Student Showcase 2023

Full Moon
Anh Duong

I developed this project last semester for my Sculpture class. I called this creation "Full Moon." This work which is on a piece of wood is mainly used with egg-related materials, such as eggshells, and egg cartons. I find myself learning a lot after doing it. I understand the project is in the Aesthetic and Creative Thinking group. The work is the perfection of creativity in the use of materials to create the artwork, in the process of composing the content of the painting, and in the use of colors to reflect, and honor the beauty of nature, the beauty of the full moon.

First, as we can see, the eggshell is the main component of this artwork. Before use, it has to be cleaned up by washing and drying. Furthermore, the painting expropriates the egg carton container. Its rough texture is appropriate not only to make the diversity of elements and elements used in this artwork but also to give the viewer a sense of abstraction. People cannot see anything clearly with the view of normal eyes at night. Everything turns abstract and has a different, unnatural appearance. Therefore, placing the eggshell and the carton container below the work is a gradual inspiration. One part of the eggshell and one part of the carton box construct the sense of aerial perspective. With this setting, the viewers perceive that there are many mountains visible in the distance. One mountain on top of another creates the feeling that they are endless. Equally important, the board's upper illustrates the extraordinary, violent sky and the shining full moon. Using half of an eggshell instead of crashing it, which has been done with the mountain, gives the impression of an enormous moon if compared to the peak. The eggshells are arranged in a circle to create the image of a full moon. Besides, the plastic's texture and setting represent the night sky. A blizzard is coming, causing chaos in the sky, as evidenced by the unarranged, arbitrary plastic positioning at the board's right upper corner. In this artwork, the sky gives viewers a peaceful, serene impression. Remarkably, the whole artwork uses only one color, white. The use of white represents not only the white of snow but also the luminescence and shining of the moon. Moreover, this color presents a sense of serenity at night. Overall, this artwork focuses on the meaning of the full moon. In my culture, the full moon appearing on the fifteenth day, according to the lunar calendar, is shinier, and rounder than the other days. Individually, I found the moon was particularly wonderful that day; its light seemed to enlighten the entire world. The dazzling, blazing, and beaming moon makes the surroundings visible and perceptible.

After finishing this project, I have learned a valuable lesson that I may use in my future artistic endeavors and life. I should let myself free and not limit myself to any concepts or standards. Before starting the project, I never considered using seemingly pointless objects like eggshells in my work. I just assumed that artwork could only be captured with brush and colors; consequently, I restricted myself to a smaller range of media for my creations. I feel incredibly "illuminated" by this "Full moon." I started realizing that creativity and intellect are the two primary sources from which art originates. The artwork is like a bell to remind me not to limit my use of art material, my ability to create art, and my enjoyment of the vibrant world. I allow myself to dare to think and act to gain worthwhile experiences and experiences to nurture the artistic side of me and my personality.

The Dream of The Genie 
Jolani Gomez

"The Dream of The Genie” how it came to be was from drawing the insight of introspection of the unconscious from expanding the imagination from dream reading, the vision is captured from the intensely strange lucid dreams that I am able to flesh out into my art as the process. Composing the drawing, many of the insights came from reading Carl Jung's psychology of dream reading and active imagination of interacting with the unconscious; the guiding principle of "The Dream of The Genie" is aesthetics & creative thinking. The aesthetics show three main objects, a genie bottle, the moon, and three main rings engraved with strange symbols above an individual's head, surrounded by a mysterious aura consuming the whole piece. The aesthetics flow into a trance, creating an interaction with the imagination, and each object has an innate symbolic representation to develop creative thinking. The thinking was most insightful process was creative thinking to create an unordinary piece with the original intention. Moving away from others' style to completely surrender to my own natural process, from that outlook, there is a lot to learn from.

Creative thinking is a process of learning the way you proceed from your own organic natural mental tools instead of the frustration of comparing yourself to others. Studying other historical artists is an extremely important aspect of resonating qualities of knowing with humble efforts. Lightly putting down the heavy technicality, which is a necessary part of the creative process but then can also be limiting. The unharnessing of curiosity is the result of the project; the theme of unharnessing curiosity touches upon many areas, learning from topics that seem to be difficult to learn. Then to integrate into art, I feel that I have many avenues to explore; after completing “The Dream of The Genie,” to further extend my curiosity in a career in art, biological illustration is a field that captured my attention.

Artemis 
Marilyn Gomez

Composite drawing combining Greek goddess Diana, and untitled painting by Frida Kahlo (heart, cactus, fetus). The decision to combine the two subjects into one single composition was to express the complexity of the female identity with two strong individuals of different timelines like Frida Kahlo and the Greek goddess Artemis (Diana). Artemis was the goddess of the moon, nature and wilderness as well as of childbirth and chastity. In this project Artemis is meant to represent the female of the past and the present. The beginning and progression of womanhood, and the female identity.

The primary guiding principle expressed by this project is “Aesthetics and Creative Thinking” this guiding principle is expressed by providing the viewer with a combination of two works tied together to represent a visual interpretation of the challenges of womanhood.

Through my research of the portrayal of women in Greek mythology I stumbled upon the unfortunate news that women were constantly depicted in a negative light in Greek mythology. Even in the art world women have had a strong battle of defying biases and opening their own paths to share their art, which is why it was important for me to highlight these two strong female identities. 

I believe this project is only a stepping stone into infinite possibilities to explore this subject into greater detail. As I develop my work further I would like to continue exploring the vast complexity of the female identity and share a glimpse of it through my art pieces. 

Family Stories
Giselle Reyes

Family Stories is a collection of three individual short stories from three separate family members of mine. Each tale is told from a first-person point of view. I curated personal stories, researched the historical context of each one, and provided commentary. The primary guiding principle for my project is collaboration and inclusion. My project embodies collaboration given that there is an additional author for every page. Each page provides a space for a relative to share their voice, a voice that is usually tucked away. Regardless of who is speaking, the reader is invited to live vicariously through a stranger, perhaps finding a similarity of life experience or that of another. 

I realized how valuable conversations between family is recognition is taken for granted. There are relatively large age gaps between my family that limit a sense of relatability or connection but each conversation was humanizing. As a result of this project, I learned the value of storytelling and felt a greater awareness of belonging and purpose. No matter how insignificant a story may seem, it is worth sharing. Memories that seem minute resulted in a broader scope of perspective on my family's history. I remain curious about the hundreds of stories locked inside each family member, the memories full of regret and shame or the warm recollections that ignite the fire in their heart. I would love for this booklet to grow in the coming years, serving as a token for the lived experiences of my family.

Ashokan Farewell Cover
Adlemi Duarte

Performance Video: https://youtu.be/KtBsFymhmxs 

In this project, I decided to play my own rendition of Jay Ungar's "Ashokan Farewell". The melancholy melody resonated deeply within me the first time I listened to it, and I knew it would be the piece that I would want to spend the next few months learning and absorbing. This was not my first time playing a piece by Jay Ungar, and it made it all the more exciting to learn and perform. The primary Guiding Principle that was expressed by my project would have to be Aesthetics & Creative Thinking. Throughout this process, I learned to appreciate the feelings that music can evoke through the way that it is expressed and the way it is interpreted. This piece served as one of the leading tracks of Ken Burns' Civil War film which was released in 1990. Being from such a monumental film, I had to learn how to play the violin in a way that would evoke the haunting, mournful, beautiful, and hopeful emotions that I felt when I first heard the piece.

Another Guiding Principle that was expressed in my project would be Analytical Reasoning & Metacognition because I tried different styles of playing while watching many different videos and recordings of how Jay Ungar played the piece. I studied his techniques of slides, grace notes, and other key elements that made the piece memorable. One of the main things that I discovered from this project is that you can play what's written on a piece of sheet music, but it only comes to life once you put your heart and soul into it. From the beginning to the end of the project, I heard a clear difference in my playing, once I felt comfortable enough to play the music with the emotions that I felt from hearing it. Something that I am curious about, even after completing this project is how big of an effect Jay Ungar's style of playing had on the overall feeling of the piece. If someone else had played it with completely different techniques, would it still have sounded the same?
 

Where Science and Art Harmonize
Seanna Engel

There is an entirely different universe existing just below the surface of our world’s oceans and ever since I was a child, I wanted to know it and be a part of it. Environmental encyclopedias were my bedtime stories and David Attenborough was my Saturday morning cartoon. I’ve always had a passion for art as well, I colored on and with anything I could get my hands on, the time and place inspiration struck was of little concern and it got to the point that I ranked restaurants by the quality of their placemats rather than the food. My aunt taught me to paint, and I pursued choir from the second grade all the way to college where I am a member of both AWC’s choirs as I pursue an associate of science. I tell you this because for me, finding the link between the ever emotional and vivid world of art and the critical and thoughtful world of science was difficult to say the least. I couldn’t understand how some artists used “artistic license” to permit the blatant disregard of features that make the world so fascinating and deep, but I also couldn’t understand the discipline it takes scientists to remove themselves as thoroughly as they would like the world to believe, from that which compels their every waking moment. It seemed the two worlds could never mesh and yet here I was trying to find cohesion betwixt the two. I worked hard in school, and still do, and while it was indeed pertinent to my career to know that the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, it stung a bit there wasn’t more in the High school setting. I put everything I had into every test and every assignment to make up for the dullness, I got straight A's, my assignments always ended up on the wall, and my teachers asked me to help other students; all to try and find something exciting in a very mundane and general process. I could not wait for the day I got to go to college and finally study something that pertained strictly to my interest. Now I'm here and I haven’t been more challenged and couldn’t be happier. Thus far I have taken two biology classes, two chemistry classes, and last semester I took my first environmental science class and fell in love with the subject all over again. 

My scientific mind was sated, and my artistic heart was encouraged in choir, and while both have been challenged, finding moments where these two worlds meet is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Which is why when I came across the poem written on the piece I got goose bumps. Here someone had taken the natural world and imbued it with the humanity of art, but did so not by disregarding facts of nature, but embracing them. In such short words this person, whom I have never met and whose true name is not known to me, captured the depths of every creature in this world, through a simple exchange that hints at themes far deeper than what we might initially realize. Themes I tried to capture in this painting. Yes, I outlined our three protagonists, the whale, the salmon, and the tuna, but I did not paint them in the way the world might see them. When someone says the word whale, the image that comes to mind is of a creature so large it defies comprehension, and for a lot of us that’s where the image ends. However, the poem references something I learned in one of AWC’s classrooms and stole my breath away upon reading. The bone the poem to is called a vestigial structure, a hip bone that remains from when their ancestors walked on all fours. This is a structure that not only reminds us of, but proves, that this animal, like every single one on this planet, is the child of an evolution so complex and enthralling that within these complex and beautiful creatures lies a bone that serves no purpose but to remind us and perhaps even themselves, of a bygone era. Which is why I had to disrupt the artistry of the mountain scape with which this bone allowed this whale’s ancestor to roam and draw the structure exactly as it is in real life. This is beauty found in science, and had it not been for my education inside and outside the classroom walls, it would have completely escaped me. However, once I started, I couldn’t stop. Who could forget that the smallest of these three companions, is perhaps the most versatile of travelers, one who knows the depths of the ocean like the tuna and whale but is also acquainted with the winding nature of the forest from where it grew. Salmon lay their eggs in riverbeds, not in the ocean. I did my research and made sure that the forest I painted within the confines of his body matched the scenery of one of the most prominent pink and chum salmon spawning sites in Alaska. To elaborate on this point, I used dried moss and aquarium stones to accentuate the piece, to further the feeling of naturalism and life (taking my own artistic license), but also to underscore this feeling of two different worlds. The moss is similar to that which would be found on the rocks along side the riverbed, while the stones are reminiscent of what is called a caustic network in optics (yet another piece of information I had to search for in The Science Dictionary to find the name of and understand). This is essentially when light has been refracted/reflected off a curved surface, such as moving water, like those hypnotizing patterns of sunlight on the bottom of a pool. However, outside this piece, the world is always changing, now more than ever and while change is what catalyzed the evolution that eventuated these magnificent creatures, these changes are of a different kind. Humans are driving the world towards an end we do not fully understand, and it is our responsibility to respect and protect the world we so often take for granted. These creatures are not just a spectacle to behold and then forget, but the product of evolutionary events we have yet to fully comprehend. They are complex and soulful, the worlds’ larger whales create beautiful and unique love songs despite lives spent in solitude and sing across oceans to mates they might never meet, salmon travel miles upon miles to return to the shadow of a memory to give their young a safe place to grow, and tuna aren’t just a dietary staple for us but they are a key to the health of entire ecosystems so intrinsically important that their loss would mean the devastation of entire ecosystems. Maybe someday we will understand this, we might need to in order to fully benefit those we share our home with, and I intend to do my part with a doctorate in hand, but for now I hope pieces like this are a good start. College has been a blessing that I intend to embrace until I get my doctorate.

Dance as Cultural Heritage
Montserrath Rivera Esquivel

My project consists in the presentation of one flamenco piece from the palo "Tango de Triana", followed by two pieces of regional Mexican folk dance titled "El Son de la Negra" and "Las Alazanas" representative of the state of Jalisco, Mexico. 
The primary guiding principle in this presentation is aesthetics and creative thinking. Dance is considered one of the branches of the fine arts, since they are aesthetically pleasing to the expectations. Folk dance dance represents the customs, traditions and lifestyle of our ancestors through dances which have been passed generation by generation and gives each country a cultural identity. Other principles that we can find are ethical growth and wellness, the practice of both solo and group dance teaches us various values such as perseverance, discipline, tolerance among many more. In the same way that dance is considered a physical activity so it promotes a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally. Also collaboration and inclusion, the vast majority of the repertoires are in groups, which encourages social relationships and their collaboration among them, folkloric dance stands out for being of the people and for the people, so anyone, no matter if they are not professional, can dance representative repertoire. And finally, application and creation of knowledge, because the practice of traditional dance relates from the beginning of civilizations and although they have evolved over time, they have been passed down generation after generation, thus creating a network of knowledge that continues to grow over time. 

As a result of the development of this presentation, I was able to put myself to the test physically, since all the pieces performed require a level of preparation, both technical and theoretical. And mentally tested, because that creative side managed to adapt and innovate solo choreographies, which I found extremely interesting. This brief presentation is a small sample of what for 13 years has been and artistic trajectory and intense preparation in the area of Mexican folkloric dance and recently flamenco. My next steps and future goals and plans are focussed on a professional preparation focused on teaching and research. 

Where Art and Science Unify
Seanna Engel

Watercolor painting of a whale, a salmon, and a tuna (with various ecosystems depicted inside them). A poem I discovered online written written on the side. Moss and aquarium stones hot glued along the bottom.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Management
Priscila Cercea

• Our aim is to educate the Yuma Community about Type 2 Diabetes Management using a holistic and person-centered approach. The focus of our project is lifestyle modifications that are statistically shown to decrease glycemic levels and can effectively reverse Type 2 Diabetes. The Yuma community has a high incidence of Type 2 Diabetes and few local resources that effectively reduce the need for medication in T2DM. 
• Problem: Non-adherence in the Diabetes Mellitus Type II Population
• It is estimated that there has been a “significant increase” in type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents in the US (CDC, 2022).
• 38% of ALL US adults (18 years or older) have pre-diabetes (CDC, 2022).
• 37.3 million people in the US population have Diabetes (CDC, 2022).
• Intervention: Promoting Dietary changes and Exercise 
• 89.8% of US adults diagnosed with diabetes were overweight or obese (CDC, 2022).
• 34.3% were physically inactive (CDC, 2022)
• What is recommended:
• At least 150 minutes per week of physical activity (CDC, 2022)
• Having a BMI between 18 – 24.99 (CDC, 2022)
• Diet consisting of non-starchy vegetables, lean proteins and carbs. (CDC, 2022)
• Comparison: Drug therapy
• Studies show that overall medication adherence levels are low and vary depending on the number of medications a person is already on (Al-Qerem et al., 2021)
• Many people are unwilling to initiate new therapies (Al-Qerem et al., 2021).
• Many people have concerns about about their medications and adverse medication effects (Al-Qerem et al., 2021).
• Outcome: Better glycemic control
• Studies have shown that modifications in lifestyle is the MOST effective at preventing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus progression (Miller & Thyfault, 2020). 
• Personalizing plans for lifestyle changes encourages and supports personal health & blood sugar control.

Asthma and Exercise in Children
Cassandra George, Cristian Conde, Ivette Peralta, Jazmin Correa, Jounnuan Borders, Ranbir Sandhu, Yesenia Salas.

In children under the age of 12, does regular exercise plus use of bronchodilator in emergent cases reduce asthma exacerbations when compared to using bronchodilator alone with no exercise?

Presented by: Cassandra George, Cristian Conde, Ivette Peralta, Jazmin Correa, Jounnuan Borders, Ranbir Sandhu, Yesenia Salas.

Prevention of Pediatric Obesity
Brenda Casillas, Gina Butler, Olivia Gbur, Brandy Williams, Sara Farmer, Gage Johnson, Francisca Rivera

In the pediatric population (P), will implementation of an integrated obesity prevention program addressing dietary patterns and physical activity (I) compared to absence of such initiates(C) decrease the rate of pediatric obesity (O)?

Creating A Safe Environment For IV Drug Use
Corina Griffin, Jordan Northrup, Daphne Marquez, Israel Delacruz, Rebecca Tippets, Sarahi Martin Del Campo, Manuel Felix

PICO presentation discussing the effect of implementing a syringe-exchange program in Yuma, AZ versus the current lack thereof to promote a safe use environment and prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens.

Mapping the North Geronimo Mine
Alexus Wuertemburg

My project, Mapping the North Geronimo Mine, has allowed me to learn and become familiar with tools and techniques I will be using throughout my education and well into my career. The North Geronimo Mine, located in La Paz County, is an internationally recognized locality for mineral collectors. This project will provide the first detailed map of the underground workings. From this experience, I have been able to apply knowledge I recently learned from my Geology courses at Arizona Western College. 

Prior to this experience, I’ve had no field experience with an azimuth compass, plumb bob, inclinometer and several other tools used throughout my project. Throughout this continuous project, not only did I learn a variety of skills for the aspects of field work, but I also learned how to create a hand-drawn map, interpret data from field books, and identify underground rock structures. To showcase my newly learned skills, I will display the hand-drawn map, tools used, and discuss procedures used throughout the whole experience. 

“How to Cope” 
Angel Lander

My song/spoken word poem (you may decide how to interpret it) talks about the current problems with my generation (Gen Z) and how they are able to be overcome but people don’t know how to cope. 

Principles of Reality
Julian Talamantes Cota

Principles of Reality is a painting I would love to present at Showcase. In brief, it shows in a very abstract manner the universe and how it works. It allows the viewer to understand many scientific theories and, also, initiate curiosity to learn more about science. What I have learned working on this project is how much art is needed as well as science. I am curious to see how people react by looking at this painting. I am curious about the questions they might ask. 

Little Things: An Original Song about Growing Up
Kylie Gwynn

For my project, I will be playing guitar and singing an original song. While I believe my project encompasses multiple Guiding Principles, it aligns most with the “Aesthetics & Creative Thinking” principle. When writing any song, one must be able to think outside of the box to produce a tune that people enjoy listening to for its lyrics, melodies, and musical arrangements. In my case, I put heavy and equal stress on every one of those components as my goal is to write not just any song, but a radio-quality song that is suitable for my sisters and me to professionally publish and share with the world as our band Gwynn Sisters. Therefore, when my sisters and I write (individually and together), we all focus on inventing unique stories to introduce to our intended audiences or taking relatable situations and explaining them in new, unique ways that maybe would’ve never crossed our audience’s minds. The lyrical composition alone requires a great amount of creative thinking and aesthetic emphasis, but carefully crafting the melody/harmonies and musical accompaniment of the tune is just as important in creating a beautiful piece that keeps people listening and interested. Not for all, but for many, the song’s lyrics alone aren’t what moves people; instead, it’s often how the lyrics are said and presented that helps the music seep into the heart and soul of the audience. My sisters and I all write music keeping in mind the people who enjoy music for what it says, the people who enjoy it for how it sounds, and the people who enjoy it for how it makes them feel. 

I also believe my project aligns with the “Collaboration & Inclusion” principle because, as mentioned above, my sisters and I all co-write our songs for our band. When we first started writing together, the process was quite slow because our writing processes, techniques, and styles didn’t always perfectly coincide. However, having written many songs together now, we’ve learned where each other’s strengths and weaknesses in songwriting lie and how to help each other in the places we need it most as we write songs. Today, our co-writing process has become very efficient, and we’ve created pieces that we all are so proud of and excited to share with the world. We’ve grown to become so grateful to have each other to bounce off ideas, combine our thoughts into unique songs that we could’ve never thought of on our own, and overall support each other throughout the musical process.

I am very proud of my project because I hold all of my original songs, ones I write by myself and ones I write with my sisters, very close to my heart. Writing this song has taught me that my abilities and limits can grow endlessly as long as my hopes and dreams stay alive. I am not exaggerating when I say that music is my life; after years and years of living musically through performing and writing, I’ve discovered that it’s not just what I love to do; it’s what I’m meant to do. When you partake in something you’re so passionate about and allow yourself to build upon your passions, you truly unlock your superpower. A little hobby can become a powerful skill incomparable to anyone else if you are willing to put in the time and effort, but that time and effort will never feel forced if it’s genuinely something you love. Of course, though, my songwriting skills still have endless room to expand, and as I write more and more, I hope to strengthen my skills in writing songs unlike any songs heard on the radio. This only gets more difficult as time unfolds because the variety of songs that exist will keep multiplying more as time passes, but I’m a firm believer in the beautiful idea that there can always be something new discovered with music and that the combination of words and notes makes for limitless opportunities in the musical world.

Human Thoughts 
Jenny Alvarez

My project is a flower vase sculpted to look like a human’s upper body with the purpose that when the flowers are placed it may look like the flowers are blooming from the brain. The primary guiding principle expressed by my project is Aesthetics & Creative Thinking. This principle is explained through the purpose of my vase. It is meant to portray the art of creative thinking through its symbolism. The flowers may represent the way creative thoughts bloom in our brain and can help us grow as people. My project may also represent the principle of Ethical Growth & Wellness. The flowers blooming from the brain represent the ability to grow and flourish with nourishment. A vase is meant to allow flowers to bloom when taken care of. In this way schools are the nourishment that allow us to grow and develop our ideas of ethical values and wellness. As I’ve worked on this project I’ve learned a lot of work ethic since this project took me approximately one month to complete and through school work I've chosen to take breaks and work on this project in order to explore my own creativity and my innate human need to make art and be seen. Even after this project I hope to learn more about my own creativity and the way my ideas grow and create other deeper thoughts. 

Cognitive Psychology 
Jaisveen Kaur

The presentation I made for a psychology class was based on Cognitive Psychology. Cognitive psychology relating our experiences and actions is a really interesting topic to study. It is not only important for someone who wants to major in this field but for everyone. It is fascinating to learn the reason behind us being/ behaving in a particular way. Putting your knowledge and ideas in a presentation shows how creative you are. Studying about this branch of psychology would help me in my career by understanding the reason behind why a patient is being fussy or acting in a way that might frustrate another person. 

Student Showcase 2024 Poster
Benicio Esquerra

Working on a student showcase poster project for my graphic communications class for next year's event.

Student Showcase POSTER assignment information for SS-2024
Francisco Solorio

Student Showcase poster for SS-2024. Will be designing a poster for student showcase as an assignment for Graphic Communications. 

Student Showcase 2024 Poster
Justin Grant

I'm working on a poster for the Student Showcase 2024 Poster.

STUDENT SHOWCASE POSTER
Kira Beattle

Student showcase poster for graphic communications. 

Student Showcase Posters
Gustavo Bulas

My poster will be like art supplies, a computer and a keyboard in a way that's going straight then, the scissors and the pencil goes to the right, the keyboard goes to the left and the monitor goes right up. 

Student Showcase 2024 poster
Angel Cranny

It's a poster for the 2024 student showcase. my poster best represents the Application & Creation of knowledge. This principle is expressed in this project by everyone creating their knowledge about their future. I have learned from making this poster is that the future of students have a lot of options for college and what ever they chose they can make something great in the future. I'm curious of how the showcase is going to go, and whose poster is going to be featured.

Student Showcase 2024 Poster
Gabriella Nogales

The project that I will be displaying in the student showcase is a poster design for the student showcase of 2024. This project was created in hopes to inspire students to register for the student showcase to show off their talents. Whether the students are involved in the arts or not, I wanted to make sure that everyone feels welcomed to register and get the opportunity to show off their skills any subject. The guiding principle that best suits my project would be Aesthetics and Creative thinking. Although the design doesn't involve too much creative thinking my design for the student showcase poster expresses aesthetics. It falls under this type of principle because posters are interesting to look at at whether it's the information given or the design as a whole.

Student Showcase 2024 Poster
Mayra Coral

My project is a poster design for next year’s Student Showcase. The primary Guiding Principles my project represents are Aesthetics and Creative Thinking. This principle is expressed in my project by creativity and ideas being portrayed after a brainstorming session and creating layout processes. These processes are key when creating a project like this because you could have a great idea but if you do not take the time to plan everything out then it can become a mess. What I discovered and learned during this process of creating is to follow design principles and know your audience well to be able to successfully create a poster that reflects and meets your client’s expectations and needs. I’m still curious about how an idea that starts as something small like a thumbnail, transforms into an overall design and how your mind could be blank for one second, and after discussing and analyzing what it’s expected, the ideas start pouring in. 

"Perfect Child"
Ericka Rodriguez

I believe my project alings with aesthetics and creative thinking the most because it is a poem that I wrote during a time when I needed an outlet for my emotions. I wanted to express myself beyond just journaling what was going on in a factual manner. I've found that just writing down facts doesn't help me the same way that creating art with my words does. I've always gravitated towards writing and finding the right words. I was forced to write in a manner that would appeal to others so that they could relate. Instead of speaking about my very specific situation I wrote it out in a more general way that will allow an audience to enjoy it. While it is more general its still specific enough that certain people might relate to it. 

I think it also has a little bit of ethical growth and wellness in it. I acknowledge my mental state and how I want to improve but find myself trapped. It could be considered a cry for help, just knowing that I took that step to ask for help in my own way means that I put my wellness first. I discovered that I can and should always consider my mental health first, I can not put the feelings of others over myself any longer. I want to continue to understand myself, I feel as though after writing this piece was the first real time I took time to introspect and consider how I could grow to become a better version of myself. 

All In Your Head
Gisella Reyes

All in your head is a mixed medium piece with bright red letters that reads, "What would they think of me?" composed of wax paper, dictionary cutouts, music notes, scrap paper, pen, graphite, marker, and colored pencil. The primary guiding principle for my project is aesthetics and creative thinking. My project integrates the arts and sciences through its expressive visual of the cognitive distortion of magnification and overthinking. In social psychology, the spotlight effect is used to describe the inflated judgment from others, resulting in hypervigilance and anxiety. The hypervigilance depicted in the literal eyeballs illustrated. An additional guiding principle is the application and creation of knowledge, my project emphasizes the systemic origins of cognitive function through the depiction of neural pathways, understanding an experience is derived through biochemical interactions.

After creating my project, I realized that the overt awareness and fear of judgment limited my vulnerability, connection, and success. All in your head is inspired by my cognitions. I'm interested in how other psychological processes can be explored through creative projects, making the learning experience more immersive, exciting, and accessible.
 

Vitiligo
America Ocano

It highlights the beauty of vitiligo

AI-Generated Presentation: Example
Alejandro Ortiz Moreno

https://azwestern.instructuremedia.com/embed/c2c063d3-d510-47ac-9fee-5d3e2f1e2107

The project that I am submitting for your consideration to be included to the Student Showcase was created as part of the honors contract in my PHI-105: Introduction to Ethics class with Professor Nicolas Byle. This video was created as a part of my larger research that included testing out various available artificial intelligence (AI) platforms such as Moonbeam, Jasper, Resemble AI, Microsoft Designer, Grammarly, DALL-E, OpenAI tools, and other. The video presentation that I recorded using AWC's one button studio and edited in Canvas Studio was AI-generated with me as the facilitator or decision-maker. The goal of the project was to raise students' and professors' awareness of AI tools and spark ethical conversations.

The primary guiding principle for my project is Ethical Growth & Wellness. To specify, my project concerns only the first part - Ethical Growth. In addition to the predominant guiding principle of Ethical Growth, my project is also tangentially related to Aesthetics & Creative Thinking. These principles can be included because I was making the ultimate decisions about what slide designs to choose, which AI-generated images fit the creative idea I had when describing the image prompt, as well as what words I need to utilize in my requests for the script-generating program to compile verbiage needed.

Throughout my project I learned how to utilize various AI tools and also practiced using One Button Studio and Canvas Studio. At the same time, I also learned to ask ethical questions and answer them from different ethical perspectives such as utilitarianism, deontology, social justice, social contract theory, and virtue ethics. The ethical approach that is closest to my life values and beliefs is utilitarianism. Therefore, I view AI as a useful tool that needs to be used ethically and not be abused. The use of writing AI can be compared to the use of Google Translate AI or any other translation application. If a person is using this amazing resource to communicate and achieve their goals honestly stating the fact that this kind of source helped them, then this is an example of an ethical use. On the contrary, if a person presents translator’s work as their own ability to use a foreign language, it is unethical.

At the time when my project was completed, ChatGPT was not released but I did utilize OpenAI’s Playground (ChatGPT’s precursor). Thus, I am still curious about the ethical dilemma of using AI for writing, homework, or project completion. On the one hand, ChatGPT can become a useful tool as a TI-84 graphing calculator in advanced math classes. On the other hand, it might become a dangerous crutch for beginning writers who are just starting to learn the basics; similar to the use of a regular calculator in second grade when the concept of multiplication is just introduced and needs to be grasped and internalized.

Tavo & I painting
Angela Trejo

https://youtu.be/LcXo84BsVMc

Coyolxauhqui 
Omar Meija

https://youtu.be/LnFvCjKgZuE

The project I am presenting is a stop motion animation about the creation of the moon according to Aztec mythology. The main Guiding Principle is Aesthetic and Creative thinking. Growing up in Mexico in a poor family, my mom and grandma would always try to find ways to keep me and my siblings entertained. One of the things that my grandma would do was to tell us stories that had been passed down by generations. I created the video to explore collective conciousness in my search for identity. The stop motion is created by moving an object sequentially and photograph it each time to create the illusion of movement.

I am currently working on a Spanish degree and some of the classes have helped me realize that knowing the history of our people is important when searching for our identity, it is crucial that we must revise our past, understand it, and embrace it if we want to make changes to our present and better our future. The concept of the mythology has been associated with identity, cultural, and historical where healing is necessary, making the story important and relevant as it was centuries ago. My grandmother said that the tale symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, and it could also be represented as victory of the sun over the moon and stars. This type of story represents my past and the past for my family, our people, and our culture, they have become part of my identity and I embrace it with pride and share it with the rest of the world. 

Stephanie's Personal Artwork 
Stephanie Del Campo

The project will include artwork regarding my growth, background and memories.

Somebody Told Me...
America Ocana

When I did this artwork "Somebody Told Me..." the process included a lot of research on the skin condition 'vitiligo' I didn't knew anything about it, I just thought how unique people looked with it. The first thought that came to mind when I started doing this project was that I wanted to highlight through my painting the vitiligo on this model. Vitiligo is caused when the person has damaged cells known as melanocytes, skin cells in charged of skin pigmentation, which causes the skin to turn into a much lighter color than your natural skin color. I learned how it also affects the pigmentation on your hair and turns it into a white color.

My artworks fits into the Aesthetics and Creative Thinking category because the main part of the process of doing this artwork was creative thinking, my creativity helped me highlight the skin condition and describe it a little bit through the artwork. The person on my artwork, Tia Jonsson, is a model who often is showing off her vitiligo with such a confidence, and such confidence has given her big opportunities on the modeling industry, this is mainly the reason why I choose to paint her.

The death of Rock and roll and the rise of Rap/Hip Hop – an observation on the societal shift in mindset/taste
Brenton Rhodes

If I were to say, we are living in a constant state of societal, personal, and it has affected our taste in music. This is an observation open to the opinions of others. This essay will be broken up into 2 part. 1 why it happened, and 2 why it may not ever change.

Okay so what I'm about to say will shock and amaze you but rock and roll I believe is officially dead. Now I'm not saying that there won't be a act every once in awhile like The Black keys or Olivia Rodrigo that are one-offs. Or maybe you have like a machine gun Kelly doing some punk rock stuff or whatever but eventually it is overall done for. And it did it to itself because it strayed so far from the source material which is rock and roll. Eventually turned into rock, losing its soul power. This is an observation of mine which I will use lyrics, (bob Dylan, Kindrick Lamar) essays and articles to explain why my thoughts on why hip hop/rap has solidified itself at the top popular music or Rock.

Bringing me to the observation shifting mindset of the whole of the country. In my essay in 2019 “everything is awful and everybody knows it” self-explanatory, explains that we are living in a shared American imperial decline. Whether we are aware of it or not, it affects our minds an a depressed, panicked, and uneasy state. Rap at its core is a music for downtrodden or even those in distress or pain, and even more in difficult continuing situations. Such as poverty violence fear of violence gang violence gun violence strong overly authoritative government and so on and so forth.

This is the introduction to my essay. I will have 2 graphic posters made from my paintings, and one laying out point to my observation. This is and social and economic issues combined with the arts. also some editing will be done as well.

Goyas Reimagined
Dulce Martinez

This project is a series of reproduced paintings by Spanish artist Francisco Goya juxtaposed with more modern elements some of us might recognize today. Those modern elements change the way we interact with these historical paintings by being a contrast to the colors and adding humor to the themes. Alongside Goya’s Saturn we find Ralph from the Simpsons, and dealing with his Witches we find Linus from Peanuts. Two more paintings are waiting to be finished by the end of the semester but there is another completed in which we can see John the Baptist dealing with Cartman from South Park.

The primary guiding principle expressed in this project is Aesthetics and Creative Thinking. Aesthetics and creative thinking are a big component of any artistic endeavor and when I was first informed of the theme of this project, I thought I would turn it into something fun and slightly humorous but also well thought out visually. To take two very opposite elements, in this case something old and something new, and combine them was something I hadn’t done before. I wanted to make sure that although it might seem jarring to see both together that there was some sort of cohesion between the two. After much deliberation about all the ways in which I could take these paintings I finally figured out exactly what characters would give which scene the humor I was looking for. I then thought about aesthetics and figured out not only the positioning of the character but also whether there were some details I could do without. For example, in the reproduced painting of Witches Flight I took the creative liberty of omitting the original man in the center of the painting to give Linus from Peanuts center stage. The blanket such as the original man had, still taking precedence to qualm any fears he might have. I enjoyed the process of thinking about how to best augment the story or theme of these paintings using creative thinking and aesthetics.

Despite having seen these paintings in person and despite having a somewhat decent understanding of art history I still struggled to have a better appreciation of why these paintings or paintings like these held so much significance. As a result of this project, I was able to form a deeper understanding about why so many of the artworks that we know today as being important have held that title for so many years and will most likely continue to do so for years to come. Trying to figure out how to emulate the techniques Goya used in his paintings gave me a broader appreciation for his work and for other masters as well. It was not easy especially as an amateur painter.

My biggest curiosity, especially as a future Museum Studies student at Arizona State University, is how or what an average person might think of the great works if they had the experience that I do now. Would they also have a better appreciation for dusty, old artworks that might not mean anything to them? Or would they continue to spend mere seconds in front of them without giving them much thought as I have done on many occasions? How much more of an impact could museums have in the unfolding of children and adults if they offered more hands on opportunities to understand these great artworks? I am curious to see what sorts of changes can be fomented in people and in institutions like museums if there was more of an emphasis on hands on activities to assist in learning the great works of art.

In my Journal I Write
Ali Witrado

This is a villanelle portraying the way my trauma was brought to light. I would wake up with uneasy feelings never knowing what caused them. Until one night I had a dream about a traumatic moment in my life which made me realize, that was the root.

"In my Journal I Write"
I had a dream last night
It brought me fear
So in my journal I write
I had a dream last night
Dreams could be fun but also scary
Dreams can be peaceful but also disruptive
I had a dream last night
Opening a portal I never wanted to be a part of
Reminding me of things I never wanted to remember
So in my journal I write
Old feelings were unlocked
Trauma was brought to light
I had a dream last night
Thoughts of hurt
Thoughts of death
So in my journal I write
Never thought dreaming could break your heart
I never knew sleeping would be so painful
I had a dream last night
So in my journal I write

Museums
Dulce Martinez

This project is a series of drawings made thinking about all the people that make up our beloved museums. It is still a work in progress but so far, I have drawn the Guggenheim in Bilbao and the Getty Center in Los Angeles. To augment the thought on the humans that have helped to shape each museum whether by building it literally or figuratively I have juxtaposed figures on the outside walls of the entrance to these buildings.

The primary guiding principle expressed by my project is Aesthetics and Creative Thinking. For this project we had to take two separate things and combine to form one central theme. I chose buildings and the human form. I had not thought of museums until I sat down to think more about finding a commonality between the two. I thought about how much we interact with buildings daily, but I wanted something more impactful, like a museum. Then from there I could think about the impact I wanted to make aesthetically. I wanted the drawing to be eye catching and maybe a little strange looking to get the viewers attention. That is when I settled on the idea of putting the human form on the buildings themselves rather than inside as we are accustomed. My original plan was to do it in a more realistic way but that is out of my current talent and developed techniques. Through creative thinking and aesthetics I was able to figure out what I wanted to bring to the viewer’s mind and how to best do that visually.

As a result of this project, I have learned tenacity. My professor as well as a couple of my classmates thought it was too difficult and complicated of an idea to follow through with and although it absolutely did not come out as I can envision it in my mind I am glad that I at least attempted it. I think it would be a theme that I would like to keep developing throughout the years even after finishing this series.

I am still curious about how much different groups of people interact with museums and how those interactions benefit both the museums and the public. Museums are not just places to escape to and post about on Instagram. They are someone’s workplace, places of learning, places of debate, and so on. I would like to do more research into that curiosity to further expand on this project one day.

Exploration of Character Design
Sofia Cordova

My project is on character design and my experience with designing original fictional characters using what I’ve learned about art and design over the past couple years. The Guiding Principle for Learning I am expressing in my project entirely has to do with Aesthetics and Creative Thinking. When designing a character, your task is to brainstorm concepts and ideas that will help you eventually develop a character with an appealing and pleasant design. An example of a pleasant design for a character would be one with a color scheme that complements itself well without unsatisfactory clashing elements. Your character’s design must also reflect their personality, you may use certain colors and clothing to indicate if your character is a relaxed or angry, bright or pessimistic, active or lazy, and all kinds of endless combinations. Making a character is all about expression and creative freedom, so it really does take a lot of creative thinking in order to make them aesthetically appealing.

Collaboration and Inclusion is also very common in character design. I often look to fellow artists like myself to ask for critique and advice on my designs, and they are always helpful and insightful. I’ve learned that character design is a crucial element that artists benefit from if done well. It’s not something you can be naturally skilled in. It takes a long time to learn about and improve in each factor that’s included when designing a character. These factors may include color theory, bodily anatomy, clothing details, posture, physical features, and several other factors that are a part of creating designs for characters! Nevertheless, I am still looking to improve my art and designs for my original characters. I know what it takes to create an aesthetic character, next step is to put that knowledge to use. I hope to be able to show my journey and improvement of character design throughout the last few months. After this, I will only improve further.

Frida Kahlo
Paola Villarruel

My project is a pop art portrait of Frida Kahlo using acrylic. Aesthetics and creative thinking is the primary principle expressed in my project. This principle is demonstrated in my project by using different color patterns and contrasts in order to illustrate an influential figure that impacted our society. While making this portrait pop art I discovered the importance of color, attention to detail, measurements, and how it all impacts the end result. This project guided me to be a better self-evaluator and accept the areas I was struggling in. I discovered by the end of this project the significance of time management, geometry, color variation, and patience. After this project, I am still curious if I could have challenge myself more to achieve a greater outcome and what different painting techniques I could have used to attempt a different effect on my artwork.

"Cielo" - Poetry Piece by Casandra Maciel
Casandra Maciel

I wrote “Cielo” about the relationship I have with my grandmother, along with my relationship with the women in my family. I don’t come from a close-knit family, so that’s where the inspiration for this piece came from. I am a firm believer that personal experiences are art in themselves. There is plenty of material out there and most of my work is from my own experience and exploration. Writing has always been a passion of mine and it’s cathartic to me. It’s an escape.

I believe my poetry piece falls within the category of Aesthetics & Creative Thinking. It fits because it is a piece written by my mind itself. It’s my own thoughts typed onto paper. I write because I need to. I invoked my own personal strife to create something impactful and expressive. I took a thought/idea and turned it into something poetic with a new meaning. Through this poem, I was able to confront a part of my life I never looked into. My relationship with my family is something that I put away, but now, I finally get to tell my story. I hope that my writing continues to express passion and tell stories through the years.

Venus
Belsy Trigueors

Venus sculpture that I had made. Inspired by the Venus of Willendorf which is a ancient art piece. I am representing Aesthetics and creative thinking. Aesthetics and creative thinking is expressed in my project because while creating the piece it forced me to think in how the creamer of the Venus of wilendorf thought. The older piece is meant to symbolize fertility which was also my goal to express femininity through the piece but I didn’t want it to represent only one women so I decided to not form a face on the piece. I wanted the piece to represent women as a whole rather than one alone. I think I have also included creation of knowledge because it extended my knowledge learning more about the project. I learned that if I push my abilities I will go further in life. I also learned more about history world art. I am still curious about more sculpture and I want to learn ways to make more experiments through art.

The Blue Crab
Sirena Cardenas

My project is a short personal narrative essay. As I was writing this essay, I thought back to the scene described in it and tried to be as descriptive as possible without exceeding a one-page limit.

I also used the crab to showcase my aesthetics by contrasting the color of the sand and the crab. With the one-page limit, there was not enough room for me to add enough background information, but it was a fun challenge nonetheless.

Koi Fish
Samantha Mota

Project was made out of canvas and acrylic paints.

Women Underwater
Samantha Mota

Made with acrylic paint and canvas.

The Lady Angel
Adiza Barrientos

https://youtu.be/v5iKEHGb1Ng

Student Showcase poster design
Adiza Barrientos

For my graphics communication class, our assignment is to design a new poster for the Student Showcase 2024.