Students come together to display their artistic talents
Angel Morgan, an art student who organized The Comeback Kids spring art showcase. Photo by Melody Dawkins
DECEMBER 5, 2022 BY ABIGAIL MARTIN
University of Mississippi BFA honors student Angel Morgan organized and curated an art showcase in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College Great Room this spring.
Morgan came across this opportunity to fulfill her Community Action Challenge service requirement for the Honors College through their newsletter. “Every week, the Honors College puts out a newsletter. There are all kinds of weird opportunities for community service hours. One funny example I saw was being a photographer for the Grove squirrels. While I was looking, I found a little blurb saying ‘hey, does anyone want to curate a showcase?’ and I thought, ‘well sure, why not?’”
“At that point, I hadn’t felt super connected to the Honors College because of COVID. It was hard to find a place I could fit in and actually give back. And so I threw myself into the deep end. I got to know a lot more people in the Honors College, to see how everything’s set up and what the community feels like.”
To begin this undertaking, Morgan spread the word about the art showcase. “We started brainstorming with the deans of the Honors College and putting out a call for submissions to see who would be interested. Eventually, we made posters.
“Penny Leeton, the Honors College program manager, and Jennifer Parsons, an Honors College associate dean, helped me spearhead the project and handled the financial and logistical things. The art department let me borrow pedestals and supplies to display the art.
“I contacted the artists to see what pieces of work they might put in and if they would perform a few words about their piece. A big part of my role was staying connected with the artists and letting them guide what their contribution would look like.”
One such artist is Autumn Payne, whose work was featured. “Participating in the showcase was incredible; so many creative people came to together to show off so many different forms of art. There were short films, songs, poems, artwork, and even Lego sculptures” Payne said.
Art showcase poster
“The Honors Art Showcase accepts all artists, no matter how outside of the norm they are. And its sponsors, Bruce Levingston, Chancellor’s Artist-In-Residence and Holder of the Lester Glenn Fant Chair, and Philip Jackson, professor of art, are incredibly supportive. They go out of their way to encourage students and artists and have motivated me tremendously.” Morgan shares a similar gratitude for Levingston and Jackson for supporting her through this endeavor.
While curating the submissions, Morgan decided on a theme for the art showcase. “I chose resilience and revival—it’s pretty open ended, but it was a good way for us to come back to it since we hadn’t had the showcase in two or three years because of the lockdowns. This event was about community resilience—coming back to a place of free expression and letting it live in a space that wasn’t completely online.”
Each submission was unique to and reflective of its artist, according to Morgan. “I liked the variety of the forms of expression that came to us. We had someone enter a fable, photography, paintings—of all different sorts—and mixed media pieces. I entered some prints that I’d done. It’s interesting getting to know the artists and seeing their work. An artist’s choice of medium both expresses and makes sense with their personality because it’s all about how you see the world.
“Being in the room with all of the artists around you, listening to the auditory vocal and piano performances, it was a dedicated time to come together as a community.”
Honors College Dean Ethel Scurlock emphasized the necessity for the Honors College to host such events. “The art showcase provides a space for creatives to share their voices with their peers in honors. Artistic expression serves as an important vehicle for reflecting and challenging cultural ideals. Art can help students with the acts of visioning and (re)visioning life. It is important for us to create a space in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College where student art can be viewed and supported by peers.”
The showcase was not without unexpected obstacles, however, as threatening weather forced a delay for the event. “We had to postpone it—even though we had catering that was supposed to come and I had everything in my car,” Morgan said. “It was ready to go, but it was tornado weather, so we had to reschedule. At first that felt like a huge setback, but it did end up working out for the better. More people could be involved and participate on the new date.”
While the bulk of the organizer’s burden fell onto Morgan, she had some help putting it all together. “I was the main person/contact and did all the setup, which I didn’t mind. My best friend, Melody Dawkins, was there helping take photos and being supportive, even though she isn’t in the Honors College. We hope to have a bigger committee this year organize the event.”
Morgan’s sentiment of hoping for more volunteers in the coming years echoes the wishes of Dean Scurlock, “We would love to see the art showcase continue to grow and welcome all students who are willing to collaborate with us to organize and implement future iterations of the program.”
As for the artist side of the event, Payne also encourages more students to participate. “I recommend other artists submit to the showcase this spring. Although it may sound daunting, it is a very casual and accepting environment. I recommend any creative person take part in the showcase, even if their art may not be what is typically shown at art showcases” she said.