Me, Here (at NOVA), and Elsewhere:
A Book Arts Project with Sushmita Mazumdar
and the AAPI Center at NOVA
“It is often difficult to share stories about ourselves with strangers. Many things can get in the way—memories, emotions, past experiences. Even though “art” might at first seem intimidating, the arts can help us free the stories from within us. We just need the right space, inspiration, and encouragement to do it. But first, we have to show up and give it a try. Otherwise, we will never know.” - Sushmita
I was invited to create a project for the students of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA)’s AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Center. So I looked at the exhibits that were up at the Studio’s Columbia Pike location, the inaugural 2 “Me, Here” exhibits, and decided to invite the students to share their own “Me, Here” stories through creating their own magical 3D, house-shaped books.
Combining my ongoing project City of Stories where the 3D house-shaped books are created and displayed like a “city” with the “Me, Here” idea led to this whole new way of inviting people to create their own house-shaped artist’s book.
Session 1: The students came to visit Studio PAUSE so they could experience my “Me, Here” story which is what Studio PAUSE really is. Then, when I gave them a studio tour of the 2 exhibits “Me, Here:” Stories of People & Place as told by the Studio PAUSE Community and “Me, Here:” Stories of Barcroft Apartments as told by the Columbia Pike Documentary Project, they got to see all the ways in which the participants of the exhibits have expressed their own Me, Here stories. Then they each learned how to make the exhibit catalog through a bookmaking workshop. The catalog would be the textbook as it had the stories of each participant, pictures of their artworks, bios, headshots, and responses from visitors. So a lot of art, stories, and community to get inspired by! Plus, an experience to start working with their hands in artful ways.
Session 1:
The students came to visit Studio PAUSE so they could experience my “Me, Here” story which is what Studio PAUSE really is. Then, when I gave them a studio tour of the 2 exhibits “Me, Here:” Stories of People & Place as told by the Studio PAUSE Community and “Me, Here:” Stories of Barcroft Apartments as told by the Columbia Pike Documentary Project, they got to see all the ways in which the participants of the exhibits have expressed their own Me, Here stories. They then each learned how to make the exhibit catalog through a bookmaking workshop. The catalog would be the textbook as it had the stories of each participant, pictures of their artworks, bios, headshots, and responses from visitors. So a lot of art, stories, and community to get inspired by! Plus, an experience to start working with their hands in artful ways.
Session 2:
For the art-making session I took all kinds of art supplies to NOVA’s AAPI Center. We covered all the tables with butcher paper and the students learned to make the house-shaped book. Then we brainstormed different ways we can tell the story of how they were at NOVA and on the other side, how they were Elsewhere. We focussed on People - it could be them, family, or ancestors—and Place which would be NOVA and somewhere else.
Then they experimented with art making! I showed them how I use script and language in art-making and in the exhibit they had seen examples of people writing in their native scripts. We talked about how so many of our names are different in our cultures and at our American schools and workplaces.
Session 3:
For the last session I took all kinds of art supplies to NOVA’s AAPI Center, but this time to help with writing the stories. Fine tipped markers of all colors, color pencils to color on the gorgeous pastel paper the students had made the house-shaped books out of.
Students had sent in their stories—there were poems, a storyboard, maps and so much more! It was amazing!
The students also learned how to include their art making from Session 2 into the book. They got so creative it was great to see them enjoy. They sat with friends and food, chatting and writing, sewing, gluing, cutting.
Earlier that week I had dropped off my 3-panel frame which I have used for my City of Stories projects. I showed the students how their books will be displayed so they could place text, images, etc accordingly. Painted in chalkboard paint, I used chalk markers to draw on it elements of the City or in this case, the NOVA campus. On the other side I invited students to add elements from the books to denote their “Elsewhere.”
As they completed their books and brought it for display, I got to read some stories and see the art. Some highlights:
• I saw the cursive children learn to write in schools in Vietnam. Kim showed me how she took that to her calligraphy as well
• I tasted Filipino snacks for the first time and Hong Kong style coffee tea as well!
“The workshops were a wonderful way to learn the different lives and stories of the students in our AAPI Connect group. More amazing was the creativity and talent from everyone who participated! Their work and stories are a great example of the diverse experiences and lives that make up NOVA.”
- Dr. Mei Lan Frame, AANAPISI grant coordinator and AAPI Intercultural Center, director
Student responses:
“Hello Ms. Sush, thank you for hosting and introducing us to such memorable and meaningful projects. As I've told you earlier, I really admire your imagination and creativity. Your passion for art is really inspiring and I would say that you rekindled my love for the arts.”
- Nico Gabriel
“Hi I’m Mary. The sessions were very creative and engaging. I had fun! The sessions gave me ideas on my identity as an Asian.”
- Metpiya
Photos: Students working on their books and adding them to the display. Last photo, from left: Dr Frame, Kim, Helina (Studio PAUSE volunteer), and me, Sush.
Reception:
Tue, April 23
4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
The reception was a wonderful experience! Students had brought in completed books and I displayed them according to the size of the writing so all the books were easy to read. Students ran in—in the middle of lectures, dropped off books, let me take a photo, and ran off. It was great to hear their experience with making the art, and it was so cool seeing them explain their work to friends and students from other groups.
THE DISPLAY: One side of the installation panels had all the “Me, Here (at NOVA)” sides of the books displayed while the other side showed all the “…and Elsewhere” sides of the books.
Photos, right, show some books from the NOVA side and some books from the Elsewhere side
RESPONSES: We invited visitors to respond to the work via Post-It notes as well. They wrote about books that resonated with them and stuck them on the installation panel near the book.
Me, Here (at NOVA):
… And Elsewhere:
