My name is Rachel Doub, and I am a senior with a major in fine arts and a minor in art history. Since being at the University of Tennessee I have come to find my true passions and interests within the art world. I was a Chemistry major for two years before I took an art class and fell in love with the discipline. Since switching I have also discovered the world of art history that now greatly informs my art practice.
My name is Emma Vieser. I will be a senior this fall, double majoring in Studio Art (2D) and Art History. I believe that is important to both practice making art and to learn about why it was made in the past in order to be a more responsible creator. I am mainly a photographer, but I am interested in printmaking and sculpture as well. In France, I am going to be beginning a photography project that aims to explore the way that gender expression manifests in a culture where the language is inherently gendered. I will be meeting and photographing members of the LGBT+ community, specifically folks who identify outside of the gender binary. My hope, with this project and all of my art, is to find familiarity in the unfamiliar. For me, personally, this means to find a community in Paris that resembles my own in Knoxville. For my viewers, I hope that they can find a piece of themselves in my work.
My name is Makayla Harmon. Currently, I am a freshman pursuing a major in political science and French as well as a minor in art history. While international relations and community activism are my passions, I have always held a spot in my heart for the arts. During my time in Paris, I hope to explore the intersections of politics and art, looking at art as a reflection of political culture, identity, and history in southern America through Sally Mann’s A Thousand Crossings. Having been born and raised in the south, I connect with Mann’s work on a level that is all at once personal, emotional, and intellectual. For one, her images remind me of the place I call home while also unearthing the confused feelings I have towards a region I owe much of my life to. In essence, I strive to uncover in what ways her art is both influenced by and represents the unique experiences of the south.
My name is Mary Margaret Micheaux Williams. As an Architecture student with a minor in Interior Architecture at UTK, where, art is an everpresent entity in my studies. I am in Chi Omega sorority, where I have taken leadership roles and am involved in Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). Since beginning my college journey, I have spent my time working on art commissions spanning from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington D.C.
Ever since I was a little girl, my dream has been to travel to Paris and study the art and other rich cultural elements the city holds. In fact, when I toured the architecture school junior year with my mom, I saw a poster for this program and told her I was sold. This program provides the opportunity to explore my own heritage and ancestral culture while deepening my proficiency in art history in one of the richest cultural centers in the world. This scholarship supplies me with the reality of working towards my academic goals, which will reward my professional goals tenfold.
Cultural conditions of historical contexts inspired many, if not all, artists. My research will situate itself on this notion that culture has a direct coorelation with art made during any particular period in history. Specifically, the research would explore the representation of religious beliefs in art during the reformation period and how this work led to iconoclasm.