Students contribute to Nashville’s socially engaged art scene
Socially engaged art is defined as art that involves the community in debate, collaboration, and social interaction. But what does that look like in practice? A group of Vanderbilt students sought to answer that question.
As part of Professor of the Practice of Art Jana Harper’s class, Socially Engaged Art Practice, students investigated and participated in the field of socially engaged art throughout Nashville—from community and public art to individual practices and art collectives.
Throughout the semester, students explored strategies for effective community engaged work, created projects that reflected their personal values, and learned from local artists.
“When Vanderbilt students are given opportunities to build relationships in the community, it helps them learn about local issues, engage with local people, and become good citizens,” Harper said. “At its root, art is about transformation, and particularly community engaged art. The artists we met with are dedicated to making real changes, and at a time when many people feel disempowered, it is important to connect students with optimists and change-makers.”
The course culminated in a showcase at the E. Bronson Ingram Studio Arts Center that highlighted interviews students conducted with Nashville artists whose work has social-engagement aspects. Students produced limited edition letterpress posters of quotes from the artists, as well as a set of zines with photos of the artwork alongside the transcribed interviews.
“This type of class brings students in contact with members of our community outside of Vanderbilt and allows them to build meaningful relationships rooted in shared values,” she said. “These kinds of relationships have the potential to far outlast the length of a class, and you never know how a students’ life might be impacted. One of the students works with the Vanderbilt Prison Project, so we brought in Tom Williams and Barbara Yontz from Belmont University who for many years taught art and collaborated with death row inmates at Riverbend.”
That student is Ella Jasie, a sophomore majoring in culture, advocacy, and leadership, who decided to take Harper’s class because she feels art and social awareness are extremely important.
Jasie learned from her grandmother at a young age that art can unify a community—a value that was further solidified after her interview with Williams and Yontz.
“Learning from Barbara Yontz and Tom Williams about their engagement with incarcerated individuals on death row proved to me that art can be rejuvenating and serve a purpose bigger than yourself,” she said. “The art these individuals made was incredible and intense, but very necessary. This class has only added to my understanding of the power of art.”
Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Jasie found the opportunity to immerse herself in the Nashville community to be invaluable, allowing her to explore the city outside of Vanderbilt and understand its foundation and communities.
“I have learned more than I expected about my peers and the local community,” Jasie said. “I was privileged enough to engage with a spectrum of leaders in our community who have made profound impacts using one of the most powerful mediums.”