What Does Collective Change Look, Sound, or Feel Like?
Digital Illustration, Music Production, Photography, Video Production, Ceramics, Fashion Design, Podcast Production, 3D Animation + Modeling
Across WMCAT’s Teen Arts + Tech Program studios, teen artists leveraged their creative mediums to answer the question, “what does collective change look, sound, or feel like?”
WMCAT’s Teen Arts + Tech Program provides GRPS 9-12th grade students the space to discover their voice and explore a variety of themes through visual arts and digital media. This semester our students have recorded music, used photos to compare past and present, illustrated memes, produced a short film, designed clothing and jewelry to represent peace over war, and more.
Hear what they had to share during the creative process here.
ARtistry In Motion: 3D Animation + Modeling
In this group project, students scanned a Grand River Walk tunnel during Grand Rapids’ World of Winter using the art as the virtual environment. The art piece represents changes in Grand Rapids from prehistoric to modern times. Each day students added a little more to the 3D environment as they learned new techniques: they began by creating digital graffiti on the wall then added lights, models with movement, and finally advanced models with animations.
Behind the Scenes
Finished Work
Ceramics + Fashion Design
The ceramics and fashion design studios teamed up to create two collaborative pieces featuring original clothing and ceramic jewelry. The teen artists hoped to inspire collective change towards global peace.
See the full fashion show here.
Behind the Scenes
Finished Work
Digital Illustration
Teen artists used their understanding of collective change to create memes using illustration and digital media.
Behind the Scenes
Finished Work
Documentary Filmmaking
Documentary filmmaking students created a satirical parody of TED talks that spotlight the generational divide between millennials and Gen Z. The teen artists hope to demonstrate that mutual respect is essential to collective change.
Behind the Scenes
Finished Work
Mural
Teen artists in the mural studio symbolized the collective change that happens when students are empowered to express themselves in the Teen Arts + Tech Program. Students demonstrated this through elements of their mural on the wall at WMCAT.
Behind the Scenes
Finished Work
Music Production
In the production of their album, teen artists used the concept of collective change to inspire an auditory journey for the listener. They used stylistic changes in music history and generational genre shifts to make a statement through song.
South (1960s): Barrett Vernon samples Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald
Untitled (1970s): Aaron Hinkle samples the Funky Drummer by Clyde Stubblefield
Beepbox Giggle (1980s): Charlotte Foreman samples 8-bit sounds from early video games
Autumn (2010s): Barrett Vernon samples Mortal Man by Kendrick Lamar
Behind the Scenes
Finished Work
Photography
Students responded to the driving question with a visual comparison of the past and present. Using their experiences with their family, friends, and surrounding community, teen artists found images from family members, albums, and archives and contrasted them with a photo they took this semester.
Behind the Scenes
Finished Work
Video Production
Students produced a collaborative and creative short film about a group of friends who graduate, separate, and change, but eventually reunite in support of one another.
Behind the Scenes
Finished Work
WMCAST: By Teens, For You
Students focused an episode of their podcast, WMCAST: By Teens, For You on the driving question. They facilitated a round table discussion on what collective change means to them, and its effect on art, class, and modern society.
