2024 Submissions
Mother Earth
I wanted to do an art piece about female beauty and want so I made my piece about Mother Earth in the universe.
Northern Lights by E. Esenvalds
Over the last few years, we've performed Northern Lights three times in my children's chorus, and every time, I was assigned a different voice part. Because I love how nicely the different parts fit together in this particular song, I decided to record this song but with all the parts performed by me.
Five Bagatelles, I, II by C. Vine
Carl Vine’s Five Bagatelles were written in 1994. The fifth bagatelle (not included in this performance), was written when Vine was asked by the Australian National AIDS Trust to play at their 1994 fund-raising dinner.
Hippocampus
This is a piece about growing up. I decided to compose a mini room using objects significant from my childhood. The vibrancy of the colors and surrealistic scale give the room a dreamlike quality, representative of core memories and the emotions of adolescence. I used figurines and toys I collected when I was younger, and I built other aspects of the room (including the chair and window) using cardboard followed by a paper mache process. After finishing the actual creation of the room, I photographed it and first made a black and white ink study of the lighting. Finally I painted the room using acrylic on an 18” x 24” sheet of gessoed watercolor paper. The entire process including building the room, photography, and the ink study took about 32 hours. The final painting took around 25 hours. I wanted to paint something representing the growing pains most teenagers experience. The happiness we can find in our nostalgia about the carefree innocent emotions that seemed so easy to access as children. Sometimes we find, in our reflection of the past, an escape from the responsibilities of growing up and the impending reality of adulthood.
Julia Florida
I chose to perform Agustín Barrio’s Julia Florida. The piece has classic harmonics and traverses through different keys seamlessly. I learned that Barrios was suffering from health and financial issues when he wrote Julia Florida.
Tsugaru Jonkara Bushi
Tsugaru Jonkara Bushi is a traditional Japanese composition meant to be performed on the shamisen, a traditional Japanese lute. Often it begins with a section known as choushi awase, in which the performer strikes the open strings to not only tune but also to indicate the start of a performance. The rest of the performance then follows, each divided into small sections that carry different levels of musical significance.
The Painted Ladies
I made this during an art class and I was very pleased with the product!
Abuela y yo
This piece is a dedication to my abuelita Maria who passed away two-years ago in Mexico. The piece captures one of my most treasured moments with my abuelita. We are celebrating my 4th birthday in Mexico with my grandparents and extended family. The day was filled with balloons, cake, laughter, music and warm weather. My abuela stands lovingly next to me as my mother takes our picture. I miss my abuelita's laughter and her soft hands. My father misses her even more, he wasn't able to say goodbye to my abuela and had not been able to see her for over 16yrs when she passed away suddenly. We honor my abuela every year during dia de muertos and say "presente" after her name.
Echo
“Echo” is about a man who is codependent with technology. One day, he gets into an argument with a sentient AI assistant, and it ends up helping him realize what he can do to reclaim his humanity and connection with the real world. Although Mark’s experience is impossible, his way of life at the start of the story is reflected in many of our lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the gradual introduction of the internet to business, communications, and entertainment was accelerated rapidly. Due to quarantine policies that rendered in-person life very difficult, many Americans lived their lives through the web. Amidst the chaos of 2020, some people predicted digital life was a “new normal.” Although the pandemic did end, technology has irreversibly become a large, harmful presence in our country. Virtual life was and is not sustainable. Going outside, connecting with nature and each other in the real world, is a crucial part of our lives, and as technology encroaches more and more on our lives, it is more necessary than ever to hold onto our humanity. I hope that everyone who reads this script or sees it performed will be inspired to find some way to watch the ducks.
The Tejedora de Tradition
I gave the title “The Tejedora de Traditions’’ to my painting for the reason that younger generations do not always want to continue with the traditions of their ancestors, however, in my painting, there is a young woman weaving a traditional Guatemalan fabric. To me, she is a woman who found strength in her cultural traditions. To me, this represents opportunities for other people too. The subject of this painting is the women. She represents the hope that individuals will choose to embrace and preserve their traditions. I decided to represent this young girl who is weaving small strings into strong fabric. We all know that in society women and indigenous people tend to be discriminated against and their values that they have are trampled on just because of who they are, and how they were born. My painting symbolizes hope for people to get beyond this discrimination and find purpose in their roots. They can use the past to develop their future, and show the world that they matter. My painting has many bright colors and various textures, just like the diversity of people who are in this world. Cultures alone are beautiful, but even better and stronger when woven together. The small strings create bigger and more beautiful patterns. Each thread keeps its color and texture, but when they and all put together they make beautiful harmonious designs.
The Hummingbird
The Hummingbird flies above the gentle hues of a flower and drinks the nectar from its beak.
Melodic Ether
"Melodic Ether" is an introspective film following my personal connection with music, along with my analysis on that connection. This film was made during my time at a multimedia program where this was my final submitted work after a duration of six months in honing in on what i wanted to speak on in my own media.
Like a Stone or Flower
"like a stone or flower" encompasses a period of exploration within my filmmaking journey - utilizing documentary as an experimental method of storytelling and allowing myself to let the narrative flow naturally out of ideas stemming from conversations between myself and the artists I interviewed.
The Four Noble Ones (四君子)
In my artworks, each piece showcases the Plum Blossom, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum, representing resilience, refinement, integrity, and longevity.
Felicidade by A. Carlos Jobim, Arr. Roland Dyens
Felicidade, a bossa nova classic composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim, is an energetic, rhythmic piece that represents many aspects of the Brazilian spirit.