Alexander, Nyah (Week 10)

Going into this class I was excited to continue learning about artists from different cultures, and expand my knowledge on art that I had always been interested in and surrounded by growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area. This class was always so interesting and fun, and broadened my knowledge of artists and art styles. As a World Arts and Cultures major I am always in classes that are centered around art and a primary focus of my studies is centered around highlighting and celebrating the efforts of people from all cultures and backgrounds. I was glad to continue this work and expand my knowledge of Chicanx art and artists in this class. 

I enjoyed reading the artist books and being able to dive deeply into learning about multiple Chicana artists, and researching one throughout the quarter. I learned so much more about the cultural significance of art styles such as murals and altars, and learned about new concepts like rasquachismo from our readings and our class discussions. As a Black woman, I resonated with readings and discussions about the struggles of Chicana artists and the lack of recognition they receive in the art world as it is similar within my own community.

Overall, I always looked forward to this class this quarter. It allowed me to expand my knowledge of and appreciation for Chicana art and artists. I also saw an improvement in my writing skills over the course of the quarter with the weekly blog posts and short writing assignments, helping me to become better at discussing art and artists. I really enjoyed deeply researching and learning about Anna María Arevalo Gosen, and the Wiki Project was a great practice in research and uplifting artists that are doing important and amazing work.