Art and Design Commons^™

Pictorial Bionomics: Santa Ana River Record And Survey, Caleb Lachelt

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Intense conflict is unfolding in Southern California, and it runs right through our cities every day. It goes unnoticed by most, but its outcome will decide the future for humans and nature alike. This conflict is between human development and the natural majesty of our waterways. The foundation of Orange and surrounding areas is historic wetlands, which have caused massive flooding that destroys human lives and buildings. In response to this destruction, we have unleashed our own damage, paving entire sections of our rivers and erecting dams and levees wherever we can. Through this process we have successfully protected those …

Review Of Bioprotopia: Designing The Built Environment With Living Organisms, Gozde Damla Turhan-Haskara

Book Reviews

No abstract provided.

To Excavate An Absence, Margaret Compton

Graduate Theses

This thesis is an exploration of memory’s fluctuating aspects, utilizing natural materials and casting processes to create a sculptural body of work deeply rooted in materialized metaphor. Examining the relationship between mold and cast, part and whole, and interior and exterior, I utilize casting as a framework to understand the duality of remembering and forgetting. Memories, much like the natural landscape, are ephemeral, fading, and fracturing over time. Both external environments and internal mental landscapes share the common language of erosion, existing as present or absent, remembered or forgotten. Conestee Nature Preserve in Mauldin, South Carolina, serves as my “site” …

Girl Rot, Maddie Foss

Graduate Theses

Does individual identity curate our personal environments, or do environmental variables infiltrate the idea of selfhood? My work is a journey of questioning the origins of selfhood while simultaneously trying to understand identity through the lens of the physical world and online landscapes that influence me. Through an examination of identity work, the history of pop culture icons, and online aesthetics, my artwork is immersed in gender, sexuality, and media study conversations that help me better understand myself and others that heavily engage online. I am an interdisciplinary artist working in digital drawings, collages, and installations with my media reflecting …

Threads Of Connection: An Offering To Re-Tangle Humanity And Nature With The Patterns Of Our World, Emily Shelton

Graduate Theses

In our world there are patterns of self-similarity that serve as evidence of the interconnectedness between humankind and the rest of the natural world. They are reflected in our bodies, behaviors, and environments, both natural and manmade, and can be found throughout systems at every scale, micro through macro. These organic, linear motifs branch into smaller iterations that seem to shape our existence on this planet as we gravitate towards experiences that echo these patterns. During everyday acts like shopping in a grocery store or a crowd at a concert, we unconsciously participate in self-similar collective movements as we navigate …

Cultural Immersion In Gaming: Ethiopian Influences In Horizon Forbidden West, Henoch Tilahun

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

This paper examines the immersive incorporation of Ethiopian culture in the video game "Horizon Forbidden West," focusing on visual, narrative, and thematic themes. It explains how the game represents Ethiopian legacy and custom by examining architectural design, landscape portrayal, mythological integration, and character representation. The paper uses different academic works and gaming articles and emphasizes the game's ability to inspire empathy, curiosity, and enthusiasm for cultural diversity, as well as cross-cultural appreciation and understanding. It also investigates the importance of ethical and responsible game production approaches in ensuring accurate cultural portrayal. Finally, this paper examines the transformative power of cultural …

Scientific Frontiers In Game Studies, Prthvi Kapilavai

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

Video game studies as a dynamic field has benefited from this synthesis of the scientific method and critical theories that, together, enrich our understanding of video games as both technological artifacts and cultural products.(Girina and Jung, 2019). More than a mere shadow-boxing between disciplinary echo chambers, this kind of integration enriches our understanding of video game form and experience while projecting a more informed path forward into game design and game scholarship. It demonstrates how findings from psychology and cognitive science describe or explain video games’ enticement or their potential for learning, and how theories of media from the humanities …

An Exploration Of Procedural Methods In Game Level Design, Hector Salinas

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Video games offer players immersive experiences within intricately crafted worlds, and the integration of procedural methods in game level designs extends this potential by introducing dynamic, algorithmically generated content that could stand on par with handcrafted environments. This research highlights the potential to provide players with engaging experiences through procedural level generation, while potentially reducing development time for game developers.

Through a focused exploration on two-dimensional cave generation techniques, this paper aims to provide efficient solutions tailored to this specific environment. This exploration encompasses several procedural generation methods, including Midpoint Displacement, Random Walk, Cellular Automata, Perlin Worms, and Binary Space …

We Who Are Not As Others: Costuming The Godspell Ensemble As Historical Circus Performers, Anderson Palmer

Theatre Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines the Bible as well as circus history and American history to determine the most effective way to design costumes for the musical Godspell by John-Michael Tebelak for a modern audience. The aim of all of this research is to re-center Tebelak’s original inspiration: The Feast of Fools by Harvey Gallagher Cox. Over the years since the premiere of Godspell in 1970, it has become heavily associated with hippies rather than clowns, despite the importance of clowns and clowning to the play’s inception.

Taking inspiration from primary research of circus performers, religious iconography, and early 20^th century …

Retrieving Images From Tarnished Daguerreotypes Using X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging With An X-Ray Micro Beam With Tunable Energy, Tsun-Kong Sham, Y. Zou Finfrock, Qunfeng Xiao, Renfei Feng, Sarah Bassnett

Visual Arts Publications

We report recent observations using a synchrotron X-ray micro-beam to retrieve images from tarnished 19th century daguerreotypes. We confirm that high quality image can always be retrieved from tarnished plates using Hg Lα XRF as long as the bulk of the image particles and their distribution remains intact. We also report results from using tunable tender X-rays (2 - 7 keV) to conduct imaging in high vacuum at energy above the Ag L-edge and the Hg M-edge, extracting images using Ag Lα and Hg Mα, respectively among others (e.g., S to track corrosion). Images obtained with the surface sensitive total …

Sincerely, Regan Leigh Chrisman-Boman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sincerely is a compilation of diaristic narratives depicted through the lens of a distorted reality. This distortion is manifested through the influence of social norms placed on me and my gendered experience of this world. The stories I tell through my work deal with the mind, body and daily life. My images within this body of work are sourced from my written journal, and creating a visual diary. I provide a space of relatability for the viewer to feel seen and not alone through the discussion of personal experiences that are both unique and not unique to myself. The work …

Just Out Of Reach, Haley Inyart

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Just Out of Reach explores memory through personal objects, inviting viewers to connect with their own experiences. The installation delves into the fragility of memory, using hanging objects to evoke nostalgia and reference the passage of time. These objects serve as placeholders, drawing on significant moments with people from the past. Through watercolor painting and collage, the work explores how memories fade over time, evoking feelings of home, family, and the passing of fond moments. Themes of pattern, repetition, and structure emerge as recurring motifs throughout the work, echoing the inherent orderliness of memory and its reliance on familiar frameworks. …

In The Performance Of A Lifetime: Pepper Plinkett, Lily Camille Hollinden

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This narrative depicts a caricature of the human experience through the eyes of my alter- ego character, Pepper Plinkett. Pepper is a symbol of my personal philosophies of what it means to be human, and serves as a protagonist and guide through an infinite, ambiguous natural world. This exhibition is a celebration of the vibrancy, curiosity, and ridiculousness of a lifetime. The uniqueness of humor as a specifically human trait and its use as a tool of communication, particularly in expressing authenticity, is the driving force behind my use of clowns in my work. I take an absurdist approach to …

Fostering Community Among Women Mountain Bikers, Samantha Wischmeyer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although women have shown growing interest in mountain biking in recent years, a disproportionate number of men and women participate, with women representing only one-third of overall riders (The National Sporting Goods Association, 2023). Many women describe feeling insecure and intimidated by what they perceive to be the traditional mountain biking culture (Bordelon & Ferreira, 2019; Carpiet, 2014; Huybers-Withers, 2015; McCormack, 2020; Nash & Moore, 2021). This research is concerned with fostering a sense of belonging and opportunities for community-building to reduce barriers of entry in mountain biking for self-identified women in Northwest Arkansas. Northwest Arkansas has a highly active …

Imagining Tomorrow Is What Creative Minds Do: Storytelling, Collaboration And Design Futuring, Jessica Miles

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to the 2020 Cigna US Loneliness Index Survey, 73% of Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) report feeling alone sometimes or always. Consequently, People who experience social isolation risk early death. Gen Z as a cohort is hyperconnected in the virtual world but socially disconnected, often relying on social apps and the internet as a creative outlet (Bakhtiari). Research shows that young adults frequently utilize these apps as a site for inspiration and brainstorming rather than searching for creative motivation in the outside world. Speculative design helps explore new perspectives and gives designers tools to support imagination and …

Passages, Arden Carlson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Passages is a collection of wood sculptures and drawings by Arden Carlson, exploring a mesh of southern intimacies and queer musings; underpinned by the logics of belief, grief, and love. The result is a tender field of angelic birds fixed in flight over gnawed surfaces of grain and graphite. The following dissertation details the artist’s logic during the construction of the visual art thesis exhibition, Passages. The writing is composed in an autoethnographic format, backed by supporting anecdotes and creative methodologies that help to route the operational modes used. Near the end of this writing, you’ll find an additional addendum …

Pillowfort Logic, Victoria Barquin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I use textiles, everyday objects, and my own studio archive to create assemblages that are both abstract and familiar. I follow my body, operating without preconceived notions as to what the materials are or how they should act, creating a liberatory practice of working intuitively, embracing play, and challenging my own conceptions of what’s possible. In my thesis exhibition, Pillowfort Logic, this methodology of reimagining what already exists is fundamental. The construction of these pieces mimic the act of building a fort in the living room where chairs are walls and blankets are roofs. The parts may return to work …

The Ai Effect: Rethinking Design Workflows For Enhanced Productivity And Creativity, Israel Adeleye

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming how designers work with computers. This thesis explores the developing relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and design processes, focusing on how it impacts the creation of digital experiences. This study examines the impact of AI on design, highlighting how AI can improve efficiency and creativity alongside ethical challenges and the need to preserve human uniqueness in digital creations. It investigates AI's effects on design workflows, creativity, and the designer's evolving role through interviews, content analysis, case studies, and surveys. The aim is to understand AI's influence on designer productivity, innovation, and …

Linguistic Heritage In Digital Landscape: A Collective Memory Of Indigenous Script, Sumi Limbu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present-day digital world reflects the historical structures of power, as evidenced by the dominant presence of specific languages in online spaces. Globalization, post-colonization, and language preferences on digital platforms also present significant dangers to indigenous languages, resulting in their gradual disappearance in both online and offline settings. The insufficient provision of typographical support and acknowledgment worsens the marginalization of indigenous languages by hindering their inclusion in digital spaces. The script plays a vital role in visual design by effectively delivering information. Language serves as the primary means of communication, which enables knowledge production. This study aims to look into …

Porous, Janice A. Agustin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Porous presents sensory modalities to convey the theme of memories, creating an active site that resists erasure as an immersive art installation. Through a collage of multichannel video performances, Porous is an assemblage of fragmented, abstract, and non-linear aspects of memory. These videos are portals to sites of resistance, collaged and entangled as the essence of memories. All videos touch slightly on the wall, displaying their interconnectedness. The videos coexist with layered audio and live water ambient noise.

Empower Voices, Enhance Dignity A Study On Menstrual Hygiene Management Among Internally Displaced Menstruators In Wassa Idp Camp, Abuja, Fct., Shalom Joro Yabilsu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nigeria’s humanitarian crisis has led to prolonged internal displacement, with many people forced to flee their homes due to armed conflict and communal violence. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) number in the millions and face numerous challenges that leave them vulnerable. Among those affected are menstruators, who face unique challenges related to managing menstruation in these dire circumstances. Despite significant research on various aspects of life within Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, there remains a notable gap in addressing menstrual hygiene management (MHM) in this space. This study focuses on understanding and enhancing health literacy of MHM through a life-centered embodied …

El Otro Cielo, Ana Buitrago

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

El Otro Cielo is an exhibition that mixes family items with personal creations, symbolizing the balance between evolving and staying connected to your roots. The work is about embracing change while remembering where you come from. This exhibition explores the stages to find one's true self while adapting to new cultures and changing over time. This installation delves into the complexities of cultural identity, memory, and the human experience. The space invites viewers to contemplate their own relationships with place, nostalgia, and the ongoing process of self-discovery.

Food Insecurity Among Women: The Data Gap And The Path Forward, Beth Dedman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Quantification frames the world in terms of hierarchies, reputation, and status, thereby making important indicators comparable, and subsequently stripping them of their context, history, and meaning. Numerical knowledge is essential, yet if it is not closely connected to more qualitative forms of knowledge, it leads to oversimplification, homogenization, and the neglect of the surrounding social structure. Feminist-based research is completely antithetical to this form of research, focusing on qualitative experiences, the effects of relationships of power, and adding the necessary context to the quantifiable information. As of yet, most research in the Northwest Arkansas region as it pertains to the …

Authentic Fake: Authenticity And Authentication., Suyun Son

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My thesis exhibition questions the modern sanctification of authenticity. No longer believing in objective truths, the postmodern society seeks epistemic grounding on being true to oneself. The categories of authentic-or-fake replaced the binary of true-or-false. But authenticity is a trojan horse for authentication. As a Korean American artist, I'm encouraged to express my “authentic” Korean identity. This encouragement can also imply my works will receive recognition as authentic and meaningful only when they embody Korean cultural expression. Authenticity becomes a performance for the sake of authentication. Ironically, authenticity turns into an act of conformity/confirmation. Authenticity demands you stay true to …

Origin Stories., Danielle Deeley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an investigation into the Peruvian pre-Columbian collection at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. The Speed Art Museum acquired this collection in 1934 and it has largely remained unresearched for nearly a century after acquisition into the museum’s collection. This investigation is not an attempt to make broad characterizations of pre-Columbian ceramics. Nor is its goal to fill in all the gaps of the collection’s history. Instead, this thesis follows the evidence the collection presents: the physical attributes of the ceramics, the donor’s history, U.S. history, and information from the collection file provided by the Speed …

Alabaster Glory., Chloe Cheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alabaster Glory includes three installations in the gallery space: 望(wàng), 盛(chéng), and 余(yú). These components represent three stages of human life: the beginning, living on this earth, and the end. The core concept behind the three stages is the relationship between the creator (God) and creations, referring to humans that live in this broken world containing suffering, chaos, crime, conflict, or the personal experience of an inner void.

Alabaster Glory invites viewers to walk through the space first to encounter a magnitude of infant heart forms placed by a window, which intends to evoke curiosity about their quantity and symbolism. …

Cuerpos/Vessels, Maria Jesus Alonso

Graduate Artistry Projects and Performances

While many still see fibers as mere “craft”, there lies a critical need to acknowledge and elevate them to the status of High Art. As far as we recognize fibers are not a feminism discourse and we elevate fibers and sculpture in this case to the same level of other high art, we will be talking about fibers for a long time. As Julia Harperin states, “To take fiber art seriously is to understand how fabric is inextricably linked to the body and is in many ways an extension of it: We wear it, we sleep under it, we are …

Consideration For The Sun, Roxy Bridges, Special Collections, Fleet Library

11th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest 2025

LIBRARIAN'S CHOICE PURCHASE PRIZE | $250 Purchase prize winners receive a cash reward and the books are added to the Fleet Library at RISD Special Collections' Artists' Book collection. Entry for the 11th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest. Opening reception and award ceremony Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 6:30pm, Fleet Library, Main Reading Room. Juror: Roger S. Williams.

Aspirations Incubator: 2017–2023 Final Evaluation Report, Sarah Goan, Elora Way, Emma Schwartz, Becky Wurwarg

Publications

The Rural Futures Fund launched the Aspirations Incubator in 2017 as a six-year pilot initiative aimed at supporting youth development in rural Maine by increasing resiliency, fostering connections to communities, and expanding students’ awareness of opportunities beyond their everyday environments. The program partnered with select rural youth organizations to build capacity for mentoring-based programs serving students from seventh grade through high school graduation. Guided by the Trekkers Youth Programming Principles, the initiative focused on long-term mentorship, meaningful relationship-building, and community engagement. A comprehensive multi-year evaluation conducted by the Data Innovation Project at the University of Southern Maine examined the implementation …

Bull Spit, Sirena Nieves, Sirena M. Nieves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BULL SPIT, formally known as “It’s Bullshit!!”, is an exhibition consisting of seven sculptures, four installations, and one performance. The sculptures are informed by my research on low-income, working-class communities of color, analogous to the one I grew up in. The materials for my work include domestic objects such as bedsheets, hardware, uniforms, and miscellaneous items that reflect the contemporary dysfunctional dynamics between families and communities of low-income backgrounds. Cardboard, plastic bags, Styrofoam, and paper are disposable materials manipulated into abject forms to integrate the survival practice developed from the poverty culture of “making the most out of nothing.” …