Tufts Blogs

As a Combined Degree student, I've been finding the balance—not just between my degrees in Fine Arts and Human Factors Psychology, but between studying and enjoying life at Tufts. In particular, I love my weekends here. Sure, there are sometimes projects to do and papers to write, but the weekends are also great opportunities to relax and explore everything that Tufts and the many nearby communities have to offer.

Some of my activities are pretty typical: baking with my friends, movie nights with roommates, running errands around Davis and Union Square. Usually, I’ll swing by the dog meet-up on Prez Lawn on Saturday mornings, which is consistently the highlight of my week. And I’m almost always in the studio for a few hours. Last weekend, for example, I spent the morning weaving samples for a project and experimenting with some yarn we dyed in class. The SMFA studios are especially quiet on weekends—calm, focused, and honestly kind of meditative—which makes it one of my favorite times to work.

There’s also almost always something art-related happening. A few weeks ago, I went to the Institute of Contemporary Art for an artist talk and got to hear from some incredible artists whose work around community and craft has really shaped how I think about my own practice. I especially love Alison Croney Moses’s work, and it really was crazy to get to see her work in exhibition and then hear her talk and ask questions.

I also recently took the commuter rail down to Providence (another perk of being in the Boston area—everything is so easy to get to). I spent the morning at a huge craft market where I got to meet and chat with a woodworker I really admire. Then I walked over to the RISD Museum and caught an incredible Liz Collins exhibition. Sheila Hicks and Jomo Tariku also had work on view. Hicks’ work was this incredibly huge, textural, woven form, and we’d been studying her in my weaving class so it felt especially meaningful to see her piece in person. I genuinely fell in love with it, and just sat with the work for like twenty minutes.

Some weekends are less eventful, but just as fun: going to Make & Mend with friends to stock up on yarn and fabric, or wandering through the Davis Square flea market or an open studios event. I went to an amazing open studios event at Cloth Collaborative’s Brick Island Studios in Hyde Park with a friend, and had such an incredible time getting to talk with the current artist cohort.

Weekends end up being this mix of rest, exploration, and creative time—little routines and small adventures that make being a student at Tufts feel full and connected. Yeah, I do lots of work. But I also get to bake, see art, pet dogs, wander around new neighborhoods, and get inspired constantly. It’s a balance, but it’s a really good one.