MASON HOSTS NATIONAL PORTFOLIO DAY

SISC JOHNSON CREATED “LOST IN PANDEMIC, COLLABORATIVE ISOLATION,” A PROJECT FOR WHICH SHE SOLICITED IMAGES FROM MORE THAN 60 ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS AROUND THE WORLD .

PHOTOS BY KEVIN KRISKO

Since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, our country has been experiencing a reckoning with crucial matters that affect our society as a whole. From an unexpected health crisis to issues of racism and social injustice, the Mason community has been deeply impacted by these events. Many of our students have stepped up to the plate by utilizing their art to create awareness of these problems, as well as galvanizing their peers into action to provide solutions.

Art student Sisc Johnson created “Lost in Pandemic, Collaborative Isolation,” a collaborative project for which she solicited images from more than 60 artists and photographers around the world—a group that includes Mason faculty and fellow students. The result is a gripping, single collection that depicts each individual’s personal experience during quarantine, while inspiring a sense of connectedness through this global reality.

Theater and film student Jordyn Caldwell rose to the occasion as an activist when she—along with Sandy Shafik, a Government and International Politics major—organized a Black Lives Matter rally in Old Town Fairfax. The peaceful event had over 1,000 people in attendance. The rally featured an impressive cohort of speakers, including her father Robert (a friend of the late George Floyd), her mother Felicia, a member of the local NAACP, and a motivational speaker.

Film student Sara Wofley became a fundraiser for worthy causes during the lockdown. She was inspired by illustrations circulating on social media and decided to learn the art form. After noticing a compellingly positive response to her own illustrations, Sara moved to use her new skill to garner support for causes in which she believes. Within a few days, she received dozens of commissions and raised hundreds of dollars for Justice for Breonna Taylor.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the goal of continuing to create community through the arts, the College of Visual and Performing Arts launched Mason Arts at Home on April 2, 2020. This digital programming initiative offered both streamed performances and “backstage” opportunities to hear from professional artists as well as Mason artists, faculty, students, and alumni about their work. During the spring 2020 semester, more than 80 digital programs were viewed over 200,000 times by audiences around the world, expanding CVPA’s footprint and reaching new audiences.

Both student artists and professional artists who would have appeared as part of the Center for the Arts or Hylton Performing Arts Center seasons were featured in Mason Arts at Home digital events, offering performances, conversations, and interactive Q&As. Highlights of the first iteration of Mason Arts at Home included a discussion between Dean Rick Davis and Grammy® Award-winning jazz artist Maria Schneider (one of Mason’s Artists-In-Residence for 2019-2020), a livestream concert by D.C.-based Americana band Bumper Jacksons (who were scheduled to perform last season at the Hylton Center), and Music in the Time of Quarantine, the final performance by the Dewberry School of Music during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Mason Arts at Home also served as a platform through which the College encouraged, supported, and disseminated the work of alumni to a broader audience. CVPA launched the Alumni Artist Support Initiative to support alumni artists during this time by awarding micro-grants for the creation of digital content and new works. The awardees were presented as part of Mason Arts at Home or in-person programming. The first alumni featured as part of this initiative included theater alumna Rebecca Wahls in Rebecca and Becca in Space and music alumnus Brandon Showell and theater alumna Caroline Weinroth in A Celebration of Alumni Singer-Songwriters.

Though the initiative was designed to give back to our supporters, students, families, faculty, and community of arts enthusiasts, it has unlocked a new way to share the mission of CVPA far beyond our campuses.

Adrienne Bryant Godwin,

Director of Programming, CVPA