The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, April 8, 2013 - 3A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Monday, April 8, 2013 - 3A
KEEP IT IN LINE
Art show aims to empower
survivors of sexual violence
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Performers dance at the Malaysian Cultural Night hosted by the Center for Southeast Asian Studies Friday.
PubliCcarts discussion
reignited at FestiFools
SAPAC's annual
event showcases
community work
By ASHWINI NATARAJAN
Daily StaffReporter
For individuals affected by
sexual violence, art is more than
a freedom of expression - it's a
helpinghand.
It was on this premise that
the University's Sexual Assault
Prevention and Awareness
Center held the closing recep-
tion for their eighth annual art
show, rEVOLUTION: Making
Art for Change, on Friday night.
The exhibit, centered on themes
of gender, sexism, sexual vio-
lence and empowerment, fea-
tured pieces of art contributed
by SAPAC volunteer programs,
University students, members of
the Ann Arbor community and
regional artists.
Art and Design alum Emily
Kripitz, a SAPAC member, ini-
tially created the exhibit as her
senior project eight years ago
in order to artistically express
the influence of social justice in
the sexual violence movement.
SAPAC decided to carry on the
legacy and message of the project
by making it an annual event.
The Clothesline Project, con-
sisting of t-shirts strung on a
clothesline across a wall, was a
prominent work at the exhibit.
It was started in 1990 to depict
sexual violence against women.
Men and women survivors of
sexual violence, as well as their
supporters, decorate a t-shirt
with words, phrases and designs.
SAPAC's Men's Activism Pro-
gram also contributed to the
show, creating a collage with
hundreds of male hands from
different backgrounds wear-
ing red bracelets with the words
"These Hands Don't Hurt" print-
ed onthem, signifying a pledge to
end sexual violence.
LSA senior Ellie Howe, a
SAPAC coordinator, said find-
ing a means of expression is an
important part of the healing
process for survivors.
"From what I've seen and talk-
ed to survivors, it's about finding
the voice," Howe said. "But that
doesn't have to be just through
words - it can be through
expression of all types. And I
think that arc is a really unique
way for survivors to voice their
experience in a way that makes
sense to them and fits them."
LSA senior Lauren McIntosh,
SAPAC's Networking, Publishing
and Activism program coordina-
tor, also said the creative outlet
that art provides is key for ame-
liorating the situations of survi-
vors as well as supporters.
"It's a way you can express
yourself that you can't always
express in words," Macintosh
said.
Recent LSA graduate Emily
Blankenship was one of the fea-
tured artists at the event. She
volunteered at SAPAC during
her senior year and submitted
a piece to the 2013 show. This
year, she created a piece influ-
enced by the academy-award-
nominated documentary, "The
Invisible War," which shows
insight into the widespread
sexual assault in the military.
Blankenship said she crafted
her..piece to raise awareness
about sexual violence in the
military.
"I thought the subject would
be really relevant," she said.
"It's not something that gets
enough spotlight, so I thought
it was a great opportunity to
highlight sexualized violence
in the military and kind of a
nod towards servicemen and
women."
LSA junior Ashley Rose, a
member of SAPAC, said The
Clothesline Project was one of
her favorite parts of the exhib-
it. She said the association of
clothing with identity really
made the message of the project
effective.
"When you wear clothing,
you wear clothing of a cer-
tain type and it's sort of who
you are," Rose said. "Just see-
ing these t-shirts and all these
words that are on it is just part
of so many personal experi-
ences, something that they've
gone through and contributed
to who they are."
Engineering freshman
Michael McGahren-Clemens,
a member of SAPAC's Men's
Activism Program, said the
exhibit was powerful in how it
strove to make issues of sexual
violence and assault more con-
spicuous and relevant.
"It really takes an issue that's
somewhat seen as taboo and
brings it out to the open and
makes people more aware."
Festival produced
with less University,
city funding than
in years past
By SAM GRINGLAS
Daily StaffReporter
A few feet away from the
street-side cafe tables on Main
Street, throngs of colorful
papier-mache puppets and per-
formers entertained a crowd of
onlookers tapping along to echo-
ing drumbeats.
While FestiFools has been
a prime example of public arts
engagement in Ann Arbor since
2006, Sunday's parade and Fri-
day's FoolMoon festival were
produced with less University
support than in previous years.
Arriving to Main Street on the
heels of last November's failed
Public Arts Millage, arts fund-
ing in Ann Arbor and at the
University continue to spur dis-
cussion.
Marjorie Horton, assistant
dean for undergraduate educa-
tion, said University funds have
notbeen available to sponsor the
FestiFools event itself since the
2011-2012 academic year. How-
ever, LSA continues to sponsor
Art in Public Spaces, the Univer-
sity course that produces much
of the content for the festival
and parade. The college contin-
ues to fund the course's instruc-
tor, studio space and storage of
puppets.
In the course, undergradu-
ate students are immersed in
public art, including the cre-
ation of FestiFools puppets.
Additionally, students in the
course have created murals in
campus buildings, such as the
evolution-themed mural in the
Undergraduate Science Build-
ing produced for the LSA theme
semester on evolution in 2006.
Students have also participated
in set design and construction
for public theater productions
such as the Burns Park Players.
While LSA no longer funds
the actual parade and festival.
Through the Lloyd Hall Schol-
ars Program, in collaboration
with the School of Art & Design
and University Housing, two
expert puppet-makers from
New York City came to campus
to work with the students.
Lloyd Hall Scholars Pro-
gram lecturer Mark Tucker,
the founder of FestiFools and
instructor of Art in Public
Spaces, said for 2013 a group of
supportive citizens formed the
non-profit WonderFool Pro-
ductions to cover the signifi-
cant costs of putting on a town
event.
While taking their puppets
for a test run outside South Quad
Residence Hall on Thursday,
LSA sophomores Chene Karega
and Alana Weiss Nydorf said it's
important for both the Univer-
sity and the city of Ann Arbor to
sponsor public arts events such
as FestiFools.
"I think it is important for
the University to be sponsoring
events like this," Karega said.
"It makes us happy; it makes
others happy. Arts are impor-
tant."
"This is one of those parades
and get-togethers that is really
representative of what Ann
Arbor is all about," Weiss
Nydorf said. "It's totally fool-
ish, but at the same time there's
a message. FestiFools is another
way for people to get to know
Ann Arbor and to publicize Ann
Arbor, so if it helps the commu-
nity that much more, then why
not fund it?"
The city also plays a role in
supporting the event, though
in a more indirect way than the
University. Tucker said the city
waives a portion of FestiFools'
event permit fees using commu-
nity-event funds, rather than
public-art funds, which are in
short supply.
Ann Arbor City Council
member Sabra Briere (D-Ward
1) said most members of the
council would be pleased
if they could find a way to
financially support public art
opportunities, but so far the
city has not found an effective
approach.
"The city doesn't have a civic
theater or civic art space. While
some of us would support such
an idea in theory, I don't know
anyone in local government
that would make this more of
a priority than fixing streets
and sidewalks or hiring more
police," Briere said. "I hate to
weigh such things and deter-
mine that one is more impor-
tant than another."
Briere said if the city could
find a creative solution for find-
ing sufficient funding for per-
formance art, she would be
"delighted" to support the pro-
posal.
"FestiFools and FoolMoon
help create that unique charac-
ter and interest that any com-
munity would seek," Briere said.
As the chair of the council's
taskforce on public art, Briere is
no stranger to these types of dis-
cussions. Though performance-
based art funding, such as that
for FestiFools, has not been a
part of the conversation, Ann
Arbor has heard much debate
over funding for art installa-
tion projects over the past few
months.
At a City Council meeting on
April 1, Briere asked the coun-
cil to extend the temporary
halt on public arts funding
until May, which was origi-
nally set to expire in April.
This discussion came after the
failure of a public arts millage,
which was defeated by voters
during the November election.
It would have provided specif-
ic funds for public art installa-
tion projects such as murals or
sculptures. Under the current
funding method, certain capi-
tal development projects must
devote one percent of their
funds to public art installa-
tion.
At the meeting, Briere said
the extension would allow city
officials more time to compose
a revised approach to funding
public art in light of the mill-
age's defeat.
"Public art is one of many
indicators of a creative and
vibrant community," Briere said.
"Cities that care about the qual-
ity-of-life issues - like diverse
downtowns, great parks, safe
neighborhoods and public art
- attract great people to share
those benefits. And great people
bring their imagination and cre-
ativity, making all of us enjoy
living here more. Some folks
look at the economic health of
communities and see public art
as a factor in creating a healthy
economy."
Ann Arbor resident Monte
Fowler said public arts events
are important because of the
community atmosphere they
add to Ann Arbor.
"I like to have a hell of a good
time and it affords me the pos-
sibility to walk around and see
lots of people I know," Fowler
said.
While Ann Arbor residents
seem to agree on the unique fla-
vor FestiFools brings to Main
Street, they disagree on whether
or not the city should play a role
in funding the event.
Seated on a cement planter
beside the parade route, Ann
Arbor resident Colleen Rether-
ford said although she loves the
event after a long winter, it is
better off remaining financially
separate from the city.
"I think as soon as the city
gets involved in things, it gets
pretty bureaucratic," she said.
In contrast, Sociology Lec-
turer PJ McGann, an Ann Arbor
resident, said the city should
fund FestiFools and similar
events.
"It's an important part of
community life and community
identity in Ann Arbor."
Deb Mexicotte, program
coordinator of Arts at Michigan,
said co-curricular endeavors -
such as the Art in Public Spaces
class and FestiFools - often
grow out of University classes.
Once the event or initiative is
launched and has the ability to
be self-supporting, the Univer-
sity often decreases its level of
support. Mexicotte also said the
University's current interests
also play a role in funding deci-
sions, which can fluctuate based
on the missions of new initia-
tives.
Mexicotte emphasized
the University's strong com-
mitment to community arts
engagement. She said programs
such as Passport to the Arts,
which provides student passes
to enjoy on-campus cultural
events such as plays or concerts,
as well as the University Musi-
cal Society and the University
of Michigan Museum of Art
have a strong public responsi-
bility to serve the campus and
community.
UMMA director Joseph Rosa
said the University's art muse-
um plays a particularly promi-
nent role in Ann Arbor arts
engagement.
The museum, which does
most of its own fundraising and
receives a small portion from
the University's general fund,
often sponsors museum Stu-
dent Late Nights, which offer
arts-related activities to stu-
dents. The most recent event
drew nearly 1,100 people, Rosa
said.
"The building becomes a
backdrop to the experience of
art and art culture," Rosa said.
"For students, we want the
museum to be a backdrop for
everyday life. When they move
to new cities, they should join
the local museum and make it
part of their world."
From late-night oil paint-
ing observations in the UMMA
rotunda to a sun-streamed
puppet parade route on Main
Street, public arts discussions
in Ann Arbor continue.
"These kinds of discussions
never go away because public
art is so important," Mexi-
cotte said. "They wax and they
wane depending on where the
funding is or where the pub-
lic interest is. There is always
a role for the University, for
the city, for the state, for the
federal government, for these
public entities to have this
conversation."
School of Nursing celebrates
new bu ilding with ceremony
pla
o
New addition
nned to partially
pen in fall 2015
By MICHELLE
GILLINGHAM
Daily StaffReporter
The ground-breaking cer-
emony for a new addition to the
School of Nursing building was a
day-long celebration that includ-
ed everything from lectures to a
"Nursing's Got Talent" show.
Faculty members, students,
alumni, Nursing School Dean
Kathleen Potempa and Universi-
ty President Mary Sue Coleman
all joined in the ceremony.
The new space is not a com-
plete move from the current
building, but rather an addition
to the school. The administra-
tion hopes the building will be
open for at least a portion of the
fall 2015 semester.
The nearly 75,000-square-
footbuildingwillbebuiltfor $50
million in the current parking
area on the corner of Kingsley
Street and Cornwell Plaza. Mary
Beth Lewis, the school's com-
munications manager, said the
new name might be slightly dif-
ferent than the rest of the North
Ingalls School of Nursing build-
ings. The current working name
is "The Kingsley Building."
During the ground-breaking,
Coleman, Potempa, University
Provost Phil Hanlon and Regent
Julia Darlow, among others,
spoke highlyofthe newaddition
and the importance of nursing.
"Nursing is an extremely
important part of the whole
health care team of the future,"
Coleman said in an interview
aftertheevent."Ibelieve thatas
health care reform takes place,
the role of nursing is going to
become even more important
than it is today."
"I am just very, very pleased
that we have such a highly
rankedschoolofnursingand that
we have so many different pro-
gramswithin nursingthatyoung
people canpursue," she added.
Although the reconstruc-
tion of the Kingsley parking lot
means that about 125 faculty
members will lose a parking
spot, the instructors don't seem
to mind. While the new tech-
nology and bigger classrooms
are beneficial, student excite-
ment makes faculty members
enthusiastic about the addition.
"It just isn't effective teach-
ing to just lecture at (students),"'
Nursing Assistant Prof. Donna
Marvicsin said. "We call it
'Death by PowerPoint.' So being
able to have the classrooms -
the set-up with the tables and
the technology - they can take
an application and discuss a case
study is just so exciting for the
students, and therefore for us."
The nursing faculty looks
forward to students' being able
to learn and interact with each
other while using the new tech-
nology. Since the current build-
ing was a former hospital and
children's center, the classrooms
are not as accessible as the pro-
fessors would like.
Nursing School Director
Janet Larson is looking forward
to additional space and lecture
halls forlargegroups of students.
"Our classrooms rightnow are
minimally functional," Larson
said. "They're very challenging.
This is going to be a building of
classrooms with the state-of-
the-art ability to have large lec-
ture sessions and then break up
into small groups, have as much
technology as you want to, it's
just terrific."
The addition will consist of a
lecture hall, handicap accessi-
bility, six simulation rooms and
four standard patient rooms,
among other amenities. There
is a possibility that the school's
current building will be used
for seminars if needed, though
it will mainly be used for fac-
ulty and administration offices
while the more advanced addi-
tion to the building will be used
for classes.
University of Michigan
Men's Glee Club
153rd Annual Spring Hill Concert
Featuring the Friars
Hill Auditorium
April 13th, 2013 8:00 PM
With George Shirley
www.ummgc.org
www.facebook.com/UMMGC
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