a mother and a daughter in UArts t-shirts sitting in front of some pumpkins.

Generations - November 2020

In this issue 

A Letter from Parent Council Member Marian Maier

Controversy with Courage: Navigating Conversations about Race, Culture and Identity

A Letter from Parent Council Member Marian Maier

For me, November often brings memories of family and homecoming. As parents we know that as Thanksgiving approaches, it means our students would normally be preparing to come home. Ah, the reunion! The joy in finally seeing their faces after nearly three months of separation warms the heart with pure delight! Then—BAM!! We are reminded that it is 2020, and the reality is that these students have been home with us in close quarters for about eight straight months. They have hijacked our Wi-Fi along with our living spaces, which they turned into classrooms and studios, all while managing to drive the food bill through the roof. As I take a deep breath, I remember that every cloud has a silver lining. So I asked the Parent Council, “How, as parents, are you making the most of this moment? What positive experiences have you had while your student learns remotely?”

Lynne Sullivan is grateful for “having another year with my adult daughter at home. I wouldn’t have wished that she was attending UArts remotely, but since she is, I admit that I love being at home with her and discussing her classes, politics, friends, etc. I also love that we have time to watch movies and TV series together. We’ve all learned how to do new things, and we’ve gained skills and knowledge that we might not have acquired otherwise. I’ve learned to be more present. Focusing on the future isn’t so important this year; living in the present is, and the pandemic has allowed (or forced) me to slow down and take in what is here, now.”

Upon reading Lynne’s perspective, I realized that I did find the silver lining. It was gaining a better insight into my daughter’s curriculum and how UArts continues to teach, inspire and mold our students into artists, no matter how challenging the situation. It is enjoying the extra time I have with Jess and discovering more of her world. She has introduced me to TV series and movies I would not have chosen to watch otherwise but really enjoyed. I’ve witnessed her creativity in action and have also been the recipient of goods in her new-found love of baking! 

As I close, I leave you with two thoughts. First, try to find the silver linings. This is even more important as we learn that UArts will continue to be remote for the spring 2021 semester. Though this decision might not be what you or your student wanted to hear, it does emphasize the “safety first” value of UArts’ decision makers. They are putting the safety of students, faculty and staff first. With that idea at the forefront of the spring semester, our students will continue their education, develop their talents, and advance their creativity under the guidance of a dedicated and talented faculty. 

Secondly, in light of the recent election—whether the results were in your favor or not—we need to work toward healing and then, toward unity. Unity in art is defined as “how different elements of an artwork or design work come together and create a sense of wholeness.” As the UArts family, we also need to come together and create a sense of wholeness for our students, each other and the surrounding UArts community. 

Thank you for all you do. Stay safe and positive!

Respectfully,
Marian Maier

Controversy with Courage: Navigating Conversations about Race, Culture and Identity

The past seven months have been a whirlwind of emotions. While navigating a pandemic, we’ve also been confronted with virtual learning, social unrest and a presidential election. There’s no denying that 2020 has been a difficult year. But 2020 also provides us with a unique opportunity to address a topic often unwelcome at the dinner table: race, culture and identity. 

Beginning in late May, we began witnessing widespread bravery in action. As a response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and countless others (named and unnamed), more and more people were compelled to engage in activism. The pandemic created an environment free from the distractions of our pre-COVID daily routines, and everyone seemed to be paying attention. For the first time, we saw corporations and institutions sending bold statements in support of Black Lives Matter and swarms of folks across identities gathering to amplify the voices of those most marginalized. People are beginning to embrace the discomfort surrounding the realities that many Black, Indigenous and other people of color face every day. 

As virtual learning is this year’s norm, we hope you can practice this bravery in your household. Our students are no strangers to these conversations. UArts initiatives, such as Inquiring Minds and the Social Justice Leadership program, create space where students engage in meaningful, productive and sometimes challenging discussions about race and identity. Though these conversations still take place on our virtual platform, it can’t stop there. 

We encourage parents, guardians and support systems to have these conversations with your students, too. Be intentional about the news you seek, listen to podcasts that center marginalized voices and read articles that provide practical advice. These discussions can be (and almost always are) clumsy, awkward and even anxiety-producing, but they must be had to truly spark change for a more inclusive and equitable future for all. 

Here are resources to help frame conversations about race, culture and identity in your home.

  • How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race (NPR): a 10-minute podcast episode about the dangers of silence and practical considerations that can help you jumpstart the conversation 
     
  • “Why Talk about Whiteness? (Teaching Tolerance)”: an article reflecting on The Whiteness Project and how to confront whiteness as a primer to conversations about racism 
     
  • So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo: a book that explores both historical and contemporary influences on the current racial landscape with practical ways to engage in these conversations
     
  • How to Raise Anti-Racist Kids (Good Kids): a podcast that features different guests with children of all ages and moves conversations from simply embracing diversity to acting against racism
     
  • Colorlines: a daily news site that centers race in the context of art and culture, gender and sexuality, criminalization, and more
     

For more information or additional resources about diversity, equity and inclusion at UArts, visit uarts.edu/dei or email diversity@uarts.edu.