Finding Mentorship at SMFA
Almost every time I’m sitting in the SMFA atrium in the early morning, inhaling a breakfast sandwich and large coffee, I’m approached by a current or…
The SMFA at Tufts Community Experience –The 24-Hour Drawing Marathon
One of my favorite campus events was the 24-Hour Intercontinental Drawing Marathon, hosted in partnership with the Royal Academy in Antwerp. The Drawing Marathon activities, like sketching in virtual reality, watching Skate/Sculpture club performances, andcollaborating on a gigantic woodblock print, felt like something you could only experience at SMFA, which made it so special! From 1:47AM to 1:47AM the following day, every room in the school was transformed into a rotating still-life. There were models wearing beautiful costumes, live animals roaming the hallways, and—of course—a DJ blasting music in the atrium.
I experienced my first Drawing Marathon during the Spring Semester of my freshman year. My professor, Ethan Murrow, actually canceled our Intro to Drawing class on this day so that my classmates and I could take part in the event. We saw shadow puppets in the library and a scene called “Mom Cooking Mousse” in the performance space. Not only is the event a fun challenge in drawing from observation, but it’s also a wonderful chance to meet and hang out with your peers outside of the classroom. You see, at the time of my first marathon, I was still fairly new to the school. I hadn’t gotten to know all of the people I would see daily in the halls or sitting in the atrium. Having the chance to spend time with other students outside of the typical “classroom environment” was an incredibly helpful way to connect with my peers at the SMFA. I was able to meet other students that I don’t normally have class with or who didn’t live in my dorm; and overall, I came away feeling involved in the larger art community as a whole. The most memorable moment from that night for me was sitting in the atrium at 1AM with some friends. The school was pretty much empty, but the music was blasting.I remember thinking to myself, "how is the DJstillgoing?" Soon after that, I was awarded with a t-shirt for completing the marathon, which I still proudly show off 2 years later!
Photos 1-3: Heather Wunsch
Photos 4: Alonso Nichols
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