William & Mary

Arts & Sciences

Creative Presentation Hour

Join us Friday, September 30th from 3-4 pm in the Botetourt Theatre (lower level of Swem Library) for creative summer research presentations.

3:00 pm: Welcome & Introduction

3:10 pm: Ella Goldschmidt, “Learning Letterpress at Penland”, Letterpress printing demonstration This year I received the I received the Louis E. Catron Grant for Artistic Development to study with artists Jessica Spring and Chandler O’Leary at the Penland School of Craft in North Carolina. Over this two-week course I studied typographic composition, hand-set type, photopolymer, and printed original compositions. My teachers, avid feminists, emphasized the social and political importance of self-publication throughout history. I also connected with experienced artists, which helped me develop my skills and artistic philosophy. I am currently employing this knowledge to revive the vintage letterpress equipment in Special Collections. These machines currently live in the gift room of Swem Library and are a time capsule of William and Mary history. The collection includes unique type faces and ornaments, which are a joy to print. These machines have not been thoroughly used since the 1960’s, and my goal is to reinvolve students in this historic craft. Student Major(s)/Minor: Studio Art, 2D Concentration Faculty Mentor: Brian Kreydatus, Art and Art History 3:20 pm: Carter Bunting & Pietro Marino, “Tides – A Screenplay by Carter Bunting”, Excerpt from a screenplay Tides is a screenplay studying guilt, its effect on relationships, and how people can move beyond their guilt. The story follows a former lifeguard, who struggles with the guilt of a failed rescue of a young boy. When he is informed that his younger brother has gone missing, he must return to his hometown, confront his past, push aside his guilt and find his brother. The lifeguard must realize that it is not punishment that he seeks, but redemption and acceptance. This is a screenplay that has helped me come to terms with my own understanding of guilt, and I hope it will help others too. Student Major(s)/Minor: Carter: Major in Film and Media Studies, Minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Pietro: Government and Marketing Faculty Mentor: Kevin Smith, Film and Media Studies 3:30 pm: Joshua Miner, "Below the Clouds", Photography showcase In song and scream, the forest succinctly mimics the way we process overwhelming forces. The need for light will thrust the leaf beyond the comfort of canopy shade. To escape the haze of the forest brush is to feel the warmth of the sun on its back. These gestures of release can be used to capture and compile wrinkles in otherwise even terrain: intricacies of serendipity that talk about the way we process our world and decide what's important to us. With seemingly endless possibilities, stresses, and constraints, the forest can slow down time to a place of serenity and calamity. A place where we can feel the beat of the jungle through the frosted glass of a window seat. Student Major(s), Minor: Art and Art History: Studio Art, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Mentor: Eliot Dudik, Art and Art History 3:40 pm: Bayley Leyshon, "Own Voices: A Southern Transgender Play", Reading of an original folktale present in the play The experiences and lives of southern LGBTQ+ people have historically been discounted, ignored, or rejected. Media representations of queer and trans folks at home in the American South are similarly lacking. Diversity in storytelling is an imperative step to widespread acceptance, and the culmination of this project demonstrates the positive impact of such acknowledgement. This play is about a trans girl living in the South and learning about her family and her culture through the lens of folktales. She discovers important histories of nature, family, and kindness as she navigates an environment that many would write off as inevitably and unchangingly discriminatory. This project celebrates the necessity of ‘Own Voices’ stories and rejects the ideals of metronormativity. Student Major(s): Theatre Faculty Mentor: Jay Watkins, History 3:50 pm: Jasmine Turkson, "Yaa Asentewaa: Symbolism of the Matriarch", Visual art showcase This project is an exploration into the life of Yaa Asantewaa, queen mother of the Ashanti from the 1880s - mid-1990s. In a region that is commonly recognized for its patriarchal standards, Yaa Asantewaa is a reminder of the natural matrilineal essence that courses throughout Ghanaian culture. A symbol of activism, leadership, and wisdom, she is an invisible force that encourages the aspirations of countless Ghanaians. Through examining the lived events that shaped not only her life, but Ghanaian history as a whole, this research will contribute to displaying the power and strength that is innate in being an African women. Student Major(s), Minor: Psychology (Major), Studio Art (Minor) Faculty Mentor: Elizabeth Mead, Art
3:10 pm: Ella Goldschmidt, “Learning Letterpress at Penland”, Letterpress printing demonstration This year I received the I received the Louis E. Catron Grant for Artistic Development to study with artists Jessica Spring and Chandler O’Leary at the Penland School of Craft in North Carolina. Over this two-week course I studied typographic composition, hand-set type, photopolymer, and printed original compositions. My teachers, avid feminists, emphasized the social and political importance of self-publication throughout history. I also connected with experienced artists, which helped me develop my skills and artistic philosophy. I am currently employing this knowledge to revive the vintage letterpress equipment in Special Collections. These machines currently live in the gift room of Swem Library and are a time capsule of William and Mary history. The collection includes unique type faces and ornaments, which are a joy to print. These machines have not been thoroughly used since the 1960’s, and my goal is to reinvolve students in this historic craft. Student Major(s)/Minor: Studio Art, 2D Concentration Faculty Mentor: Brian Kreydatus, Art and Art History
3:20 pm: Carter Bunting & Pietro Marino, “Tides – A Screenplay by Carter Bunting”, Excerpt from a screenplay Tides is a screenplay studying guilt, its effect on relationships, and how people can move beyond their guilt. The story follows a former lifeguard, who struggles with the guilt of a failed rescue of a young boy. When he is informed that his younger brother has gone missing, he must return to his hometown, confront his past, push aside his guilt and find his brother. The lifeguard must realize that it is not punishment that he seeks, but redemption and acceptance. This is a screenplay that has helped me come to terms with my own understanding of guilt, and I hope it will help others too. Student Major(s)/Minor: Carter: Major in Film and Media Studies, Minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Pietro: Government and Marketing Faculty Mentor: Kevin Smith, Film and Media Studies
3:30 pm: Joshua Miner, "Below the Clouds", Photography showcase In song and scream, the forest succinctly mimics the way we process overwhelming forces. The need for light will thrust the leaf beyond the comfort of canopy shade. To escape the haze of the forest brush is to feel the warmth of the sun on its back. These gestures of release can be used to capture and compile wrinkles in otherwise even terrain: intricacies of serendipity that talk about the way we process our world and decide what's important to us. With seemingly endless possibilities, stresses, and constraints, the forest can slow down time to a place of serenity and calamity. A place where we can feel the beat of the jungle through the frosted glass of a window seat. Student Major(s), Minor: Art and Art History: Studio Art, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Mentor: Eliot Dudik, Art and Art History
3:40 pm: Bayley Leyshon, "Own Voices: A Southern Transgender Play", Reading of an original folktale present in the play The experiences and lives of southern LGBTQ+ people have historically been discounted, ignored, or rejected. Media representations of queer and trans folks at home in the American South are similarly lacking. Diversity in storytelling is an imperative step to widespread acceptance, and the culmination of this project demonstrates the positive impact of such acknowledgement. This play is about a trans girl living in the South and learning about her family and her culture through the lens of folktales. She discovers important histories of nature, family, and kindness as she navigates an environment that many would write off as inevitably and unchangingly discriminatory. This project celebrates the necessity of ‘Own Voices’ stories and rejects the ideals of metronormativity. Student Major(s): Theatre Faculty Mentor: Jay Watkins, History
3:50 pm: Jasmine Turkson, "Yaa Asantewaa: Symbolism of the Matriarch", Visual art showcase This project is an exploration into the life of Yaa Asantewaa, queen mother of the Ashanti from the 1880s - mid-1990s. In a region that is commonly recognized for its patriarchal standards, Yaa Asantewaa is a reminder of the natural matrilineal essence that courses throughout Ghanaian culture. A symbol of activism, leadership, and wisdom, she is an invisible force that encourages the aspirations of countless Ghanaians. Through examining the lived events that shaped not only her life, but Ghanaian history as a whole, this research will contribute to displaying the power and strength that is innate in being an African women. Student Major(s), Minor: Psychology (Major), Studio Art (Minor) Faculty Mentor: Elizabeth Mead, Art