BU Arts Initiative

It's an exciting new chapter! ?? ?? Dr. Melissa L. Gilliam has officially taken office as the University's 11th president, bringing a wealth of experience and a vision for the future. We sat down with President Gilliam to discuss her ambitions for BU. Read the full conversation ?? https://spr.ly/60469BE0p

A couple weeks ago, I wrapped up my semester as a Graduate Assistant with the BU Arts Initiative ?? ?? . It’s a bittersweet end as it means I’m finally wrapping up my graduate program, but leaving behind wonderful coworkers and an organization that offered me so much growth as an arts administrator, community organizer, and educational program manager. When I started in Summer of 2023, I hit the ground running, coordinating major campus events like the Fall Arts Fair and BU Global Music Festival, where I began creating meaningful partnerships with local and international artists and arts organizations. As the year progressed, I continued to work with amazing artists as we created intersectional, multi-disciplinary arts workshops that encouraged students to nurture an individual and collective appreciation for the arts. But perhaps, what I am most proud of, is launching a new collaborative art series called “Curating the Body: Nurturing Voices for Reproductive Justice”. This was a semester-long project that engaged students in dialogue about the intersection between arts and reproductive justice. During educational and artistic sessions, students learned how reproductive health and justice impact their lives and created original artwork inspired by these themes. In each session, I was awed by the students’ vulnerability and powerful artistry. Read more about this project here:?https://lnkd.in/e-WVBYTk Thanks to my supervisor Elana Harris and coworkers Bithiah Holton, Katelyn Holland, and Amor Diaz Campos for encouraging and supporting my passion projects. Thanks to my Student Council Members, Virginia Jansen, Florence Wang, Kaitlyn Francke-Cooley, Martha Sengor, Cory Sungkono, Krisma Bajaj, and Yumo Wang for being insightful thought-partners and putting up with my many philosophical icebreakers ??. And thanks to all the artists, students, and BU staff with whom I’ve connected, either for extended projects or simply in passing. You are all vibrant threads in the unique tapestry that was my final year at BU. I look forward to sustaining these connections and building on these achievements as I pursue the next opportunity.?

Photographer and teacher Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) presented an illuminating lecture that highlighted the modern experiences of being indigenous in today's world. Wilbur's talk and gallery tour shed light on the current injustices and challenged the antiquated images associated with indigenous people. Thank you to all who were able to attend. We would also like to thank @buartgalleries, @bu_diversity, @bupride, and @bu_lgbtqia for co-sponsoring this event.

The BU Arts Initiative was proud to host Cave Canem poetry prize winner Ariana Benson (@extraordin_arie). During this residency, they presented works from their debut book Black Pastoral, which explores the duality of Black people’s relationship with nature. On Friday, Benson also presented to Dr. Paula Austin’s African American History course, and worked directly with students on their craft in a writer’s workshop. It was truly inspiring!