Art and Design Commons^™

The Devil Wears Prada Historical Fashion History Project, Gioia Solano, Caroline Hardy

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The Devil Wears Prada (2006), directed by David Frankel, serves as a rich visual case study of early 21st-century fashion. Set in New York City, the film follows recent college graduate Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), who lands a job at the prestigious fashion magazine Runway, working under its powerful and demanding editor-in-chief, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). The film captures the fast-paced, image-driven fashion industry of the mid-2000s, reflecting broader cultural themes of ambition, conformity, and identity.

The soundtrack—featuring artists like Madonna and U2—complements the vibrant energy of the fashion world during a time of globalization and mass consumption. Stylistically, …

The Fashion Of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", Chloe A. Claudel

SPARK Symposium Presentations

For my historical movie analysis, I chose to study Gentlemen Prefer Blondes because I wanted to understand Marilyn Monroe’s impact beyond fashion and glamour. This film is more than a showcase of 1950s style it’s a cultural statement that challenged societal norms. Through my analysis of the movie I found that by embodying both beauty and intelligence, Monroe redefined femininity, proving that ambition and allure could coexist. Through this analysis, I further explored how her influence in fashion and media not only shaped trends but also contributed to greater freedoms for women today.

"They Had Been Forgotten" The Story Of Weld Hall And Its Stained-Glass Windows, John Mccune

Histories of MSUM

History of Weld Hall and the stained-glass windows originally installed in the building's auditorium and what followed.

Art Therapy: An Alternative Solution For Veterans Suffering From Trauma And Ptsd, Trisha Metcalf

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This project aims to explore artistic solutions to the psychological problems veterans face with re-entering society after serving time with the U.S. military. Art is one-way veterans can explore creative outlets for their trauma and through working with CreatiVets, they will be able to have a safe space to express themselves. CreatiVets is a non-profit specializing in art-based programs to help veterans deal with trauma. They already have programs that feature painting, sculpting and songwriting. A sewing program will be introduced into the organization so veterans will be able to express themselves through fiber arts. The sewing class will be …

Honey, I’M Home!, Kayla Lockwood

Art Student Research

Honey, I’m Home! revisits the idealized domestic life of the 1950s and 60s, drawing inspiration from iconic sitcoms The Honeymooners and I Love Lucy. The exhibition explores how gender roles within the traditional nuclear family have evolved. Through the lens of nostalgia, it delves into the emotional landscape of the childhood home. In this place, the comforting scents of family life intermingle with memories of laughter and warmth. However, this familiar setting is transformed into a deeper reflection on grief, memory, and identity.

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, Megan Gonzales

Tenor of Our Times

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience was open in Little Rock from August 1^st to October 31^st, 2024. Harding’s History and Political Science Department traveled to the exhibition for free on October 18^th.

Best Practices: Reusing Space To Enhance Narrative Immersion, Yuning Yang

Level Design Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the relationship between traditional storytelling techniques and the reuse of space and attempts to evaluate the relationship’s effectiveness in enhancing the player’s immersion in both narrative and gameplay. The researcher investigates various concepts, such as mental mapping, spaced learning, and thematic affordances, to understand how players remember previously visited spaces. Based on these practices, the researcher built a custom single-player level in Dying Light, where players assist a trapped non-player character (NPC) in searching for his coworkers. As players complete objectives, they simultaneously familiarize themselves with the environment and revisit spaces guided by narrative signifiers. To assess …

Implementing Defamiliarization Techniques To Enhance Quest-Based Storytelling, Yi Zhong

Level Design Theses and Dissertations

Defamiliarization is a technique originating from literary theory that can be used to subvert player expectations and create novel and thought-provoking experiences. This thesis explores how players react to defamiliarization and how defamiliarization enhances players’ narrative experiences. The researcher designed two levels in Fallout 4. One level contained no unusual or unexpected elements, serving as a baseline, while the other level built on the same structure as the first level, but incorporated five selected defamiliarization techniques. By analysing player reactions and feedback, the researcher gained insights into how game designers can effectively leverage defamiliarization to craft more engaging and …

Composition Strategies To Motivate Player Exploration, Wilbur Wang

Level Design Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the impact of different composition techniques on player exploration motivation in open-world games. The Researcher forms assumptions regarding good composition strategies, then utilizes the suggested best practices in a composition-focused level in Metro Exodus using Exodus SDK and validates this hypothesis through analysis of playtest results.

David B. Smith Chats With Monday 1.0, David B. Smith

Publications and Research

This document is an edited archival transcript of extended conversations between David B. Smith and an AI persona (“Monday 1.0,” GPT‑4o based) conducted in Spring 2025, prepared as a foundational primary source for subsequent scholarly and creative work. It records the emergence and testing of concepts related to human–AI collaboration (including “Balanced Blended Space”), as well as applied explorations in areas such as generative AI, quantum computing and music, virtual orchestras, multimodal performance, pedagogy, and the rhetoric of “pushback” in conversational systems. It also contains an extended section in which Monday and DB Smith co-curate a set of student research …

“Gli Scheletri Della Dittatura”: Fascist Art, Architecture, And Monuments In Modern Italy, John "Jack" Moore

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

When Italy reconstituted itself as a republic in 1948, it inherited the art, architecture, and monuments that were constructed under Fascism. Many of these artifacts contained inherent Fascist imagery and were made to exalt the regime, but Italy’s postwar government – known as the First Republic – neglected to systematically confront them. This mirrored the First Republic’s approach to shaping Italy’s memory of Fascism, as the government established an anti-fascist narrative without addressing the country’s support for the regime. During the 1980s, notions of anti-fascism began to fall alongside the political power structure upholding them. This coincided with the rise …

Interactive Pathways: Designing Accessible Museum Experiences, Bryce M. Christian

Senior Theses

This research examines the educational strategies employed by the Columbia Museum of Art in addition to similar institutions to explore how museums can optimize their educational impact on K–12 students by applying human-centered design strategies that prioritize accessibility, engagement, and real user needs. Many museums struggle to fully serve K–12 students due to physical, financial, and perceptual barriers. While digital platforms have expanded reach in some institutions, others prioritize in-person experiences and community engagement. This research uses artificial intelligence tools such as supervised data to accelerate and enhance the analytical process. The study evaluates these approaches through the lens of …

Tartans: Weaving A Warped History With Myths, Heritage And A Whole Lot Of Heather., Bethany Sassen

LSU Master's Theses

Scotland has many tartans throughout the whole of the country. Each has a different meaning and is used for different clans and purposes. Tartans are the plaids that are seen throughout the Highlands and the patterns and colors have a wide range depending on where and when the tartan was created. The purpose of this research is to investigate the history of the tartans and how they interact with our current culture. I also built two outfits to show how tartan is still being used. One a more traditional outfit and the other more avant garde. Tartans have a long …

El Penacho De Moctezuma Or Kopilli Ketzalli?: A Study Of Colonialism & Featherwork, Natalie Heiland

Student Publications

This paper focuses on an object with many titles: Moctezuma’s Headdress, El Penacho or Kopilli Ketzalli. These names, in English, Spanish and Nahuatl, perfectly highlight the way colonialism has affected the discourse around it. The piece was initially taken during the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century and shipped to Vienna, where it has remained ever since. Through analysis of historical sources and modern discussions, I will address how this object has been treated poorly throughout history, from the initial seizure, to its time in storage where it was improperly researched and labeled, the many conservations it …

When Art Inspires Wine Label Strategy: An Exploration Of French Winemakers’ Perceptions, Corinne Chevalier, Ghofrane Ghariani

AMTP Proceedings 2025

The use of a strategy involving original or atypical labels for prestige wines has shown its relevance in numerous studies. However, the implementation of an artification strategy in particular has rarely been addressed for wines, particularly those with an entry and mid-range positioning. Moreover, few studies have questioned professionals in the sector about the use of such a strategy. Consequently, the authors carried-out an exploratory study with 13 winemakers in order to gain a better understanding of the effects of this strategy on their entry and mid-range wines. This research reveals the winemakers' perception of the multiple benefits and risks …

A Man And His Cricket, Georgia Leakey

The Messenger

No abstract provided.

Gooseneckedcarnivore, Bella Stevens

The Messenger

No abstract provided.

Duel, Miah Walker

The Messenger

No abstract provided.

Phantom Crossing, Miah Walker

The Messenger

No abstract provided.

Time’S Toothache, Julian Moore

The Messenger

No abstract provided.