This week, in our discussion with the Association of Black Artists on Maurice Berger’s Race Stories, ABA President, Vice President of Student Orgs, and performing artist, Joshua Gray, has reflected on “Framing— and Reflecting— Beauty.” In his response, Joshua deconstructs the stereotypical ideals of beauty and proposes a new definition of how we see ourselves. 

Check out his full reflection here: tinyurl.com/yyuzxwm9

Today, we’re beginning our audio meditation series, “Nature as Teacher,” with our first meditation, “Manifesting Inner-Awareness.” This meditation focuses on recognizing patterns of giving and receiving in our lives and finding a balance between the two in order to find space in yourself to heal and recharge. 

Each meditation is kindly presented by UMBC’s Director of Workplace Learning, OD & Wellness and Founder & CEO of Wardell Development Group LLC., Jill Wardell and supported by the Joseph Beuys Tree Partnership with a generous gift fromNature Sacred (https://naturesacred.org/).

Check out the meditation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwzaAZglDTc

Website: https://cadvc.umbc.edu/nature/  

“Framing — and Reflecting — Beauty,” this week’s article from Maurice Berger’s Race Stories, looks at African-American artist Deborah Willis’ photography from her exhibition, “Framing Beauty” that not only considers how present-day Black women construct their identity and image, but also how the communities and routines they create are imbued “with both a sense of history and continuity with the past.” Many of the photographs focus on the role of the beauty industry in Black history and culture and how it empowers Black women to seek economic independence and create “vibrant communal spaces where women supported each other in the service of social and culture change.”

Article: https://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/11/framing-and-reflecting-beauty/

Join us over the next three weeks for a new iteration of our Joseph Beuys Sculpture Park-inspired “Nature as Teacher” program, featuring three audio mindfulness programs that focus on the three principle of mindfulness— awareness, non-judgement, and peacefulness. Starting Tuesday, July 28 our first of three “Nature as Teacher” meditations will be released across CADVC social media and web platforms. Special thanks to UMBC’s Director of Workplace Learning, OD & Wellness and Founder & CEO of Wardell Development Group LLC., Jill Wardell and @NatureSacred for making this possible!  

Check out the introduction here: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/beuyspark/posts

https://cadvc.umbc.edu/nature/

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We’re so excited to start collaborating with the Association of Black Artists over the next few weeks to further discussion of Maurice Berger’s Race Stories. This week, ABA Vice President and cinematic artist, Manal Murangi, has reflected on “Holding A Mirror to Race,” discussing artists’ intentionality when prompting viewers to reflect on their art, how curatorial intent contributes to the larger issue in the art field of curating versions of reality that uphold racism, and the role of and pressure on artists to create work that teaches viewers about history and racial inequality. 

Check out her full reflection here: https://tinyurl.com/yyuzxwm9

This week, we’re revisiting Maurice Berger’s Race Stories article, “Holding a Mirror to Race,” which looks at Derek Burrows, Greg French, and Gregory Fried’s interactive website called “Mirror of Race.” The website presents viewers with 19th century photographs that picture people of different races in varying settings, but only provides the accompanying caption after viewers click on the photo. This is meant to allow viewers to sit with their initial assumptions and perceptions about race, “privately self-examine” their unfiltered reactions, and prompt the internal and interpersonal dialogue that is crucial to eliminating racism.

Article link: https://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/24/holding-a-mirror-to-race/ 

Website link: http://mirrorofrace.org/

Call for work & art! Please consider submitting to the commonvision Physical Distanzine. A lot has changed since we left campus in March of 2020. We want to create a platform and outlet for work themed and/or created during this time. 

We are open to any type of media that can be shared in print or digitally. Submissions are open to all UMBC students (undergraduate and graduate), staff, faculty, and alumni. 

Deadline is August 2, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Submit at tinyurl.com/physicaldistanzine - questions? Email commonvision@umbc.edu #UMBC #UMBCTogether