Young, Gifted, and Black Gospel Choir perseveres Arts

By Taylor Nunley nunleyta@grinnell.edu

56 years ago, in 1967, six Black Grinnell College students came together to share their love for gospel music and worship. From there, the Young, Gifted, and Black Gospel Choir (YGB) was formed. A place where Black students could embrace their religion and celebrate their faith in a Black Church tradition, YGB was a welcome respite from classes or work. YGB only grew after its inception — in numbers, events, ideas and diversity.

After the COVID-19 pandemic struck in spring 2020, the choir dwindled to a fraction of its rich, flourishing assembly of members. Once filled with over 40 students, YGB now has less than 13 active members in the choir. “It’s not as robust as far as participation,” said Michael Sims, adviser to YGB and dean of student involvement. “Prior to the pandemic, on average, we probably would have between 26 and 35 students registered for the class.”

Sims said he believes a multitude of causes are contributing to YGB’s lower numbers. Due to the pandemic, upperclassmen student leaders who may have been more enthusiastic about the choir left the College. With

By Zach Spindler-Krage spindler@grinnell.edu

Four years of interdisciplinary studies by Chase Holdener `23 are culminating this month in an exhibition of original artwork. Holdener is double-majoring in biology and computer science, but his passion for art rivals his dedication to science. Fortunately, Holdener has not had to choose between his interests — in fact, he has combined them.

Holdener’s exhibition, “Breadth of Biology,” opened in Smith Gallery on Jan. 30 and received over one hundred visitors during the two-hour opening ceremony. The exhibition features eight prints inspired by biology that depict the diversity of life. If viewed in clockwise order, the artwork successively zooms out in biological scope from microscopic to macroscopic.

“The artwork reflects varying scales of biology from molecular in ‘Central Dogma’ to cellular in ‘Cell Suspension.’ At the organism level, I made ‘Trilobite Fossils,’ and ‘Bug Feast’ represents the ecological scale,” said Holdener, referring to the titles of his works.

Although Holdener produced all of the art on display within the past five months, the ideas were collected over four years of classes and research. One of the pieces, “Cell Suspension,” is based on a photo that Holdener captured during his summer 2022 research internship at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in Missouri. “We had inserted DNA into cells that contained genes for a fluorescent protein. When we imaged the cells, I saw how pretty the photo was and wanted to incorporate the image into my art,” said Holdener.

To translate the photograph into an art piece, Holdener used screen printing. “Essentially, the image becomes a highly-detailed stencil that blocks the ink, creating the art around it. I used this technique in order to replicate the precision of the image and vary the color scheme to make it visually pleasing.”

Holdener learned about screen printing from art professor Matthew Kluber’s course on print media in fall 2022. Kluber recommended that that loss of passion, Sims said he believes certain students may feel that they may not be able to join YGB.

“We were a very diverse group,”

Sims said, referring to the choir before the pandemic. “We’ve had folks from all over … From many countries, in many states … and I think sometimes people take the name and think, ‘Oh, well, I don’t belong,’ whereas before the pandemic it wasn’t an issue.”

“The name stays out of namesake out of respect [for] all those before and because of what the tradition is. It’s not about makeup,” Sims added.

Sonia Benitez Torres `23 said she found Black Church at Grinnell, during her first year, in her search for a regular church to attend. “I went to a church in town, and I didn’t really like it … The sermon was not my cup of tea.” In contrast, at Black Church at Grinnell, Benitez Torres found a sense of belonging. “I enjoyed the music. And I liked that there were other students of color there.”

After learning about YGB from Black Church at Grinnell, Benitez Torres joined in the spring semester of her first year. But she remembers a different YGB, too. “I remember joining and feeling overwhelmed. There were a lot of people, and everyone kind of knew each other and was very welcoming. It was overwhelming in a good way … Now, there’s just like one row of us when we go to the meetings.”

After involvement with choir and directing a religious group in high school, Essi Adokou `25 said YGB allows her to keep practicing her faith. “I was already involved in my religious life before coming here, and so to not fall apart from my culture and my religion, YGB kept me grounded and connected to my religious life,” Adokou said.

Despite the gospel choir’s low numbers, leaders and students alike stay positive. Sims said this is not the first time in the history of YGB that numbers have dipped. After its initial six members grew to over 30, they dropped back down in the early 1990s. “For the most part, it has been a pretty strong number, which is something that we hope to get back,” said Sims.

Spring Tour, an event held during Grinnell College’s spring break that involves YGB members traveling across the country to sing and perform a service project, has not happened post-pandemic. 2023 is the first year that YGB leaders have entertained the idea of Spring Tour because of health safety, but due to numbers, Spring Tout will continue to be delayed. “We’d like numbers to get up because in order to do Tour, we really need to have more bodies,” Sims said.

Although YGB members will not be performing during Spring Tour, they will be performing at the upcoming annual Black History Month service on Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. in Herrick Chapel.

YGB encourages all interested to join the choir. Students involved in YGB earn one music credit.

Holdener apply to exhibit in the Smith Gallery with five of the pieces he had completed in class. Upon acceptance, Holdener finished three additional pieces over winter break.

Many of Holdener’s artistic strategies come from prior classes and personal experimentation. In high school, Holdener took two art classes — two of his pieces were accepted to the Ohio Governor's Youth Art Exhibition — and he continued his art education by taking “Introduction to Studio Art” the spring of his first year at Grinnell College. Holdener has found that the intersection of his artistic and academic interests offers a new perspective on science.

“When you make art about biology, it's different from images in a textbook. I wanted to catch peoples’s eye and get them excited about artwork, but then also take away a few things about biology.” Holdener believes that his academic background has been formative in the quality of his work. “When you’re passionate about what you’re communicating, it makes for effective art.”

Holdener — who is also a Goldwater scholar, member of the biology major Student Educational Policy Committee (SEPC) and founder of the College plant club — plans to do a five-year graduate program in computational biology before pursuing a career in biology research. “I can see myself becoming a professor. Academia would likely offer me the most freedom in deciding what I want to research,” said Holdener.

To Holdener, this exhibition is a reminder that breadth and depth are not mutually exclusive. Instead, intense dedication to numerous fields can strengthen understanding. “I learned that you can enjoy biology and computer science before switching gears to make an art show. It's all interdisciplinary. Capitalize on the freedom to intertwine your goals.”

Holdener’s exhibition, “Breadth of Biology,” is open through Feb. 10 in Smith Gallery (located inside the Joe Rosenfield Center). Smith Gallery applications are announced bi-annually by the art SEPC and art department. Applicants must be studio art or art history majors, or be currently enrolled in a studio art course.