directors as well as a bowling pin. My job was to hand out supplies for students to paint with. We could pick from a variety of things to paint (such as bowling pins, pennants, and wind chimes). This event was especially exciting to work and be a part of because I was able to see the creativity of students from very different artistic backgrounds. This event was attended by over one hundred people, and attendees came from all over UMD. Since there was no real direction to what people could do, everyone took their projects in different directions. One attendee made a pennant with a photorealistic painting of Testudo, while another painted a bowling pin to look like a minion from Despicable Me. I was excited I also got to experience the freedom of painting what I wanted with no real direction. Although I would not consider myself a talented visual artist, it was fun to be able to create something unique alongside so many members of the UMD community. In Art Scholars, especially this semester, we have discussed both how to counteract creative obstacles and how to jumpstart the creative process. This event tested my skills in both. Working the event, I had to get creative in putting it together so last minute. I used the skills I learned in Art Scholars (brainstorming and getting feedback from peers, considering all ideas no matter how crazy, etc...) to help create the event along with my peers. I also used skills from Art Scholars (trusting my instinct, using inspiration from other sources, etc...) to help me jumpstart the creative process when I was painting on my own. In English, we also utilize these creative skills in order to create intriguing and creative essays and works. In the future, I want to work in the arts administration field, and this event really put some of the skills needed for that job into practice. I had to learn how to create an arts event for a diverse group while finding the practical tools to do so. I also had to deal with feedback from students as it was happening, which was insightful and helped me develop the audience interaction skills I will need for an arts administration career.
"Speak to My Soul: AÂ Montage of Voices"
February 26, 2022 #theater
I went with my fellow Art Scholar, Connor, this Saturday to see "Speak to My Soul" at the Ware Center for the Arts at Millersville University in Lancaster PA. The performance was a choreopoem, which combines poetry with theater, dance, and song. Choreopoems were popularized with Ntozake Shange's "For Colored Girls'. This choreopoem discussed the pasts, presents, and futures of black women in America. There were certain actors who portrayed the main speakers and singers, while a chorus of dancers operated behind. I loved the different stories told throughout the poem, especially the one at the beginning of Act 2 that involved two actresses telling poems about different objects scattered about the stage. Wine glasses in hand, the poems in this section felt more like a conversation and the audience interaction was high. This choreopoem was so impactful to me because it shared the very specific and often overlooked stories of black women. The poems were unapologetic, switching quickly from heartbreaking to humorous. I also enjoyed the Q&A section at the end, as it let me understand more of the importance of the piece in relation to Lancaster. A very white town, this piece acted to educate, celebrate, and inspire. I left the theater feeling more educated than I entered. This choreopoem helped me to understand how to effectively communicate story through rhythm and dialogue, skills that will translate into my work of my screenplay. The stories were moving because of the natural dialogue, and that is always a goal of mine when writing.
Bleachers at Roadrunner Boston
March 24, 2022 #music
Over spring break I had the privilege of seeing the band Bleachers live in concert a third time with my friend Claire in Boston, MA. Live music has always been a passion of mine, and Bleachers has been one of my favorite bands since middle school. They are known for their high-energy rock adjacent music, drawing inspiration from acts like Bruce Springsteen. The lead singer, Jack Antonoff, is more widely known for his work with the band fun. and his producing work for Lorde, Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, among others. This performance was one of two nights playing through their two first albums. Strange Desire, the first album, is one of my all time favorites. What I think really makes me love Bleachers' live shows, however, is the storytelling, fan interaction and pure energy from the band. Some shows one can go to and feel like the band is just doing the same schtick over and over again to get their money. Bleachers makes sure that every fan had a moment they will remember for a long time. Antonoff plays all the fan favorites, will take requests, and was enthusiastic about taking pictures and making sure he thanked the entire audience. As someone who would love to to use their minor in Arts Leadership to work with musicians like the Bleachers band, it definitely gave me perspective on what works in live music. The most successful shows are the ones where the audience feels a connection with the artist. I will use this knowledge to, in the future, book artists with this same skill. This concert also gave me some persepctive on the concept of audience interaction and how important it is to keep an engaged audience. I am considering doing a reading for my capstone, and I was a bit standoffish about the idea at first. However, now I know that by encouraging the audience to connect with the work through performance, they will be more likely to walk away with a better understanding of the message I am trying to send in my scereenplay.
Cats at Hoff Theater
April 1, 2022 #film
On April Fool's day I worked a surprise screening of Cats for my job at Student Entertainment Events (SEE). Working occasional film screenings is a part of my job I really enjoy, and this night was no exception. We decided to pull an April Fool's prank and screen the 2019 film Cats because it was critically panned and objectively weird. Working the screening taught me some valuable lessons about adaptability and flexibility that I can carry into my future career in the arts. The audience did not know what movie they were seeing, and our audience of 73 soon dwindled to 23 by the night's end. We had been having some trouble getting crowds into watch movies this year, so 73 was a great number! However, not all of them stayed given the film's controversial nature. I had to adapt to the people quickly leaving the theater. Most were very entertained by joke we played, and I made sure to give them the list of the rest of our movies for the semester and told them it was an April Fool's joke. By turning a bad night (and movie) into an opportunity for promotion, I learned how to be adaptive when things go wrong. By working with my coworkers to keep promoting, I gained insight into how I could use this night in my future career and capstone. When things are going wrong in my project (did not meet my progress goal, etc...) or in my job in arts administration (could not book the artist I wanted, etc...), I can always find a way to turn things around and adapt.
Art Therapy Workshop
April 7, 2022 #visualart #artscholars
On April 7, I got the chance to participate in my fellow Art Scholar Jordyn Salow's Art Therapy Workshop for her capstone project. Jordyn was one of my first friends at UMD, so participating in her workshop meant a lot to me. In this workshop, we all met in the Cambridge Community Center and listened to a short presentation Jordyn made abut what art therapy is and what it can do. We then took a short survey about our current mood. After that, we had the choice to either illustrate something that was stressing us out, or something that made us happy. I chose to illustrate my stresses as I was having a particularly stressful week and needed to let my stressors out. I chose to illustrate this through a little personified stress ball with lots of tangles and twists. Above him, in red, I wrote everything I was stressed out about. There was a lot. We then took a final survey abut our moods after the workshop was finished. I found that by taking time to draw and focus on what was stressing me out, it allowed me to visualize and compartmentalize my anxiety, which, in turn, provided relief. I found my time at Jordyn's capstone enlightening because it works so well with the themes I am also exploring in my capstone project. I am writing a screenplay that touches on my own struggles with mental health. I have found that by writing about my symptoms, I feel relieved after each writing session. Writing my screenplay is an artistic therapeutic act of some sort. In my future career, I know I will deal with stressors of some sort, as is the nature of the workforce. However, I think I can implement the skills and knowledge gained in this workshop to allow myself to use art to calm myself in the moment.