How challenging was this project for you? This project was very difficult for me because I attempted to do 2 challenge options. I combined the 4 stages of life and the 4 seasons. I spray painted the outside of the box, cut down every piece of construction paper pictured below, and attached the shelves into the box manually. I didn't know that my box really wasn't what people expected because I received a lot of "cool" critique that I wasn't expecting for something I spent so much time on. After reviewing the critique, I see that there's many things I could have done differently.
What did you enjoy most about this Cultural Connections project? I liked the exhibition. I love experiencing different cultures and getting the opportunity to learn about them. I think it helps me become more open-minded about traditions that I'm not used to or that I don't usually celebrate. I'm mixed, so I have a lot of history in my skin color that I know nothing about but projects like this are my chance at understanding more of where I came from. Overall, taking the time to recognize a widely celebrated holiday is very eye-opening and I do not take it for granted.
Did you receive critique and feedback from anyone? If so, who? Was the feedback helpful? I received feedback from my peers and yes, I do think the feedback was kind of helpful. However, I wasn't expecting the amount of cool feedback that I got and I definitely would've ended up re-doing my box if I had more than one day or two to make it better quality. In general, I got some very mixed opinions about my box. Some people liked my box but others thought it looked unfinished, so the only reason why critique wasn't as helpful as it could've been is because some people liked my box for the same reasons other people didn't like it.
What grade do you think you deserve? Why? I think I deserve an A because I invested a lot of time and energy into this project and I'm very proud of it. I had to come up with the idea to represent the stages of life with a butterfly, I had to spray paint the outside of the box, I had to adhere the shelves, I had to cut every single piece of construction paper so that it fit in between each shelf and I had to make sure the backgrounds matched the seasons. Overall, I put a lot of effort into this project. I like the way it looks and it represents a lot to me. It represents the Black Lives Matter movement, Trayvon Martin, and life until death. This altar wasn't something that I put together last minute or didn't think about in every single detail, it has a genuine purpose and meaning to me.
If you could change something about this project, what would it be? I would change the amount of time we got to work on the altars and extend it by about 2 days or so and add a critique session sooner so that there would be more time to make changes as well as give extra time for finishing touches.
My artist statement:
("My ofrenda is in honor of Trayvon Martin who was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch coordinator, George Zimmerman, on February 26th, 2012 at the young age of 17. Trayvon Martin was unarmed when he was shot during an altercation between him and George Zimmerman. No additional civil right violations were filed against Zimmerman due to insufficient evidence. I dedicated my altar to Trayvon Martin because I think he woke up the Black Lives Matter movement. Since his death, I’ve seen every kind of person speak up about justice and bring important matters to light which is something that inspires me to be vocal about equality. To me, he represents the power of a nation. After Trayvon Martin was shot by George Zimmerman, there were more shootings on the news of young black men that were happening frequently. Ater every single one, I saw an entire community of black people who are proud of being black and know that they are worthy/highly deserving of being accepted by the entire world. I’m mixed so I have trouble finding my place anywhere but I feel accepted and loved when I see so many people who are proud of being themselves, as dark or as light as they are. In conclusion, Trayvon Martin represents acceptance, love, support, and power. (Written by: Breanna Jones)")