Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine, Issue 6: Metamorphosis (Fall 2025), Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine Contributors

Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine (2023-present)

Issue 6 of the Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine, published in the Fall 2025 semester. The theme of the issue is 'Metamorphosis'. A semesterly publication curated by Clark University students, CSVLM creates space for students to share their creative writing including poetry, prose, and artwork. Organizing and distributing Clark Student Literary Voices builds community by uniting the many creative students on the Clark campus.

Helping The Natural World Speak For Itself: Art's Role In Communicating Environmental And Sustainability Concepts In Sydney, Australia, Elizabeth Clark

Australia: Rainforest, Reef, and Cultural Ecology

Climate change and its broadening scope have made awareness of environmental issues, as well as ways to mitigate them, essential to securing our planet's future. Artistic venues, such as art galleries and even theatres, are becoming increasingly prominent in this conversation due to their ability to engage broad audiences and make scientific concepts more accessible. To understand the effectiveness of artistic efforts in science communication, it is necessary to assess the strategies by which both successful scientific venues, like zoos or natural history museums, and emerging artistic venues in science disseminate information. This project aimed to assess science communication strategies …

Contextualizing Egyptian-Themed Art In Pompeiian Shops, Kelsey Myers

The Ozark Historical Review

This project focuses on the art historical, architectural, and archaeological evidence outside the domus to investigate the multivalent messaging communicated by Egyptian imagery in Pompeii’s civic and commercial spaces. By examining the artifacts and images commissioned by traders and craftsmen in their production and shop spaces, this research offers a bottom-up approach to Roman culture and society to balance the textual based top-down perspective that has dominated the discipline. Focusing on foreign-themed objects and images in these spaces, this study also explores the reception and adoption of foreign/eastern influences by the lower social strata of Romans in a multiethnic empire.

Burning Solitudes: Mountain Storytelling In The Age Of Social Media Reproduction, Katie Ives

Appalachia

A deep exploration into the contradictions of recording mountain experiences while having them.

A Dualistic Interpretation Of Mathematical Creation Through Art And Argumentation, Sofia Almpani, Petros Stefaneas, Mihir Chakraborty

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Creativity, informal reasoning and dynamic exchange of ideas form the pulsating heart of mathematical creation. In this approach, the concept of a mathematical object surpasses conventional boundaries of formal presentation, as they also encompass the intention to prove, significant creative stages within the proving, and the overall experience of prover's journey, which may involve arguments, debates, discovery insights, aesthetic visualizations, and narrative elements. In this paper we present two conceptual frameworks, namely Argumentation-based Proof-Events Calculus (APEC) and Mathematical RUPAs, in order to provide distinct yet interconnected perspectives on informal thinking, knowledge creation, and proving in mathematics. Following the two perspectives, …

“…Stay On It…”/A Theory///“Illumination Happens”//, Lara E. Goldmann

Art & Art History ETDs

“…stay on it…”/a theory///“illumination happens”// is a critical engagement with the work of contemporary Black artists Arthur Jafa and Adam Pendleton, explored through the lens of the Black radical tradition. Bridging aesthetics, politics, and history, the dissertation investigates how their visual, sonic, and conceptual practices articulate Black life, insurgency, and imagination.

Drawing on theorists such as Fred Moten, Sylvia Wynter, Hortense Spillers, Frantz Fanon, and Cedric Robinson, the study constructs a framework that considers Blackness as an ontological, social, and aesthetic force. It examines how Jafa and Pendleton unsettle dominant epistemologies, staging acts of refusal and creation that resonate within …

Accessible Art: Connecting Community Through Artistic Expression, Michaela M. Speers

Art and Art History Summer Fellows

I answered an important investigative question: How can we use art to connect our community? I illustrated, produced, and installed a “Mini Art Vending Machine” on campus to provide the Ursinus College community easy access to original works of art. I explored visual topics that would connect not only current students, but also prospective students, alumni, and members of the Collegeville community.

The Mini Art Vending Machine's permanent home is within Schellhase Commons. However, the machine will frequently move locations to further enhance events or to bring further exposure to the student artists. You can expect to see it at …

The Tides Of Time, The Tides Of Fate, And The Power Of Song, Tom Hillman

Journal of Tolkien Research

This paper studies the interaction of Song, Story, Time, and Fate in the context of the Elves' resistance to change by means of song and enchantment, specifically in Lothlórien until the arrival of the Fellowship of the Ring. Once Galadriel renounces the Ring and the resistance to change and the fading of the Elves, the mythic power of the Great Tales transforms the ability of Frodo and Sam to meet the fate that awaits them in Mordor.

Artificial Intelligence And Art, Jeffrey Moser, Sally Brown, Jay Cole, Ashley Denardo, Charles Brown, Dana Coester

Artificial Intelligence Exhibit

This section gives an overview of the opportunities and risks with using AI in art, media, literature, and more. Includes two creative student submissions using AI.

Dragon Stained Glass For Mythprint 412, Phillip Fitzsimmons

Faculty Articles & Research

Cover Art: Dragon stained glass by Phillip Fitzsimmons, pattern from Steven Voss, Etsy GoldFox Studios www.etsy.com/shop/GoldFoxArtistry © 2025.

First published on the cover of Mythprint 412.

Review: Grandfathers Journey, Rachel Schwedt

Ages 7-9

Appreciation of nature, Curiosity, Ethnic pride, Inquisitiveness, Inspiration, Knowledge, Wonder

Review: A Handful Of Stars, Rachel Schwedt

Ages 7-9

Cooperation, Courage, Creativity, Respect, Spunk

Review: The Year Of The Book, Rachel Schwedt, Janice Delong

Ages 10-12

Caring, Compassion, Contentment, Coping, Craftsmanship, Diversity, Family, Friendship, Imagination, Leadership, Neighborliness, Pride, Resilience, Self-respect, Trustworthiness. Wisdom

Review: The Animal Book: A Collection Of The Fastest, Fiercest, Toughest, Cleverest, Shyest, And Most Surprising Animals On Earth, Janice Delong, Rachel Schwedt

Ages 10-12

Cleverness, Creativity, Imagination, Knowledge

Review: Rules, Janice Delong, Rachel Schwedt

Ages 10-12

Caring, Compassion, Dependability, Duty, Encouragement, Friendship, Giving, Hope, Humor, Individuality, Initiative, Inspiration, Kindness, Maturity, Patience, Persistence, Self-reliance, Survival (emotional), Thoughtfulness, Trust, Trustworthiness, Wisdom

Review: Okay For Now, Janice Delong, Rachel Schwedt

Ages 10-12

Caring, Compassion, Cooperation, Coping, Dependability, Devotion, Duty, Empathy, Encouragement, Enthusiasm, Friendliness, Friendship, Giving, Hope, Humor, Inspiration, Knowledge, Maturity, Resolve, Respect, Responsibility, Work ethic

Review: My America: A Poetry Atlas Of The United States, Rachel Schwedt, Janice Delong

Ages 10-12

Appreciation of nature, Citizenship, Community, Diversity, Ethnic pride, Knowledge, Patriotism, Wonder

Review: Castle, Rachel Schwedt, Janice Delong

Ages 10-12

Ambition, Cooperation, Craftsmanship, Diligence, Duty, Imagination, Ingenuity, Knowledge, Responsibility, Understanding, Work ethic

Review: Becoming Naomi Leon, Rachel Schwedt, Janice Delong

Ages 10-12

Boldness, Caring, Cleverness, Compassion, Competition, Cooperation, Coping, Courage, Dependability, Devotion, Encouragement, Ethnic pride, Family love, Faithfulness, Friendship, Generosity, Hope, Independence, Initiative, Love, Neighborliness, Resilience, Sacrifice, Sharing, Spunk, Steadfastness, Strength, Survival (Emotional), Thankfulness, Trust, Wisdom

Where's The Dim Sum? Art, Oral History, And The Chinese American Diaspora In Portland, Or, Rayli Dornan

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the history, transformation, and contemporary significance of Portland's Chinatown through an oral history framework, emphasizing the voices of Chinese American artists. Beginning with a comprehensive historical overview from the mid-nineteenth-century Gold Rush migrations and railroad labor to twentieth-century exclusion, dispossession under urban renewal, and the late-twentieth-century dispersal into suburbs, the thesis traces how structural racism and policy shaped both the physical landscape and communal life of Oregon's Chinese diaspora. Through in-depth interviews with local artists, this research aims to illuminate how individual experiences of identity, belonging, and creative expression navigate the tensions between heritage and adaptation.

Drawing …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …

Hope By A Thousand Cuts: Fashion Ethics From Cutting Fabric To Cutting A Fashion Film, Sarah G. Porterfield

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

I conducted an experiment during which I learned to sew, created a clothing collection, and wore nothing but my collection for a month. Additionally, I documented my collection and the process in a fashion film. The goal of my experiment was to investigate fashion ethics. To gain a greater understanding of the underlying theories that fashion materializes and to grasp their ethical implications better, I studied the texts of fashion theorists such as Marx, Barthes, Derrida, Deleuze and Guattari, Butler, Benjamin, and Merleau-Ponty throughout my experiment. Therefore, I gained insight into many aspects of fashion ethics, from the beginning stages …

A House With No Walls Where Persimmons Grow In The Garden: Photography As A Collaborative Feminist Practice And Using Archives To Reframe The Present, Jada Wheeler

University Honors Theses

A House With No Walls is an investigation of the idea of chosen family, as it exists apart from the influence of any institution. It alludes to the home as a place that exists within space shared with the people we choose as family and within our own free bodies. This project investigates the collaborative potential of photography, and uses it as a tool in creating a feminist representation of family. All the photographs were made with close friends, in an unplanned and spontaneous manner, to document intimate moments of our everyday lives.

Where Persimmons Grow In The Garden is …

Chess As A Visual Language: Women Playing Love In The Medieval Courts Of Spain And France, Zoe Kobs

Undergraduate Theses in Art History

This thesis explores the visual representations of the game of chess in two case studies during the medieval period in the courts of Europe: manuscript illustrations in Spain, and a carved ivory mirror case in France. These case studies reveal how visual objects were used to construct cultural realities. Specifically, they illustrate how depictions of chess combined with the presence of women not only alluded to romantic possibilities, but also dictated the role, conduct, and perception of women in the medieval courts. The imagined woman’s adherence to expected court rules, rules stemming from chess games, and the art of love …

Yesterday, Today, And Forever: Preserving Traditional Hymns, Randi Martin

Masters Theses

Music plays a vital role in today’s church. Throughout history, Christian songwriters have written hymns that have been passed down through generations of believers. In recent years, contemporary Christian songs have replaced traditional hymns in many churches. While a variety of music styles can be effectively used in worship, the disappearance of the traditional hymn robs churchgoers of the theological depth and timeless truths that live within many of these old hymns. These beautiful, soul-stirring hymns could be forgotten if action isn’t taken to preserve them for future generations of worshipers.

This thesis examines ways to preserve the heritage of …

A Crisis Of Craft: Creative Writing In The American University, Brenna E. Derbish

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this essay, I aim to analyze the changing nature of the Creative Writing MFA through the lens of the American culture that shaped it. In the 1930s, creative writing in American universities began to take shape, citing itself as a way to reform the philological study of literature into a more active field, a way for the common person to learn through creativity and self-expression. However, as the number of MFA programs in the nation continued to rise, admittance became increasingly selective, with many universities accepting only between 5 and 10% of their applicants. This increase in exclusivity, coupled …

Preparing Meals As A Metaphor For The Use Of Arts In Worship: A Liturgical Arts Curriculum For Nourishing Chinese-Indonesian Congregations, Carolien Eunice Tantra

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

Food plays an essential role in human life. It is of paramount importance to consume an adequate quantity of food to maintain good health, nourish the body, and provide the necessary energy for daily activities. In addition to its role in providing nourishment, the visual appeal of food can bring delight to the eyes, desire to the heart, stimulate the appetite, and prompt humans to consume it. Liturgical art is like food. The metaphor of food or meals, as employed in liturgical arts, serves to emphasize the significance of artistic expression and integration within worship services to nourish and reach …

Not Just Another 2000 Word Written Mfa Thesis, Taylor Cleveland

Art Theses and Dissertations

This thesis challenges the standardized academic expectations placed upon studio-based MFA programs, using the process of writing itself as a site of institutional critique. Emerging from a 27,000-word working draft titled Aesthetics of Real, this final text adopts the permitted format of an “extended artist statement” to expose contradictions within institutional frameworks. It resists the assumption that professionalism and compliance equate to intellectual rigor, arguing that true artistic inquiry demands risk, failure, and confrontation with systemic norms. Through works like 3MUSTANGS, Facades of Dallas (Hall), SuperPOD0043: An American Painting, and Babel’n On, this thesis reveals …

Meeting People Where They Are At: Accessible Approaches To Ceramic Design And The Artistic Process, Molly E. Thompson

Publications and Research

This paper explores accessibility for disabled people in ceramics, drawing upon my personal experiences as a disabled potter at Artistry Community Arts Center in Vermont. I begin with a discussion of how the process of creating pottery can be made more accessible, with a list of adaptable tools I have discovered and anecdotes about how pottery instructors can adapt their teaching styles to different needs. I then explore different examples of adaptive pottery made specifically for disabled people, including some of my own work. While recounting my own successes and failures in pottery production, I conclude that imperfection is the …

Grief As Slip: (How Little I Show) An Exploration In Clay, When Words Are Not Enough, Michelle A. Smith

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Grief as Slip (how little I show) implies that even as we acknowledge our mortality and the fleeting nature of life, we still only reveal a fraction of our true selves or our deeper realities. The ceramic artwork in this exhibition carries and conveys a journey through the present and remembered emotions of the artists’ personal narrative. By juxtaposing the tactile nature of clay with the ethereal quality of human experience, Smith contemplates the profound interplay between material transformation and emotional resilience. The exhibition’s intent is to translate the essence of complex emotional states into abstracted forms so they can …