Vol. 17 Issue 3 by Backdrop Magazine

backdrop magazine

SPRING 2024

PEERING THROUGH CENTURY-OLD WINDOWS pg.18 DIVERSITY IN THE CRAFT: A SPOTLIGHT ON LOCAL ARTISTS pg.22 www.backdropmagazine.com

Letter from the editor

McKenna Christy | Editor-in-Chief backdropmag@gmail.com

backdrop | Spring 2024

Welcome to another issue of Backdrop Magazine! As you may be able to tell, this one is for all artists, aspiring artists and general art enthusiasts. Our third issue of every year is themed, and members of Backdrop sat down at the end of last semester to decide what the core of these stories should be. We wanted to write and illustrate a topic that would inspire and inform, which is how we landed on The Arts Issue. It seems that Athens and Ohio University are infinitely filled with a vast diversity of art forms, and to feature every artist or every art would require thousands of stories, which we cannot afford (support student media). However, Backdrop will not stop covering the arts even beyond our current issue. One of the features you will read in Backdrop’s third issue of the year is by Entertainment and Voices Editor and sophomore Darcie Zudell, who initially wrote about the repairs of Mount Zion Baptist Church’s stained-glass windows but then expanded the story to include details of community collaboration among the Mount Zion Black Cultural Center, local art organizations and artists (pg. 18). Darcie always takes a thorough approach to her writing and people can be sure they will always learn something from her stories. Our second feature is a little untraditional for Backdrop. Junior photographer Megan VanVlack featured three local artists and their work in a photo essay (pg. 22). The artists all work in different crafts but reveal the innate motivation and precision artists have. Thank you, Megan, for sharing your work with Backdrop. Lastly, I want to thank all the artists, professors, students, community leaders and members of Backdrop who made The Arts Issue possible. You all have changed the way I view and appreciate art’s purpose in all parts of life. Happy reading and stay tuned for our last issue of the 2023-2024 academic year!

SPRING 2024 » VOLUME 17 ISSUE 3

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backdrop magazine EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MCKENNA CHRISTY MANAGING EDITOR CARMEN SZUKAITIS COPY CHIEF GRACE KOENNECKE ASSISTANT COPY CHIEF PEGGY SPETZ SECTION EDITORS ABREANNA BLOSE, CAROLINE KAMMERER, DARCIE ZUDELL COPY EDITORS KIRSTEN ABBEY, LILIA SANTERAMO WRITERS KIRSTEN ABBEY, NATHAN BOLES, MACY COLBERT, KATE HAYES, AMBER PHIPPS, LAYNE REY, ELLIE SABATINO, MEGAN VANVLACK, DARCIE ZUDELL

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ABBY BURNS ART DIRECTOR ELLIE SABATINO DESIGNERS ABBY BURNS, JULIA GREENWOOD, CARLEY HINTON, ALLY

PARKER, LAYNE REY, ELLIE SABATINO, ANNA SCHNEIDER PHOTO DIRECTOR PEARL SPURLOCK PHOTOGRAPHERS AHMED HAMED, CLAIRA KIMBLE, PEARL SPURLOCK, MEGAN VANVLACK SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR ANNA HINKLE ASSISTANT SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR DARCIE ZUDELL DIGITAL DIRECTORS JULIA GREENWOOD, DYLAN WATSON

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SEE "Passions Turned Careers" PAGE 32

Beth Weingroff works on a new ceramic piece in her studio, Feb. 6, 2024.

backdrop | Spring 2024

CONTENTS FEATURES

PEERING THROUGH CENTURY-OLD WINDOWS

Mount Zion Black Cultural Center is using art to promote collaboration, preservation and social change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

DIVERSITY IN THE CRAFT: A SPOTLIGHT ON LOCAL ARTISTS

Spirit Williams, Lisa Heinz and Tiffany McCann are all craftswomen producing various kinds of art. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

COLLECTIONS

THE DROP

Quotes and photos detailing what makes art important to people and community. . . . . . . . . . . . 6

An OU organization focuses on student growth and music mastery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

PRESENTING THE ARTS

COMMUNITY

BEYOND THE LECTURE HALLS

Professors and students who use the classroom in a more untraditional way. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

THE HOT SHOP HUB

Athens Hot Glass provides inspiration and studio space to artists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

COLLECTIONS FROM FORMER CREATIVES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

COMPOSING THE FUTURE OF MUSIC ON STAGE PARTNERSHIP

Theater groups in Lancaster are working together to put on a variety of shows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

OU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

The School of Dance makes room for student exploration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

PASSIONS TURNED CAREERS

Three Athens Art Guild members share their experiences starting businesses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Ohio University librarians are making archives of artwork accessible for students. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

VOICES

Inside the process of artistic development among three Bobcats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Backdrop Art Director Ellie Sabatino writes about battling perfection as a growing artist. . . . . . . . . . 34

PUT ON DISPLAY

A BALANCING ACT

EXHIBIT A Ohio University alumnus, Ahmed Hamed, displays

photos of inside Mount Zion Baptist Church from his thesis project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

SPRING 2024 » VOLUME 17 ISSUE 3

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VOICES

PRESENTING Arts the

Quotes and photos detailing what makes art important to people and community.

BY MCKENNA CHRISTY | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PARTICIPANTS | DESIGN BY ABBY BURNS

o officially kick off Backdrop’s third issue of the year featuring the arts present at Ohio University and throughout Southeast Ohio, we asked professional artists, students and members of the magazine to help define “art” and to explain why creativity is vital to the soul of a community. Through a mix of responses, Backdrop selected the provided definitions and explanations to further a collective understanding of art’s impact on people and place. In simply Google searching “the arts,” a variety of words and phrases appear such as “painting,” “music,” “dance,” “expression,” “creativity” and “beauty,” for example. According to a research article first published by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy in 2007, but was substantially revised in 2018, “whether art can be defined has always been a matter of controversy.” The following quotes reveal that art cannot be confined because it resonates differently with each person. b

Chloe Sampson OU junior studying sculpture and expanded practice “Art can be a means for people to relate to each other. Strangers have viewed my pieces and then felt the need to share with me how relatable and impactful it was for them, and we were able to connect as strangers through art. Additionally, art has historically noted what is important to communities. It is a way to unify and create common interest.”

Mary Kate McElroy OU Master of Fine Arts candidate “My thesis works seeks to give survivors of sexual assault a platform to tell their stories in their own words to reclaim their agency. This project has been indescribably inspiring to me. … Their courage has the power to educate the broader community on survivor experiences. I think art has an ability to unite, to empower, to educate, to uplift [and] to inspire in a unique way.”

Amber Phipps Writer for Backdrop Abreanna Blose Community editor of Backdrop “Art is the universal language that brightens communities, inspires reflection and sparks innovation.”

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“Art allows me to express myself openly and share other people’s experiences through my words and thoughts. I love listening to what people want to share with me and it’s so amazing [that] I get to create through the written language.”

Meredith Viox OU sophomore studying visual communications “[Art] brings communities together in a way that other things can’t.”

Grace Koennecke Copy chief of Backdrop “[Art] is important to me as a means of expression because it lets me explore different thoughts and feelings that are not always at the surface for me.”

Amanda Baker OU sophomore studying graphic design “Art is everything to me. It’s who I am. It’s who I’ve always been. Art can express so many different thoughts, feelings and emotions that are often hard to communicate. I love that art can be twisted and turned to represent things that are important to you.”

Nathan Boles Writer for Backdrop Art helps communities to “experience the unfamiliar or the unknown.”

Eliza Harbaugh OU freshman studying musical theater Layne Rey Writer and designer for Backdrop

Dylan Watson Digital director of Backdrop “Art is a necessary expression of human emotion.”

“People in physical communities have different understandings of the world due to different backgrounds and demographics. Art dismisses the need for any sort of common ground because it is the common ground. Beyond everything else, every person has their own creative mind and can interpret art.”

“Art is important to me because it brings so much joy into my life. Before I got into musical theater, I didn’t feel like I had something that I was really passionate about and wanted to devote my time towards. But once I started acting and singing for the first time, I felt like I belonged there and enjoyed doing every second of it. Art is vulnerable and brave because it presents a part of the person creating it to audiences all over.”

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COMMUNITY

BEYOND THE

LECTURE HALLS Professors and students who use the classroom in a more untraditional way. BY MACY COLBERT | PHOTOS BY PEARL SPURLOCK | DESIGN BY ELLIE SABATINO

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Senior Studio Art student Sarah Heink in the undergraduate studios in Seigfred Hall, Feb. 5, 2024.

ndividuals’ career paths can often be traced back to the teacher who initially introduced a spark in their area of interest. Education remains valuable through time due to the influence of such caring professionals. Beneath the surface of many Ohio University art professors are memories of beloved teachers who unveiled their zeal. “Art was one of my first loves, something that I majored in in college and went to grad school for, but more than anything, it was a teacher that I had that inspired me to continue not only making art but also consider sort of paying it forward,” says David LaPalombara, an OU professor of painting and drawing. While there are numerous reasons people choose their career path, for some, becoming an art educator was done out of a deep admiration for what the job accomplishes for the art field and its future professionals. “Art teachers probably don’t go into the profession to make a million dollars or to get rich, but they do it out of love for their connection to the discipline,” LaPalombara says. Holding compensation as a secondary priority, art educators are paid in a different currency. At OU, teachers and students alike display that by bringing their passion to the studio. “I feel like [he] would really show a lot of kindness and respect to all of his students,” says Sarah Heink, a senior drawing and painting major and student of LaPalombara. By treating the young artists as their own creators, LaPalombara has made a difference. Heink speaks not only about LaPalombara and other professors’ instructional capabilities, but also about how their lessons encouraged her art. LaPalombara is a liaison for the School of Art + Design at OU and works closely with their Art Education graduate program, which is instrumental in carving out creative expression in the community. He praises the artistic air around the town and OU’s budget to host events that aim to inspire students. Not many places have as many entrepreneurs of different artistic mediums, he points out. Arguably, Athens is one of the best towns to cultivate artistic vision, and evidence of this is in the embrace of the people. When encouraged by educators, art can shape the structure of perspective. “Creativity comes in all forms, shapes and sizes,” Heink says. “Having a creative outlet can change your life.” In embracing and instructing modes of output, art teachers offer simple tools of creation that can liven up schools and communities. Maintaining this unique sphere of creativity in Athens lies in the responsibility of instructors. “I provide a structure and provide materials and resources for them to pursue things that they’ve been working towards, but under a new set of requirements,” , Jacquelee Chit Yu Chau, a Master of Fine Arts candidate and a graduate student instructor, says. Beyond the tools of creation, Chau offers a way to explore different approaches, challenging students while offering guidance. Chau believes that expanding students’ skill sets is important, but creating a collaborative classroom is the main objective.

A self-portrait by Heink, Feb. 5, 2024.

Connecting young artists to one another can form bonds that have the potential to create lifelong friendships or professional connections. “It’s about the different voices and perspectives that you don’t necessarily get when you’re just making things on your own in your room,” Chau says. Chau remembers the influence of a former high school instructor. “She celebrated bringing awareness to our own experiences,” Chau says. Replicating what she was taught in her past, Chau provides a space where students can learn from one another. While teaching her students, Chau aims to turn them into teachers of their classmates. Artists are welcome to harbor their creative energies not only as individuals but also as core elements of a group. The input of one student can be significantly productive for another in a room where dialogue is freely endorsed. “It is such a privilege to be among other people,” Chau says. “I think that’s one thing that’s so valuable about studio classes that are different from other academic courses. It’s the critique format.” The vital contribution of participation allows students to connect beyond the grade scale through the vulnerability of an art project. “Every artwork in a sense is a test of our expressive ability,” LaPalombara says. This is a delicate truth. Art demands deep reflection and profound thought. The power of impact is harnessed purposefully by experienced educators who push students to dream without boundaries. What makes student artwork special is the requirement to dive deep into one’s ability to capture what life is all about. Heink echoes this sentiment. “I think that art is really one of the things that we can’t replace with robots or AI or anything,” she says. “It’s all about expressing the human experience.” Irreplaceable, art is essential to brightening the world. At OU, teachers are working hard to ensure a tradition of expression continues. b

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COMMUNITY

The Hot Shop Hub Athens Hot Glass provides inspiration and studio space to artists. BY AMBER PHIPPS PHOTOS BY CLAIRA KIMBLE DESIGN BY ANNA SCHNEIDER

ntricately handcrafted glass creations twinkle and shine through the windows of the art studio on 21 Kern St. From the large kilns to the glass blown art that line the room in colorful collections of expert craftsmanship, Athens Hot Glass adds a pop of creativity to the Athens community. Tiffany McCann (pg. 22) started Athens Hot Glass in April of 2023. As the owner of the business, she oversees everything from glass blowing demonstrations to artist collaborations. Along with her title as business owner, McCann is a single mother of three, a registered nurse and an inspired artist. “It’s a very equipment heavy sport and it takes a lot to get a hot shop studio together,” McCann says. “It took about a year to build everything and to even be able to open. Just appreciating the ability to create and experience what hot glass [is] because it’s so mesmerizing and such a different medium than all the other art.” Born and raised in Southeast Ohio, McCann was introduced to hot glass blowing when she was 15 years old. At 19 years old, she was working as an assistant at Thorn Ridge Studios in Meigs County. After earning a degree in nursing from Hocking College, McCann established herself in Athens as a remote nurse while starting Athens Hot Glass. The studio space is more than just an office; it’s a space for artists to thrive, create and collaborate. “I want it to be a hub for the artists,” McCann says. “I do also have space for artists to exhibit each month so they can put their art in the back of the gallery and offer them a retail space to sell their artwork.” McCann has strong connections with

backdrop | Spring 2024

Kevin Mann (left) and Tiffany McCann (right) work with molten glass, Feb. 1, 2024.

Tiffany McCann of Athens Hot Glass in action, Feb. 1, 2024.

local artists and offers the studio space for events and gallery viewings. Athens Hot Glass is also a space for individuals to watch glass blowing demonstrations and register for art classes. Justin Straub is a professional glass blower and welder who collaborates part time with Athens Hot Glass. Straub progressed into the medium of glass blowing about six years ago and has been

traveling the country and displaying his art ever since. “[McCann] found me at Winter Fair just this last winter in 2023,” Straub says. “She stopped by the booth, and she was like, ‘I love your work.’ And we did a couple of demos and it’s been pretty interesting. She’s fun to hang out with.” Straub creates whimsical glass creatures largely inspired by depression era

artwork. He works with glass and steel to create anything from fish to flying pigs. His connection with McCann at the Athens Hot Glass building has allowed him to expand Straub’s connections and reach a greater audience. McCann’s association with the Athens Art Guild presented him with an entire community of highly inspired and motived artists. “It’s gotten my name around the area here in Hocking, which is kind of where my stomping grounds are during the summertime,” Straub says. “[McCann] got me kind of tangentially acquainted with some people from Athens Art Guild.”

Straub made an appearance at Athens Hot Glass in December of 2023 and has plans to return throughout the spring. Straub is aiming to display his artistry and demonstrations in large art shows across the country. Athens Hot Glass has glass blowing classes for all levels of experience. From beginner to advanced, anyone can register for glassmaking demonstrations. Aside from artist events and gallery collaborations, the glass blowing demos are free for public viewing. Ariyana Suchora, an Ohio University senior studying analytics and marketing, has always had a passion for art. Suchora

stumbled into the gallery one day after being invited by McCann and her daughter. “It was just a lot of unique different little pieces of art,” Suchora says. “I love the fact that it was from Athens and it could be definitely something that you could hold on to and have this remembrance of OU.” Given Suchora’s marketing skills, she was offered a position at the studio to promote the Athens Hot Glass gallery. Suchora’s busy school schedule prevented her from pursuing this position, but Suchora was in awe of the studio’s welcoming environment and passionate owner. “It was really cute,” Suchora says. “She had lots of jewelry options and she has a bunch of different artists that come and sell their paintings or any art of theirs.” Ever since she was a little girl, Suchora has loved art. Viewing the various artists and their mediums at Athens Hot Glass was inspiring for her. Community outreach and connections have been a huge aspect of McCann’s experience. As a “hub for artists,” Athens Hot Glass is more than just an art studio but a space for individuals to create, share and experience original art. “I think you have to be sort of obsessed with something to want to do it to this extent and to want to keep going,” McCann says. “Just appreciating the ability to create an experience … it’s just a lot of fun to create it. So, I think that obviously helps with that drive and passion and obsession and inspiration to be able to want to make something.” b

Glass leaves featured in the gift shop of Athens Hot Glass, Feb. 1, 2024. Athens Hot Glass studio space and gift shop, Feb. 1, 2024.

Athens Hot Glass owner Tiffany McCann standing in the gift shop featuring local artists, Feb. 1, 2024.

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COMMUNITY

COLLECTIONS FROM

FORMER CREATIVES FOR

FUTURE GENERATIONS Ohio University librarians are making archives of artwork accessible for students.

BY LILIA SANTERAMO | DESIGN BY CARLEY HINTON

hen someone says “library,” the first words that come to mind probably are not “art gallery.” Yet the libraries at Ohio University contain plenty of art and often have exhibits of artworks from the archives. At OU’s Vernon R. Alden Library, the archives are broadly categorized as Manuscripts, Rare Books, University Archives and Documentary Photography. The Music and Dance Library in Glidden Hall has its own archive. Special collections found within these archives feature art in practically every medium. What makes some of these collections of art different than an exhibit at a gallery is often how personal paraphernalia serves as an addition to the art. For instance, the John Rood Collection is a recent accession in Manuscripts donated by his niece. Rood was a sculptor from Athens. He was also interested in other forms of art and once even ran a literary journal. In the middle of his career, Rood relocated and taught as an art professor at the University of Minnesota. “He did kind of these big folky depictions of people and animals at the beginning of his career,” Manuscripts

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Archivist Greta Suiter says. “He worked in mahogany a lot. Then later in his career, it got a little more abstract and he worked more in metals.” The collection consists of books and gallery pamphlets featuring photographs and writings about Rood’s work, personal letters, Easter messages, newspaper clippings and photos of his sculptures. These materials enable students to gain perspective on Rood’s feelings and ideas, which may have influenced his work. Rood’s travel letters contain many details about the art Rood saw around the world. A trip to the John Rood Collection, and others like it, may be extremely beneficial for students looking at how perspective and context influence art styles and movements. “I think there’s a lot of good information in the archives that you’re just not going to find anywhere else because you’re dealing with the minutia,” Suiter says. “You’re dealing with the ephemeral. Stuff that’s just not at the time really seen as historic or worth saving. So, the fact that anything is saved is usually kind of amazing.” Similarly, the Nancy Rue Sheet Music Collection at the Music and Dance Library was conceived through personal compulsion. Rue was a librarian at

Alden for several years. She collected sheet music of popular songs from the early 20th Century. “She started with her grandmother’s collection of popular songs and then she kept adding to it and so all of these boxes are this kind of music, which is a lot of fun,” Carla Williams, music and special project librarian, says. “I would love to see people use it more, maybe even for history class.” Williams works with music that comes in several different forms, from sheet music, to books, tapes and vinyl records. To her, these materials can be used for more than just musical content and theory. The artwork, lyrics, cultural origin and historical context can all serve an educational purpose. “There’s a lot of ways that [sheet music] can be used and I don’t know if people just don’t realize that it can be this way,” she says. Williams is not the only one who would like to see students engaging with the art in the archives in more unconventional ways. “We provide the resources for people to be creators,” Lorraine Wochna, fine

Two photos of John Rood at work on a sculpture accompanied by a drawing of a sculpture done by Rood. Photo by Greta Suiter.

arts librarian, says, referring to the library’s many collaborations with art classes and art students. Considering how the special collections help students use resources to create their own work through digital initiatives and class workshops, Wochna notes gaps in students’ knowledge of what they can do. “We don’t tell everybody on campus, ‘Guess what, you can do an exhibit,’ but they can,” Wochna says. “We don’t do a big call for exhibit proposals, which maybe we should. Maybe we’d have more exhibits.” Still, students at OU interact with the art in the special collections quite often. Graduate students may help with exhibits or the organization of materials while professors will often use materials in their lectures. OU’s librarians and archivists work one-on-one with students and facilitate small classes in the archives. The exhibits of special collections are another staple of engagement among students. A special collections exhibit can be as short as a few weeks, but generally last a semester. The slow turnaround is usually due to the extensive labor and time needed to plan and execute exhibits. “You have to watch for all sorts of things when you do a physical exhibit,”

says Wochna. “Like, ‘can the material be put in there? Will the light bother the material?’... There’s a lot of logistics too and then there’s a lot of ways to make it happen visually.” Special collections exhibits are often designed by library staff members, but anyone can plan one. An exhibits committee at Alden Library has an online form for interested individuals to describe what exhibit they want to plan and when they want the exhibit to run. It is recommended that proposals be submitted four months in advance, according to the University Libraries website. The current collections at Alden are robust and take time to develop. One of these exhibits, The Lynn Johnson Collection, donated by Johnson herself, consists of 30 years worth of her photojournalism. Johnson was the first female staff photographer at the Pittsburgh Press and is an OU alumna. Her work has been featured in several major news publications. In 2022, Photo Archivist Laura Smith helped put on a digital exhibit of Johnson’s work. The exhibit gives in-depth information about who Lynn Johnson is and gives examples of her work. The collection also explains what the Photodocumentary Archive does. Additionally, digital imaging specialist, Erin Wilson, discusses her work selecting material for digitization. Smith also explains that there have been physical exhibits of Johnson’s work before Smith was employed as a photo archivist in 2019. “Lynn Johnson’s collection in particular, it’s a very large collection,” says Smith. “[Johnson’s physical collection] is estimated to be made up of about 2 million images. There’s a lot of material, but anybody can still come in and reach out.” For students to be able to continue to engage with the art located at the archives, it needs to be preserved. For Smith working in Documentary Photography Archives, preservation includes putting photographs into plastic sheets and keeping them in boxes

all while handling the materials with gloves. For Manuscript Collections, Suiter stores manuscripts in acid-free folders and boxes. At the music library, Williams works with several forms of media. Books, CDs and vinyl are stored upright, and the vinyl has protective sleeves. Sheet music tends to be stored in boxes, some of which are specially made by the library’s preservation department. Sometimes, damaged materials must be outsourced to conservators. A damaged manuscript from the Wetzel Collection, estimated to be from the late 18th Century, was recently repaired by a conservator in Indianapolis. “When we sent this to the conservator, this was totally undone, hanging by threads” says Williams, referring to the manuscript. She goes on to describe the delicate work done by the conservator, appreciating the outcome. “She put a new piece of matching paper on there to hold it together and restitched it all down in such a way that it can lay flat, cleaned it and now we have this lovely thing.” b

A gallery pamphlet, postcards and personal messages written by John Rood. Photo by Greta Suiter.

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COMMUNITY

PUT ON DISPLAY Inside the process of artistic development among three Bobcats.

BY KIRSTEN ABBEY | PHOTOS BY PEARL SPURLOCK | DESIGN BY LAYNE REY

he academic experience of university often conjures up images of lecture halls, essays and exams. The expectation is that with enough reading, writing and listening, a student will develop the skills necessary to enter the workforce. However, there are those who attend classes in a studio. There are students who rely on their own creativity to complete assignments and have a more hands-on method of learning. College is intended to be the ground zero for personal growth, but what does that look like for Ohio University art students who are forging a path that traditionally goes unconsidered by those in academia? For many artists, the structural nature of lectures or labs is rigid and unappealing. For Mattes Brown, a junior studying photography, regular classes presented a struggle that started as early as high school. “All my classes felt so unbelievably long,” she says when describing the experience that would lead to her majoring in art. “When I was in the art room, it just flew by, and I loved all the people, and I really bonded with the teacher.” Chloe Sampson, a junior studying sculpture and expanded practice, also found that the flexibility of art made choosing her major a less difficult task. “I knew that I had to go to college. I didn’t really have any other interest in anything besides art, and to be honest, I didn’t know what I was getting into,” Sampson says. “At the end of the day, it was really just the open-endedness of the sculpture program here. I’m able to do whatever I want as far as materials or pretty much anything, and that is really appealing.” However, for some, art is meant to be engaged with as a release rather than with the purpose to end up as a career-oriented

backdrop | Spring 2024

Bel Crawford observes a demonstration in her studio class on Feb. 6, 2024.

artist. A junior studying graphic design, Bel Crawford, appreciates her medium and what she is learning, “I love art,” she says. “But I am sad to see it turned into work for myself.” Crawford describes an experience that many student artists face: appeasing an audience. “I think the most valuable thing that I’ve learned is that there’s a difference between what will get into a show and what your professor will like and everything in between,” Crawford says. Open critique is another aspect of art classes that is uncommon in other academic areas of the university. The idea of putting work on display for not only a professor but also classmates can be daunting. For OU art students, this is as common as a note check or discussion post, and receiving feedback is part of adapting to their program. “We just put our work on the wall, and then everyone says whatever they want to say about it, and you’re in those situations,” says Brown. How this feedback is ingested depends solely

on the student. “You just need to learn what work excites you and follow those people,” Brown says. Sampson considers these situations with the same nonchalance. “It doesn’t really bother me being in open critique and being exposed like that because that’s what being an artist is. It’s being exposed and being vulnerable,” she says. This attitude aids Sampson when faced with the potential competitiveness involved with being an artist. “Other people’s success does not diminish what I’m doing,” Sampson says. “I think looking at it from a competitive lens doesn’t make it fun, and it ruins your experience. I think that the priority should be a competition [with] yourself.” Crawford views competition within the College of Fine Arts in an entirely different way than Sampson, but they have the same overall intent of bettering themselves. “I think in a more competitive environment, you would see more improvement,” Crawford says. “I

personally like that kind of environment. But I also understand that [environment] has to be a positive competition, and when it becomes comparing yourself to others, that’s when it gets bad.” These perspectives become increasingly valuable when faced with the taxing expectation of pleasing not just professors, employers as well. Crawford reiterates that there can be a disparity between her favorite pieces and what sort of art is marketable. “Especially in graphic design, most of my artwork is going to have to be revolved around the client,” Crawford says. “I feel like that’s probably the biggest lesson that I’ve learned is that what sells is not always what you think will be the best.” Brown recounts a similar revelation. “If something I make makes someone emotional, I take that, and then I’m like ‘there’s something about this piece that people connect with,’” she says. “That might not be my best work. I might not be proud of that. But I’m going to put it in my portfolio.” Portfolios, a stressor for all students, not just artists, are intended to showcase a student’s skills and capabilities, but art portfolios rely on internal inspiration. Sampson attributes her portfolio inspiration to nature and its infinite minutiae. “You notice things that you didn’t notice before, and they’re very small, and they’re intricate little details in nature like swarms of bugs and birds,” she says. Brown describes the artistic process as a little more intimate. “Life happens, and artists, they make art about their experiences and their lives and their struggles,” she says. “You and your art are so intertwined.” Crawford is inspired in similar ways. “I get a lot of inspiration from my life and the things I’m thinking about,” she says. The necessity of self-reflection can make burnout especially damaging as passion may become draining. “I was really struggling with a lot of burnout last semester, and it took a lot to get me into the studio,” says Sampson. The effort to create was shared by Brown who says, “It’s hard to make art at the last minute and when you’re burnt out, that’s all you do.” Both Sampson and Brown recognize

the importance of doubling down and remembering that there will be engaging future projects. “For me it’s pretty much just bucking up and going to the studio and working on something, just doing something so that I don’t fall out of the habit,” says Sampson. Brown’s method of dealing with burnout touches on the overarching understanding that expectations are not stagnant, both when overcoming burnout and putting together a portfolio. “I have really had to put aside the pressure that I put on myself, and I tell myself this is the youngest that I’ve ever been,” Brown says. This sentiment was echoed by Crawford. “Throughout the courses, I’ve learned to take myself less

seriously and that making art that means something to you is what’s important,” she says. Sampson reiterates Brown’s ideology in understanding her youth as a strength. “I give myself grace because I understand that I’m the youngest in my career that I’ll be, and it just doesn’t make sense to put unnecessary stress on myself when I’m still in those stages of learning,” she says. Artists grapple with obstacles on the path of maturation that are unseen by others, but as Sampson puts it, “I think that college is first and foremost a place of learning, and growing and developing, and I feel like I have done all of that in just three years.” b

Mattes Brown poses with her photographs on Feb. 8, 2024.

Chloe Sampson poses with her sculptures on Feb. 8, 2024.

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DESIGN

EXHIBIT A

Ohio University alumnus, Ahmed Hamed, displays photos of inside Mount Zion Baptist Church from his thesis project. PHOTOS BY AHMED HAMED DESIGN BY ELLIE SABATINO

hmed Hamed graduated with a master’s from the Communication and Development Studies program at the Center for International Studies at Ohio University in the fall 2023. Hamed arrived in Athens, Ohio, in January of 2022 and from the first week felt a deep connection to the history and the heritage of the city. He became interested in heritage preservation efforts in the city with special focus on Mount Zion Baptist Church, which his last photo project is about it. Hamed made a special Instagram account @Athens_Lens to publish photo stories about Athens.

Hamed is from Cairo, Egypt, and graduated from the Media and Communication Studies Department Faculty of Arts at Ain Shams University in 2008. He has 12 years of experience in multimedia journalism and has won many local and international prizes in the field of photography. Hamed has made 4 photo exhibitions.

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Mount Zion Baptist Church - a cornerstone of the Black community in Athens, Ohio, from 1905 through the 1990s. As a cherished gathering place, it played a vital role in shaping the cultural tapestry of the region. Though the passage of time has led to the closure of the church due to maintenance needs, its historical significance remains undiminished. Through these photos, we embark on a journey to celebrate and honor the legacy of the Mount Zion Baptist Church. Each photograph showcased here is a testament to the vibrant history it embodies and the community it brought together. Visit Hamed's digital gallery at the website: https://www.artsteps.com/view/64e66cbc063 aed2ef99b8d18?currentUser.

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FEATURE

backdrop | Spring 2024

Peering Through CENTURY-OLD WINDOWS

Mount Zion Black Cultural Center is using art to promote collaboration, preservation and social change. BY DARCIE ZUDELL | PHOTOS BY PEARL SPURLOCK & PROVIDED BY AHMED HAMED | DESIGN BY ALLY PARKER

ne day in 2022, while walking along North Congress Street, Ahmed Hamed (pg. 16), a recent Ohio University graduate, felt drawn to a building across the road. At the time, Hamed was an OU student, pursuing his master’s degree in communications and development through the Center for International Studies. Originally from Cairo, Egypt, Hamed remembers wanting to familiarize himself with Athens and the culture of his university. Out of curiosity, Hamed went to the building to find out its purpose and to see if it was open. When Hamed realized he could not get into the building, he soon discovered windows he could look through. “I looked through the windows and I found it very beautiful inside,” Hamed says. Entranced by the beauty of the interior, Hamed used his passion for photojournalism to capture what he saw. He took a photo of the view outside from his camera and shared it on a Facebook group called “Living in Athens.” The caption of the photo inquired what the building was used for. After Hamed posted his photos online, members of the Facebook group were quick to point out that he had taken pictures of the interior of Mount Zion. This building was once a lively church built by and for the Black community in Athens, known as Mount Zion Baptist Church. After discovering the community’s pride in preserving the former church, Hamed became interested in Mount Zion’s presence in Athens. Hamed’s photojournalism is closely linked to activism. He describes his photography as street photography, which involves capturing candid

moments of everyday life in public places. His passion for using activism to preserve historical heritage sites led him to focus his master’s thesis on Mount Zion. “I was doing activism in Cairo and was working to raise awareness with the local community on history and heritage sites,” Hamed says. “It was interesting. I did not imagine that I would have the space [in Athens] to do my project on preserving heritage. I think it’s a big portion of the work. A lot of photographers work on documenting heritage sites and raising awareness within the community to preserve it.” Hamed became even more invested in focusing his work on Mount Zion when Mount Zion Black Cultural Center’s director of communications and media, Dr. Tee Ford-Ahmed, messaged him on Facebook after seeing the photo he had published. “I was startled,” says Ford-Ahmed in recounting when she first saw Hamed’s Facebook post. Ford-Ahmed initially believed the photo was taken from inside and was concerned. “We know everything in there is toxic … we even cover our shoes, so we won’t walk it into our car or in our house,” Ford-Ahmed says. “I had the key and Miss Ada had a key. I said, ‘Miss Ada, did you let anybody in the church?’” When Dr. Ada Woodson Adams, the president of Mount Zion Black Cultural Center, said she did not let anyone in the building, Ford-Ahmed messaged Hamed and asked him to meet her for coffee. After agreeing to meet, Hamed eased Ford-

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Ahmed’s concerns by revealing that he took the photo through the building’s windows and had not gone inside. After telling Ford-Ahmed about his passion for activism and how he wanted to focus his thesis on preserving cultural heritage sites, she arranged for him to safely photograph the inside of the building. Hamed’s photos captured the state of the building in 2022. The paint on the walls was cracked and there was rubble scattered on the floor. Despite the natural weathering, beautiful stained-glass windows illuminate the frames of many of Hamed’s photographs. Hamed captured photos inside of Mount Zion in 2022 and 2023, getting the opportunity to take one of the last photographs of the beautiful stainedglass windows before they were removed from the building and safely put into storage. Hamed took pictures of Mount Zion and converted them into a photo exhibit that he sold to various libraries in Athens County. Currently, he works as an intern for Mount Zion and uses his photography skills to document protests and raise awareness about various social causes. The stained-glass windows were removed in the summer of 2023 after one window fell and shattered beyond repair. “The grant that I had gotten from the Smithsonian was entitled, ‘Putting Mount Zion on Solid Ground,’” Ford-Ahmed says. “And that meant going into the basement, getting rid of the water and starting to work on the basement.” While working on the building renovations, Ford-Ahmed and other volunteers soon realized that if they worked on the building, the stainedglass windows had a high risk of falling out because they were extremely old and fragile, having been installed in 1908. “So, I went back to the Smithsonian and wrote, ‘Oops,’” Ford-Ahmed says. “’We’re a volunteer board that does not know what we’re doing. Can we divert that money toward removing the windows?’” The Smithsonian allowed Mount Zion to reallocate grant funds to carefully remove the priceless stained-glass windows from the building. Coincidentally, that same year, in 2022, the Stained-Glass Association of America held a conference in Toledo, Ohio. Ford-Ahmed reached out to Nzilani Glass Conservation, a company that is qualified to create new or preserve historical glass works, to see if anyone on their team could look at Mount Zion’s windows. Representatives from Nziliani visited Athens to inspect the windows. Some even stayed overnight to have more time for the inspection. “They sent back a 54-page booklet report that showed us stuff that we never saw about the

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windows,” Ford-Ahmed says. “Even the stuff that holds the stained glass together. It’s like a rubber band. It was really vulnerable.” After considering the cost and logistics of hiring Nziliani to remove the stained-glass windows, the board concluded that the center lacked the resources to undertake the project at that moment. Ford-Ahmed explains that it would have cost the center $800 a month to pay for the cost of storage to preserve the windows after they were removed. Nziliani Glass Conservation refused to abandon Mount Zion. Their founder, Ariana Makau, reached out to another female-owned glass firm, Blind Eye Restoration, based in Columbus, Ohio. “[It] took them a month to get them all out,” Ford-Ahmed says regarding Blind Eye Restoration’s process of removing the windows. “And thank God our mayor [Steve Patterson] said, ‘look, we have a huge mausoleum at the Union Street Cemetery that we’ll give to Mount Zion to store those windows.’” As a former member of the Mount Zion congregation, Woodson Adams credits her dedication to preserving Mount Zion to the legacy and ancestry of the church, as well as her faith. “We knew it was an important legacy for the people who had come before us,” Woodson Adams says. “And they built this monument for a reason. And this is because they wanted to say to the community at large, ‘we are here, we have a presence in this community.’” In the summer of 2022, OU demolished Scott Quadrangle, a historic building constructed in 1937 and first used as a men’s dormitory and eventually for other purposes, according to an OHIO News article published in 2021. This decision was met with pushback from the Athens Historic Preservation Commission, a group dedicated to repurposing historic buildings rather than destroying them. The group wrote a resolution to former OU president, Hugh Sherman, pleading for more time to evaluate what the building could be repurposed for. The demolition of Scott Quad also frustrated Hamed, who argues that preserving historical buildings will bring the community together while also attracting others to the area. “It’s cheaper to demolish it,” Hamed says. “Okay, you will see that money today, but for the next generation, you lose the local assets.” Hamed and others believe that not preserving Mount Zion erases more than just a building; it erases a pivotal chapter in the community’s history. Beyond its role as a social center, Mount Zion stood as a beacon of hope and resilience during the tumultuous era of the civil rights

movement during the 1950s and 60s. “When I was growing up in the church, the church was the social center of all black activity,” Woodson Adams says. “It’s important to stress the fact that people don’t realize that we were segregated and discriminated against and some things were separate.” At the time of writing, the stained-glass windows are still safely kept away, revealing the bare wooden planks that supported the glass for many years. Mount Zion fully plans on restoring the windows and adorning them back on the building following renovations, Ford-Ahmed says. In the meantime, the Mount Zion Black Cultural Center is working with Passion Works Studios, a non-profit art studio aimed to inspire the human spirit through the arts, and local muralist, Keith Wilde, to create a mural to replace the stainedglass windows while the building is being renovated. Wilde, who specializes in large-scale art, has designed a mural for Mount Zion to celebrate the church’s origins and highlight heroes in regional Black history. Wilde envisions the mural to be made from faux stained glass to emulate the aesthetic of Mount Zion’s famous stained-glass windows. “What we’re going to do here is have community experiences where people can come in for workshops, and then we’re going to paint on this particular material that will then be cut down,” Patty Mitchell, the founder of Passion Works Studios, says. “So we’ll kind of do a big collaborative painting together. It’ll be cut down and then laminated or fused onto the wood into the faux glass.” Passion Works Studios organized its first workshop on Feb. 1 with Wilde. The volunteers were asked to cut out fragments of painted material that would be used in Wilde’s mural. This was not the first time Passion Works Studios has partnered with Mount Zion. The organization has been working with the center for years and has been sending portions of sales from certain artworks directly to Mount Zion.

Marilyn Zwayer works on a painted recreation of stained glass at Passion Works Studio that will be displayed at Mount Zion Baptist Church, Feb. 8, 2024.

Close ups of stained glass windows in Mount Zion Baptist Church from Ahmed Hamed’s master’s project (as seen on pg. 16). Reprinted with permission.

“Our mission is to collaborate and to be a stronger community,” Mitchell says. “We’re neighbors, right? We love Athens and it’s such a deep part of our history. We want to use our space as a meeting space, until that you know, the day when things can happen within that social space [Mount Zion Black Cultural Center].” Woodson Adams has always counted on her faith and support from the community to overcome tough times. When the first stained-glass window broke, when they had to sell the historic pews of Mount Zion and in other instances, the guidance of ancestors and the kindness of the community helped Mount Zion and its members and volunteers persevere. Woodson Adams is inspired by Dr. Francine Cheryl Childs, the first tenured Black professor at OU, who emphasized the power of collaboration in promoting social change. Childs created Mount Zion’s famous choir when she asked her students if they would go to the church and sing, Woodson Adams says. Starting from nothing, Childs was able to create even more of a sense of community for those attending the Mount Zion Baptist Church. “One of the members of that choir is now on our board,” Woodson Adams says. “It’s all falling into place. People make a difference. So, when times get hard, you lead into your prayer and know that people will help you get through it.” b

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FEATURE

Spirit Williams, Lisa Heinz and Tiffany McCann are all craftswomen producing various kinds of art. WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEGAN VANVLACK | DESIGN BY ABBY BURNS

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Portrait of Spirit Williams.

outheast Ohio is a hub for many people who express their creativity in seemingly endless ways. While some make pieces that are art in the more traditional sense, plenty of creatives expand on what it means to make art and be a creator. Some people may not think of dying wool as art, but for one local artist, it is a perfect way to create colorful fiber works that members of the community love. Another creative brought a different type of art to the scene by opening a hot glass shop in the heart of Athens, offering a new avenue to create art. Despite being different types of artists, they provide a spectacular view of the diversity that comes from many people expressing their creativity in one region. Lisa Heinz, the person behind Southeast Ohio Fiberworks (pg. 32), dyes beautiful colorways onto skeins of yarn in different sizes. She currently works out of her basement, where she also takes care of her reptiles, birds and dog, Loki. Her process includes

measuring acid dyes to color the yarn, combining art, math and science. In Rockbridge, Ohio, Spirit Williams can be found carving intricate designs into wood. She sells these carvings in her gallery, The Spirit of the Hills located off of 23500 state Route 180. She uses primarily traditional handcarving tools and basswood to sculpt subjects such as birds, plants, portraits, religious works, murals and more to express her creativity. Her many cats surround her workspace, adding even more character to her shop. Athens Hot Glass (pg. 10), a site in Athens since April 2023, is run by Art Gallery Director Tiffany McCann, where she blows and sculpts glass over a torch. She makes earrings, sculptures, pendants and more, which she sells at the gallery, along with other artists’ work. Located on 21 Kern St., Athens Hot Glass also hosts demonstrations and lessons for community members, allowing others to express their own style of art through glass-making. b

A look into Lisa Heinz’s process when preparing to dye the yarn.

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Williams uses primarily hand tools for her wood carvings, of which birds and other wildlife are often the subjects. She also carves portraits, religious works, murals and more with her many years of experience.

Williams carves a bird into a piece of basswood in her shop in Rockbridge, Ohio, Oct. 17, 2023. She runs The Spirit of the Hills Shop where she displays and sells her work, along with some work from other local artists. ”I am not a woodworker, I am sculptor,” she says about her wood artistry, which she calls a “living medium.”

One of Williams's wood carvings, featuring a man with a hat playing the guitar.

Large plastic bags of unprocessed wool lie in Heinz’s basement, waiting to be turned into yarn that will be dyed. Heinz sends the wool off to be processed and focuses on ethically sourcing wool and using sustainable practices in her work.

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Heinz, the creator behind Southeast Ohio Fiberworks, walks through her basement carrying a jar of dye to pour on yarn for socks, in Athens, Ohio, on Nov. 2, 2023. The yarn will have cool blues and purples, which is a popular color way in her shop, she mentions. Heinz wears gloves to protect her hands from the dyes, which she says adds a lot of math into her work. “Measuring the ingredients for the dyes is like a little bit of a math problem," Heinz says. "It combines art and science in a way, which I find interesting. I have to figure out how much I need to get the colors I want.”

Rods of colored glass sit on the work table where Tiffany McCann blows glass. “Those were from these droplet earrings I’ve been making recently," McCann says. "I don’t know why, but I’ve been really into making them; I’m excited to have them in the shop.”

McCann makes glass pumpkin earrings for the Halloween season in her studio in Athens on Oct. 18, 2023. She sells these earrings, along with many other glass pieces in her studio, Athens Hot Glass, where she also holds classes and small galleries for glass work. The gallery also features the work of other glass artists. “Everybody is just so nice and supportive," McCann says about the hot glass blowing community. "I mean, another glass artist dropped off tons of glass for me to use just because he was going to be in the area.”

McCann in action as she works with fire and glass. Heinz focuses while dying her yarn.

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THE DROP

COMPOSING

THE FUTURE OF MUSIC An OU organization focuses on student growth and music mastery. STORY BY LAYNE RAY | DESIGN BY JULIA GREENWOOD

thens music scene on Court Street and beyond is often appreciated, but just two blocks away sits Robert Glidden Hall – the home of Ohio University’s School of Music. There, the music scene is different; it is new. When students come to Athens to further their music education, they are faced with choosing a path. OU’s music education program offers a variety of concentrations: music therapy, music education, performance and composition. Specifically, music composition students expressed their desire for an experiential learning opportunity within the School of Music. Robert McClure, an associate professor of composition and theory, agreed to be the adviser of the OU Composers Association (OUCA) when he began teaching seven years ago. Student composers in Athens are actively creating new, original music – the foundation on which the OUCA was created. Their primary slogan, “support new music,” implies that music composition requires more than a one-man band. The OUCA functions as a vehicle to produce successful composers through experiential learning and outreach. The OUCA meets weekly as an essential part of the music composition education track. Integrated within an in-depth seminar on Fridays, the group hosts a range of activities for the student composers including guest lectures, workshops and discussions. Students learn different compositional techniques and receive advice from music faculty, professional composers and even each other. On top of that, working musicians in the contemporary music field come to OU to hold concerts. Students in the OUCA can write music for them to perform. This opportunity

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for student composers is a way to gain professional experience from successful performers in the industry. Daniel Swartz, a senior student in the Honors Tutorial College music program with a focus on composition, was paired with an ensemble for a semester during their sophomore year. The ensemble read through and recorded his pieces to later perform during an on-campus recital. “The guest lectures and concerts that we have are great for just learning the basics of what it means to write music today because it's very different than Mozart or Beethoven and how they went about writing music,” Swartz says. “The music industry has changed a lot since those people were alive, but even the kind of layperson's understanding of the music industry is kind of coming from pop music and like the recording industry.” Composing music is an intricate and serious art form. However, the OUCA also emphasizes the creative, fun and lighthearted aspects of it. Its mascot, a stuffed raccoon named Spaghetti, represents a model student composer. “You know, they get all their work done on time,” McClure says. “They don't use too much reverb. They don't have collisions in their scores.” The OUCA highlights music excellence in Athens – Spaghetti makes sure of this. In the past, the OUCA has hosted a regional conference and will be hosting a festival for The Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States in March. It also holds various fundraisers, from promoting stickers to painting nails in the School of Music, to gain funding and support. The organization’s most recent fundraiser, a commission

raffle, allowed performers to place raffle tickets in hats for composers in the OUCA. This mutually beneficial fundraiser allowed performers to receive a newly composed piece for the low price of a raffle ticket. By generating financial support and buzz for the composers, the commission raffle helped the OUCA continue to move out of a post-pandemic rut. The pandemic “really affected how the School of Music was run,” Swartz says. “We’re still remembering our full capabilities.” In addition to event hosting and fundraising, the OUCA engages in several other forms of external activities. They have paired up with creative writing and film students to compose music in other art fields. “Being connected into the art world is, you know, super important being a musician,” says Nathan Andrews, a senior studying music composition and performance and production. “It offers for amazing opportunities to collaborate with other artists.” They also host a student composer concert each semester in addition to the guest artists that they invite to perform. All events are free and open to the public. “No matter who you are, there will always be something new and exciting for you to hear,” Swartz says.

Student composers in the OUCA gain valuable experience through both internal and external activities. While learning how to market themselves in the industry, learning new techniques and hearing from professionals about possible career paths in the arts sector, they are surrounding themselves with peers of similar interests and goals. Hands-on experience is invaluable to any student, but especially student composers. “What every composer wants is for people to play their own music,” Andrews says. Through these hands-on experiences, student composers have been set up for a successful future career. Pursuing a career in the arts is often viewed as risky, especially in the music world, but OUCA makes it more manageable. “You have to love it more than anything else,” McClure says. “There has to be something that you think is unique to your experience [and] how you view the world. And you can turn that into music and it's something that other people want to listen to and performers want to play.” The OUCA is an example of underrepresented artistic talent in Athens. “I think that the students we have who are writing music are doing some wildly creative things,” McClure says. b

27 A selfie of the group after hosting the Society of Composer's Inc. Region V Conference at Ohio University. Photo taken by Robert McClure and reprinted with permission.

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THE DROP

ON STORY BY NATHAN BOLES DESIGN BY JULIA GREENWOOD

Theater groups in Lancaster are working together to put on a variety of shows.

Scenes from "A Merry American Christmas." Performed at Ohio University Lancaster. All photos provided by Marilyn Steiner.

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hio University Lancaster’s December 2023 production of A Merry American Christmas marked the second anniversary of the holiday collaboration among three of the city of Lancaster’s most beloved theatre groups: Ohio University Lancaster Theatre, Garret Players and The Lancaster Playhouse. In 2022, the first play put on by the creative trio was It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Victor Jones has been the producing artistic director at OU Lancaster Theatre since 2010 and is an invaluable asset to the Wagner Theatre, where OU Lancaster Theatres performs, and its $250,000 renovation project. With the help of Jones, OU Lancaster Theatre’s production of Moon Over Buffalo won regional direction and scenic design awards and a Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Award for Costume Design. OU Lancaster Theatre has been led by Jones for 10 seasons, 45 major productions and more than 40 student theatrical showcases. The annual holiday collaboration was the first time Jones released the reigns and let someone else take over directorial duties. “They weren’t just [The Lancaster] Playhouse people [or] Garett Players, but they were people from all over Central Ohio who got involved in it,” Jones says. “That’s a great experience for my student actors who are just used to working with college-age students to get more involved with people in the community and have all ages involved.” Garret Players was founded in 2012, focusing on presenting and adapting classic and new plays as staged readings. Garret Players performs on the third floor of the Fairfield County District Library Main Branch. The focus of the Garret Players performances is to give opportunities to amateur or long-time actors in a minimalist staged-reading format. The cast and crew for Garret Players are volunteers, donating their time to the productions. Garret Players do not charge admission and all donations received go directly to the Friends of the Fairfield County District Library, a 501(c)(3) organization. Over the 12 seasons of performances, Garret Players has been able to raise more than $12,000 for the Friends of the Library through donations. Marilyn Steiner is a founding member of Garret Players, a former library director and the writer and director of A Merry American Christmas. “My library board members, Ron Keaton and his wife, came to me one day with the idea of doing theater in the library and I said [yes] as long as… it doesn’t encumber the library [or] take up too much time,” Steiner says. “Ron and Donna Keaton started it with my permission and the rest of the library board said that’s fine, and it just took off from there.” The Lancaster Playhouse is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the theater arts around Central Ohio. It was founded in 2015 by former Lancaster High School Drama Director Loran Peterson and like-minded individuals with the goal of enriching the lives of the audience and participants. Some of its previous productions include The Canterville Ghost, Crimes of the Heart, Deathtrap

and Clue: The Musical. “We’re different organizations, so it’s really easy for us to come together and work together,” Jane O’Brien, board chair of The Lancaster Playhouse, says. “We’re not competing, we really are collaborating.” The origin of the official collaboration began in the summer of 2022 during a meeting in Lancaster with P.J. Aubrey, the artistic director for The Lancaster Playhouse along with Jones, O’Brien, Steiner, Cathy Bitler and Linda Kaufman, who are all members of Garret Players. “[I] ran into Victor [Jones] and he said to me, ‘I’ve got an idea, and could you reach out to folks at Garret Players and give me somebody I can contact at [Lancaster] Playhouse so that we could try to pull together and talk a potential collaboration?,’” Bitler says. That chance meeting led to the three groups coming together to devise an ongoing tradition, the holiday Christmas play, which began as It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Part of the collaboration was that the groups would rotate who would lead the production. With it being their first production together, OU Lancaster Theatre and Jones led many of the directing duties along with the technical aspects of the play such as tech, set construction and music. For the first play, other members of Garret Players and The Lancaster Players stepped in as needed for other responsibilities. The success of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play in 2022 led to the continuation of the annual event with A Merry American Christmas in 2023, which was an original play written and directed by Steiner. The experience of writing and directing an original play was something that Garret Players had never done before as all their previous plays were licensed. “I’ve directed a lot of plays at Garret Players, but nothing that was this big. … Victor [Jones] was very [like], ‘Whatever you need … you’re the director, this is your show,’” Steiner says. “It was intimidating in that respect, but it was so much fun too.” Everyone involved in the collaboration spoke with immense respect and revery for those they were working with. There was an excitement expressed by all when discussing their work with the people and organizations they already knew of or had been involved with in the past. At first, O’Brien felt intimidated working with Jones because she had never met him. He had lots of experience due to his directing of OU Lancaster Theatre and his revitalization of the Wagner Theatre; however, her qualms were put to rest by Jones’s generous and outgoing nature and the shared passion for community and theatre that brought all of those involved together. The annual Christmas play will continue in 2024 with The Lancaster Playhouse directing the upcoming unannounced play to again be performed in the Wagner Theatre with the help of Garret Players and OU Lancaster Theatre. Steiner says they are already planning the 2024 holiday production. b

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OU DANCE

THE DROP

THINK YOU CAN

The School of Dance makes room for student exploration. BY KATE HAYES | PHOTOS BY CLAIRA KIMBLE | DESIGN BY ALLY PARKER

hio University's School of Dance is not one size fits all. The program, founded in 1969, creates well-rounded individuals who overcome the stigma of “just being a dancer.” Through the program, students can earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Performance and Choreography, a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and an option of a dance minor. In addition, there are two graduate programs that are offered, an MA in Community Dance and a Master of Arts Administration. Professors work closely with students due to the small facultyto-student ratio, creating a community of support and safe critics that improve students’ work daily. Dr. Christi Camper Moore is a professor in the School of Dance. “[The school] really feels like an incredibly supportive environment that produces really exceptional work,” she says. Professors work to redefine dance across their classes and create strong relationships with students even after they leave OU. The School of Dance’s curriculum allows students to learn the skills of composition-learning, how to create dance, and exploration of movement and choreography. “Our modern dance approach prepares students for bold creative professional careers through a comprehensive foundation in choreography and performance with an understanding of the theory and history of dance,” according to the OU School of Dance’s website. The School of Dance may be “small, but it is mighty,” Moore

Ohio University dance students rehearse for an upcoming performance. Feb. 3, 2024.

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says, with strong relationships among students, alumni and faculty. People part of the School of Dance meet every Friday for Colloquium to give each other feedback, advice and to work together as a community. There are two clubs hosted by the School of Dance that people may be able to join: The Movement and the Athens Black Contemporary Dance. However, all university students can enroll in dance classes. Milo Bathory-Peeler, a junior in the School of Dance, is from Massachusetts and said they grew up in an artistic household with their mom as a dancer and their dad as a musician. After beginning their dance career Irish dancing, BathoryPeeler moved on to different types of dances in seventh grade. While having opportunities to dance in Barcelona, Spain and London, Bathory-Peeler still has a great love for OU’s School of Dance. However, there are other factors that led BathoryPeeler to OU. “I ended up choosing OU because of the Honors Tutorial College (HTC) and the independence that it offers me … the other thing that really drew me to OU was the compositional focus in the dance program,” Bathory-Peeler says. OU’s HTC gives students the ability to have control over their learning experiences and also helped Bathory-Peeler find a study abroad program that gave them just what they were looking for. During the fall semester of 2023, Bathory-Peeler studied abroad in London at The London Contemporary Dance School, which is a part of a bigger school called The Place. While in London, Bathory-Peeler created a solo work called Every Truth We Hold Sacred, which involved a poem written and spoken during the performance. During their sophomore year, Bathory-Peeler worked on a project with fellow dance and HTC student, Maralee Joyner. Their project was called Hone. Hone was completely created and performed by Joyner and Bathory-Peeler, and they also worked with Johanna Amaya, a percussionist and student at OU. Bathory-Peeler’s current project is a “junior project” where they cast and create a performance that will be showcased in April. Bathory-Peeler plans to be a freelance artist after graduation. They want to have control over their own work, schedule and the companies

they work with. Emma Markins is a freshman at OU from Hurricane, West Virginia, with a double major in dance and also hearing, speech and language sciences. Markins has danced for 15 years and plans to go to audiology school while teaching dance after she graduates. She aspires to continue her career in rural communities. Markins did not know if she wanted to pursue dance or audiology in college, but she knew she could not see a life without dance. OU has given her the opportunity to pursue both. “As soon as I met with the staff of the School of Dance and took class to audition, the choice was clear to me that dancing in college was the right step,” Markins says. Markins came to OU because she felt right at home in the School of Dance. Staff and upperclassmen have made her feel seen and they are always willing to talk to her and answer any questions she may have. “All students in the School of Dance do some sort of work in the production aspect of our shows throughout their time in the School of Dance, which I think is very valuable to not only apply to their dance career in the future, but also to set OU students apart from other schools’ students who do not get production experience in their time as an undergraduate,” Markins says. Markins performed in a first-year piece by Shaleigh Comerford and in a staff piece by Katherine Moore for the Winter Dance Concert. Along with her involvement in the School of Dance, Markins is also the assistant vice president of membership of the sorority Delta Zeta, the president of the Boyd-Treudley Hall Council, a choreographer and morale captain for Bobcathon and an 1804 Scholar. The School of Dance continuously impacts students from all walks of life as it encourages students to express themselves through various forms of art. Its values extend beyond OU’s campus by supporting students post-graduation and encouraging current students to embrace the lessons they obtain while attending the School of Dance. b

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THE DROP

PASSIONS

TU R NED CAREERS

Three Athens Art Guild members share their experiences starting businesses. the area since 1992 and received her BY CARMEN SZUKAITIS & MCKENNA CHRISTY PHOTOS BY PEARL SPURLOCK DESIGN BY ABBY BURNS

diversity of local art businesses calls for collaboration and community. The Athens Art Guild fulfills the need of bringing artists and their work together by creating opportunities for art to be observed and purchased. The community organization of artists from Southeast Ohio makes room for a variety of arts, some of which include jewelry, glass, fiber, illustration, pottery, ceramics and wood. Backdrop Magazine met with three members of the Athens Art Guild to talk about their businesses and what led them to pursue their crafts.

master’s degree in media studies from Ohio University. “I used to live out in north of Albany on a big farm, and it was just a hobby farm,” Heinz says. “While I was there, I started to pick up felting. But I was doing this thing where I realized that there’s different types of fleeces from different animals [that] felt differently.” The discovery led Heinz to investigate what types of fleeces she should be looking to use for felting. After going down the “rabbit hole of fleece,” Heinz started spinning. Spinning, the twisting

Southeast Ohio Fiberworks

To get 5-year-old Lisa Heinz (pg. 22) out of the kitchen, her grandma taught her how to crochet. Then, her other grandma, who was a seamstress, taught Heinz how to embroider. As an undergraduate student at Michigan Technological University, Heinz began costume making. Eventually, Heinz picked up knitting and has been committed to this craft for about 15 years. In 2019, Heinz started her business, Southeast Ohio Fiberworks, where she sells yarn, roving and embroidery floss. While Heinz started Southeast Ohio Fiberworks around five years ago, she has been living in

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Lisa Heinz on her front porch wearing a selfknitted item, Jan. 29, 2024.

process of turning fiber into yarn, is a technique Heinz has known since the fourth grade because a “frontier reenactor” in Colorado, where she lived, showed her class how to spin wool using a walking wheel. Southeast Ohio Fiberwork’s sister organization, Southeast Ohio Fibershed, focuses on the waste of sheep wool in the region and how using sheep wool is a sustainable development for the textile industry, according to the organization’s

website. Heinz receives wool from a farm in Washington County that has Jacob sheep, a British breed of domestic sheep. Heinz was also able to receive a loan to turn 200 pounds of Jacob fleece milled into different yarn weights. To make colorful wool and wool-like fibers, Heinz says she uses acid dying because it is the preferred method given the material structure. The next step will be to use natural dye. Beyond the possibility of learning new dye techniques, Heinz also hopes to open a store. Currently, people can purchase items from Southeast Ohio Fiberworks on its website. Heinz has also sold yarn and other materials at the Pawpaw Festival, the Athens Art Guild’s Holiday Shoppe and the Athens Farmers Market, when it is outside. The process of making textiles requires experimentation and an appreciation for the material’s use. In asking Heinz what her favorite part about owning Southeast Ohio Fiberworks has been, her answer went beyond making the products. “It’s meeting people,” Heinz says. “It really is and trying to build that community.”

Hostetler Wood Studio

Owner of Hostetler Wood Studio, Jay Hostetler, creates wooden trees from various types of trees from Athens, Ohio, and beyond. Hostetler’s story began in 2019 when his wife suggested that he turn some old Christmas trees into his now well-known wooden trees. However, once he began, he quickly realized that he had done this before. At the age of 7, Hostetler carved his first wooden tree and years later he was reunited with this childhood passion of crafting wooden trees.

Jay Hostetler demonstrates his woodworking process in his studio, Feb. 6, 2024.

least getting to know, what the guild was about. I started to attend meetings and got juried in meetings that my work was determined to be a quality that I could sell them through guild curated events. So, then I started to then sell my work.” Weingroff says she loves the sense of community that she has through her business and the Athens Art Guild. She is always trying to get more involved and continue to learn more about pottery as a craft.

Jay Hostetler poses for a portrait in his studio, Feb. 6, 2024.

“My dad was a sculptor,” Hostetler says. “And a neighbor had a hardware store, and he would winter in Florida. He would go down and bring back Cypress, so I would take those and carve them into trees when my dad carved.” Hostetler obviously said he was not thinking about a symbolic meaning as to what the trees meant when he was 7 years old. But today, “It's just going back to the nature and keeping it alive,” Hostetler says. “When I say make trees from trees, everybody relates to that and likes the fact they can have a part of their tree in their house. So that's one thing I've done is if a special tree that unfortunately died or something happened to it, I can make a piece out of it, and it lives on.” Currently, Hostetler has three galleries, two based in Columbus, Ohio, and the other is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and he is still looking to place some in other cities. Additionally, he is able to use his website and Instagram to market his trees to his customers, many of which he says he has never met. “A lot of it comes in over Instagram so it's people I've never met,” Hostetler says. “It's so great that [that] outlet is there now.” Hostetler continues to rediscover his passion. In addition, Hostetler continues to give back to nature and keep it alive by donating five percent of all sales to the Athens Conservancy. The organization’s mission is “to protect lands to preserve wild and scenic places, maintain healthy ecosystems, preserve water quality, and protect biodiversity,

habitat, and ecological processes,” according to the organization’s website.

Sledding Hill Pottery

Beth Weingroff, owner of Sledding Hill Pottery, moved to Athens in 2012 because she wanted to be in a college town, but also because she wanted to be in a community that was art-oriented. Her studio is just outside Athens at the edge of Sledding Hill on the 23 acres of land that she owns with her husband. Like Hostetler, Weingroff stumbled back into making pottery after not making any for many years. “I had done pottery as a young adult but hadn't touched clay in many years,” Weingroff says. Weingroff found some pottery equipment online and thought that this was her chance to have her own studio and to do something that she really enjoyed. Eventually, Weingroff became connected with the Athens Art Guild. “I happened to meet through a friend a gal who was a member of the Athens Art Guild, and I had no idea that such an organization existed,” Weingroff says. “I was interested in pursuing, at

Beth Weingroff poses for a portrait in her studio, Feb. 6, 2024.

“I'm also really driven to continue to learn, that is really important to me.” Weingroff says. “So, when I was able to retire, I took some clay classes at Ohio University.” Weingroff aspires to continue being a staple in the Athens art community by attending shows and exhibitions at the Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, as well as other regional shows. b

Artists and their websites: Southeast Ohio Fiberworks: https://seohiofiberworks.com/ Hostetler Wood Studio: https://www.hostetlerwoodstudio.com/ Sledding Hill Pottery: https://sleddinghillpottery.com/

Beth Weingroff works on a new ceramic piece in her studio, Feb. 6, 2024.

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VOICES

A BALANCING

ACT

Backdrop Art Director Ellie Sabatino writes about battling perfection as a growing artist. WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY ELLIE SABATINO

'm a graphic designer with a perfection problem. Let me explain by first stating that my passion for design has never been a linear one. From an early age, I was infatuated with art and would spend hours during my childhood drawing crude cartoons that I believed were publish-worthy (spoiler, they absolutely were not), following drawing tutorials and abusing the access I had to my parents’ printer paper. When you are young, you don’t care as much if your drawing isn’t conventionally perfect. In my little world of the magnetic garage door gallery, it was. Being perfect was who I was. The perfect daughter, the perfect role model to my younger sister, a talented kid – this is how I identified myself. Entering middle school represented a major shift in both my passion for design and my confidence as an artist. Here came what I believed to be “real” art classes. The projects got more focused, and my classmates got more talented. I, however, seemed to be stuck in a rut. My clay “vase” looked more like a pinch pot, and my self-portrait looked like something out of a horror film. I focused too much on the detail work instead of seeing the big picture, spending hours agonizing over one specific line I could not seem to draw right or an angle that simply wasn’t “angling.” “whatgoesoninmymind.ai” Aquatint Linocut print, December 2023.

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This slowly morphed into an obsession with the idea of perfection in each work that I produced. If I wasn’t perfect at art, then who was to say I was perfect in the other aspects of my life? Therefore, when I could not reach the level of perfection I wanted, I simply began anew. In short, I became the world’s harshest art critic solely to myself. I was lucky enough to attend a large high school in Mason, Ohio, with art programs that were extensive. When I was in eleventh grade, I applied for my high school’s design studio position, an unpaid internship where students would work on branding for local companies. Even though I still held my art to an unachievable standard, my passion for it had not faded. Instead, it had taken on a new form. At that point, I had taken a few of the required courses my high school had regarding digital design and had fallen in love with the digital process as a result. Finally, I had found a medium where obsessing over small details was the main focus, and perfect renderings could be handled with just a few clicks. To my surprise, I was accepted into the program. Subsequently, I poured hours upon hours into additional projects for the class, building both my portfolio and confidence at a considerable rate. When a company places its trust in a designer, it expects nothing but the best to represent its business, and that’s exactly what I wanted to be. Digital art was perfection, and I wanted nothing more than to be perfect. Thus began my college journey as a graphic design major. However, before my freshman year even began, I was faced with the harsh realities of pursuing a fine arts major. I had to get used to being constantly asked by both family and friends how I planned on finding a stable job after undergrad, what exactly my major entailed and why had I not chosen a more “normal” path such as business? This only fueled my growing anxieties surrounding perfection. I thought that by attacking my freshman year head-on, getting a 4.0 and creating a stellar portfolio, that everyone’s doubts about me (including my own) would simply go away. How hard could it be? Apparently, really hard. At the time, I did not know that each student completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Ohio University is required to complete a set of “foundations” courses during their freshman year. These courses focus on the general principles of art, such as drawing and sculpture, rather than the digital design-focused courses I expected to take. I was forced to tackle my anxieties surrounding the lack of perfection of my physical medium skills. I faced a harsh reality that year: being a graphic designer meant embracing the role of an artist. This culminated in what I felt was a lackluster end to my freshman year. Sure, I had grown in my skills as an artist, but I was nowhere near my definition of perfect, and my online portfolio had crawled to a halt. A summer full of questioning my potential as a designer, dodging more major-specific questions and googling “how to switch majors” started my sophomore year off with a bang.

In came my first experience with printmaking. While I was finally in digital design courses, I was still required to take a few art courses outside of my major for a “well-rounded education.” My roommate, also an art major, highly recommended that I take a printmaking class with her in the spring semester, and while I was skeptical, I figured why not try. I was pleasantly surprised! Printmaking allowed me to utilize what I knew about the principles of design and “perfection” from a digital standpoint. The artistic process also challenged me to confront the imperfections and variables inherent of the printmaking. While a design could be as perfect as I wanted when I created it digitally, once I transferred it physically, it was up to my skills as an artist to recognize my vision. Not having the ability to click undo steered me away from art in a physical medium for years. Graphic design is, in a sense, instantaneous. I always can undo my work or load a different save file. But if I did something that I deemed as a mistake in printmaking, I had to live with it. In the future, I will inevitably have to deal with clients I work with, make calls I may not agree with or tackle last-minute changes in a project. I must accept that there will be things out of my control. It turns out that the challenges I face in printmaking are exactly what I need to dismantle my toxic ideals of perfection and push me to become a better designer. Just because a design is “perfect” on a screen does not mean that it always will be in its tangible form. Designs were never meant to stay stagnant, and the best ones embrace both physical and digital capabilities. Sometimes, the very best part of a design is something that is done accidentally. My struggles with perfection are far from over, and I’m still working on breaking down my toxicity surrounding my selfworth as a designer and as a human being. So yes, I’m a graphic designer who still has a perfection problem. But I am also an artist, an imperfect one at that, and that’s okay. But seriously, if someone comes up with an undo button for printmaking, please let me know. b

“its im everythings fine” Letterpress digital collage, October 2023

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