On Wednesday, March 27 at 1 p.m. at Alden Library’s fourth floor lobby display cases, Christi Camper Moore , assistant professor of dance and head of arts administration, and her students will be showcasing their exhibit, “Eyeing the Everyday: Objects of the Ordinary.”
The students, who come from Camper Moore’s fall 2023 University Professor course “Eyeing the Everyday,” will be explaining their creation and curation process. Specifically, they will discuss the performances they choreographed, the items they made, the materials they used and the decisions they made throughout the semester-long exhibit development process.
Camper Moore wrote in an email that exploration of ourselves and the world around us helps shape who we are, and the event is an opportunity to examine that exploration.
“Through the skills of creating, responding, observing and connecting, we can build bridges and positive relationships,” Camper Moore wrote. “This exhibit, a collection of objects of the ordinary, posits a reflection on who and what we ‘see’ — or don’t see — in our everyday lives. The exhibit considers what experiences and/or biases inform how we navigate relationships and the material world.”
The event will be predominantly student-led and highlights the interdisciplinary arts course, which is offered as part of Camper Moore’s University Professor award, that explores connection through observation. The tour will give students the opportunity to speak about their inspirations, including a visit to Alden where they took a deep dive into exploring artists' books and zines.
The students come from a range of years and majors including Halina Dreger, a senior in dance; William Hamilton, a junior in media arts & studies; Sarah Braun, a junior in art history; Abby Bowman, a master’s student in arts administration; Nicole Peterman, also a master’s student in arts administration; Erin Pfahler, a master’s student in English; and Nicole Derthick, a master’s student in community dance.
Miriam Intrator , interim head of the Mahn Center and Digital Initiatives and the special collections librarian, has been working with Camper Moore and the students in preparation for the exhibit.
Intrator mentioned in an email that she hopes others will be inspired by the creativity of the students and the exhibit itself.
“I hope visitors will be inspired by the … variety of formats and mediums in which they [the students] worked and created; everything from zines and textile collage to dance and performance art to photography and small artists’ books,” Intrator wrote. “I believe the exhibit, and their talking about it, will help all of us to see so much more in our own every day, and to think about how we present our thoughts, ideas and experiences to the world.”
Not only is their zine “Eyeing the Everyday” on display in their exhibit, but a copy is also currently available in the zine collection in the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections.
The event will provide an example for other faculty to consider exhibits as potential semester-long class projects and collaborations with the Libraries. Showcasing the work allows students to speak about their learning, research and creative processes in their own voices as well as empowering them by demonstrating their capabilities and a variety of ways in which the Libraries can support their work.
For more information about the event or for accessibility accommodations, please contact Miriam Intrator at intrator@ohio.edu .
Graphic design by Emmanuel Ofori/Ohio University Libraries