In a virtual event for the Debate 2020 Programming, Watkins College of Art at Belmont presented a gallery talk and tour of Designing A Democracy, an exhibit boasting a survey of graphic designs as experienced through political posters throughout history. Collector and local politician Ronnie Steine, along with exhibit co-curators Belmont University Professor of Graphic Design Dan Johnson and Director of Galleries Katie Mitchell, guided students through a tour of the gallery, sharing insights on each piece along the way.
The political posters in this gallery represent an emerging dynamic in mass media culture. They act as a mirror of culture to reinforce culture and commonality among politicians and Americans.
In a look at the posters through the years, it is apparent how art is defined by available technology of the time. From hand painted pieces, now collected, to the advanced pieces of today, often widely available for download, these posters are intentionally designed to connect with Americans.
In one section, posters represent an Age of Modernism in advertising, using simplistic and meaningful designs. Another section of the gallery represents the counter culture of the West Coast music scene and psychedelic culture of its time, using bright colors invoking perceptions of the drug culture and symbolic of its style.
In the McCarthy section, the hosts discussed how the posters represent the impact politics has on artists and in turn, the impact artists have on politics.
Political posters have evolved over time. The political world often draws upon what is happening in pop culture at the time, designing on the cutting edge to lend a candidate more credibility in being “the common man.”
Steine and Johnson closed encouraging the Belmont community to share in the conversation this gallery sparks and to use their voice to vote. The Designing a Democracy exhibition is on display in the Leu Art Gallery in the Lila D. Bunch Library at Belmont University through November 20, 2020.
Dr. Chris Barton and alumna Priyanka Kumar were recently published in the journal of Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry. The article, published by Elsevier, focuses on “reports of experimental results in medicinal chemistry, chemical biology and drug discovery and design, emphasizing new and emerging advances and concepts in these fields.”
The research paper published was a collaborative effort with Dr. Joe Deweese and Dr. Susan Mercer, both professors in Lipscomb’s College of Pharmacy. The project is centered around the synthesis of novel anti-cancer drugs and examined how these drugs affected the growth of human cancer cells.
Dr. Chris Barton is an associate professor of biology at Belmont and worked collaboratively with Kumar. As a class of 2019 biology major and a Belmont honors student, she is currently pursuing dental school at Tufts University in Massachusetts.
To read the full research project by Dr. Barton and Kumar, visit Science Direct.
As a part of both Belmont’s 19th-annual Humanities Symposium and Debate 2020 Programming, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences hosted author Joy Jordan-Lake for a conversation on “unearthing the past and rebuilding the present” through works of fiction. Jordan-Lake is a writer of a variety of nonfiction and fiction titles with a focus on social justice, including novels “Blue Hole Back Home” and “A Tangled Mercy.”
Jordan-Lake explained that fiction, grounded in historical events, can provide many lessons from the past, as well as strategies to fight injustices today. Through both classic and modern stories, fiction has the power to enact social change to bring us closer to a more perfect union.
Jordan-Lake’s own experiences surrounding racial injustices were foundational to her interest in novels of social change. She shared stories of her childhood in the South during a time of rampant racism that reached her small Appalachian town and greatly affected her friends. She befriended a Sri Lankan family who had moved to her community in hopes of experiencing equal opportunity in America. However, after many racist attacks on the family, the daughter asked Jordan-Lake why this kept happening to them. As young teenagers, Jordan-Lake was unable to provide an adequate answer to her friend, which sparked her motivation to write. These experiences inspired Jordan-Lake’s first novel “Blue Hole Back Home,” a story not only of the devastating effects of racial hatred, but a celebration of courage, confrontation and healing.
“You speak up. You say or you write. You let it be known however you have to,” Jordan-Lake said in response to hateful behavior or language. She encouraged that everyone has the ability to say “no” to those that marginalize or demean any part of the human community, can refuse to be a pawn in a game of power and tell a tale that might persuade.
On the power of story in effecting social change, Jordan-Lake explored the ways in which classic stories have affected American history. She explained American racial justice in fiction must be compelling in story, not in argument. This was exemplified in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Jordan-Lake noted that while the story is controversial, no one can question its impact on the conversation of racial justice. The criticisms of the story are legitimate and worthy of discussion, but must be examined in their historical context and impact of social change in its time.
Other authors of classic works, such as Charles Dickens, Upton Sinclair and John Steinbeck, have examples of novels that shifted the court of public opinion and continued debates on important topics. The sufferings and triumphs of the characters of their stories changed the views of many Americans, and at the least, provided a new perspective for many.
“How interesting that a work of fiction has been part of what has formed public opinion, part of the ongoing debate of democracy,” Jordan-Lake said. To students, she closed saying, “I encourage you to take note not just of the political debates and of celebrity posts about social issues, but also to take note of the novels that make you see the world a little different and maybe, just maybe, unearth a part of the past you’d never known. And maybe, just maybe, contribute to building a cultural present in which a democracy thrives, even as it values decency, compassion, diversity and equality.”
Junior entrepreneurship major Emily Henegar will tell you she agrees with one of her role models, Christina Tosi of the famous bakery Milkbar, when she says she knows what she wants to do for the rest of her life – make cookies.
What started as making cookies for family movie nights as a little girl has turned into a successful, custom-decorated, high-end sugar cookie business called Cookie in the Kitchen. “My cookies are elaborate, memorable and go a step further to illustrate people’s lives on an edible art form. (And they actually taste good!)”
Now in its ninth year, Henegar’s business has grown in popularity in both her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia and now in Nashville as a Belmont student, particularly through the music scene.
“In high school I would go to concerts and shows and bring cookies to give the artists, decorated with their album covers, merchandise, fan art, etc, as a way to meet the band,” Henegar explained. “Now I’m kind of known for that, and Nashville was the perfect place to take the idea.”
Henegar decorating her sugar cookies
Henegar posted photos of her cookies from various shows to her Instagram account and people noticed. She began getting orders from Triple 8 Management to create cookies for some of their clients, like Belmont alumni band Judah and the Lion. Pretty soon, she was hearing from Bridgestone Arena and being commissioned to make cookies for Travis Scott’s “Astroworld” tour and Ariana Grande’s tour.
There is not an official contract with Bridgestone, but Henegar does have the privilege of volunteering to make cookies for any show she likes, and either being paid or receiving concert tickets. “It’s kind of crazy. I asked to make cookies for the John Mayer show. I have known him and his music my whole life and it was just awesome to get to recreate some of his albums in cookie form,” she said.
There happened to be a Live Nation employee at one of the backstage parties who sampled the Cookie in the Kitchen product and ultimately ordered cookies for another event. All the buzz eventually led to a call from MTV after seeing Henegar’s custom cookies on Maggie Rogers’s Instagram story.
For a recent order, Henegar created a cookie depicting the Belmont Lawn
Henegar baked three sets of cookies for MTV, her biggest and most prominent client – one set to share for Nicki Minaj’s birthday, one for Harry Styles’s album release and one for the Top Albums of the decade, which included a cookie embodying Adele’s face for her album “21.”
Henegar laughed, “Usually I try to avoid putting faces on cookies, but there was no way around that one. I just kind of went for it.”
While Henegar says she is more of a graphic designer than a traditional painter or drawer, one look at her iced-by-hand cookie designs would suggest otherwise. As her only employee, Henegar does all photography, editing, social media, graphic design and of course, baking, for Cookie in the Kitchen. Her design communications minor comes in handy with design-related tasks for public relations and marketing for her business.
The baking is the easy part – Henegar has been doing that her whole life with her mom and her grandparents. But, her older sister had a clay figurine business (and a debit card) that she admired, which inspired her to launch Cookie in the Kitchen in the 5th grade. Her family helped her create a WordPress Blog, a logo and business cards. One day, she walked around her neighborhood offering cookie samples and asking if neighbors would like to make an order. She received 19 orders that day. Since then, Cookie in the Kitchen grew little by little through word of mouth around Atlanta.
Henegar gives Belmont-themed cookies to Dr. Bob Fisher, President of Belmont University
She started with basic cookie flavors like chocolate chip, double chocolate peanut butter and lemon before honing in on sugar cookie decoration in middle school when her business began taking off.
Henegar worked with her artistic sister to learn decorating, mixed in with some trial and error, YouTube tutorials and help from a family friend with a cooking blog. But really, she picked it up on her own.
When Henegar began looking for college options, she knew she wanted to find a place in a city atmosphere, with a Christian culture and located somewhat close to home. “I was looking at entrepreneurship programs, and it happened to be that Belmont’s program was outstanding. Nashville made the most sense,” she explained. “Plus, everyone here is passionate about something, so I felt like my passion would fit really well with the Belmont community.”
She was right. She is now known around campus as “Cookie Girl,” not far from her grandfather’s nickname for her: “Cookie.” Along with her family, Henegar said her Belmont peers are some of her biggest supporters and encouragers, and most of her orders now come from Nashville through word of mouth and plenty of brags on Instagram.
“I’ve been able to really build my brand and create an image for my business, which has been great. The entrepreneurship program at Belmont has given me so much useful information and has the most wonderful professors,” Henegar said. “It’s really fun for me to think about it growing into a bakery one day, too, and to think of what I hope to curate in a community. I want my name to not only be known for concert cookies, but also for being passionate and really connecting with employees and customers.”
Henegar dreams of one day having a bakery focused on hospitality and an environment of community where people can study, hang out with friends and connect, like a coffee shop-bakery hybrid. She would like to stay focused on cookies, as most bakeries only offer cookies as an add-on. Henegar said the continuously up-and-coming city of Nashville, with its vibrant coffee shop atmosphere and love for small businesses, seems like the perfect place to be.
“My success with baking for the music industry has really changed the way I think about my business and showed me that there is a really niche market here,” she explained.
Emily Henegar, Cookie in the Kitchen
As a junior, Henegar is really starting to focus on the business side of things and credits Entrepreneurship Professor Dr. Jeffrey Cornwall and Director of Belmont’s Center for Entrepreneurship Elizabeth Gortmaker with giving her great business advice and guidance. She is always developing her product, and from seeing her mom live with Celiac’s all her life, she hopes to offer safe and tasty gluten-free products, as well.
The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t affected business for Cookie in the Kitchen as one might think. Henegar explained people are looking for creative solutions to disappointments about cancellations of in-person events and are willing to spend more on cookies because they face less expenses, not being able to throw large birthday or graduation parties.
“At a time when depressing headlines splatter the news, cookies can be a vessel for joy, creativity and belonging for bakers and customers alike,” Henegar said. “Personally, they’re not just a way for me to keep busy: they’re a part of who I am. Cookies allow me to express myself, show my love to others and they excite me for my future ahead.”
Henegar is proud of her ability to be a student and successfully run her business, although sometimes that comes with pulling all-nighters to fill orders and foregoing social events to bake. But when school or life gets tough, Henegar can always rely on her delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe for comfort.
Caroline Pace and Cooper Smith, two Belmont Motion Pictures graduates, recently competed in the Nashville 48 Hour Film Project. Pace won Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design and Cooper won Best Screenplay and was nominated for Best Actor. In total, the two received 15 nominations and won six awards, including Best Directing, Best Sound Design, Best Soundtrack/Score and Best in Genre.
The film will screen at this year’s Nashville Film Festival and is also set to compete in the global “filmapalooza” challenge. Pace and Smith drew the category soap opera/telenovela and were presented with a required line of dialogue, character and prop that had to be tied into the film. For the project, each entry was conceptualized and finished within 48 hours. The top ten films of this competition will be screened at Festival de Cannes.
In anticipation of the Oct. 22 Presidential Debate on Belmont University’s campus, visual artists from across the United States were invited this summer to use the American flag and their home states as inspiration to create Unity Flags that promote empathy for bipartisanship. The brainchild of Belmont’s Watkins College of ArtAssistant Professor/Program Director of Fine Arts Dr. Meaghan Brady Nelson, the now completed “Unity Flag Project” is on display in the campus’ Leu Center for the Visual Arts. Since the University’s COVID-19 protocols currently restrict in person access to the gallery to Belmont students, faculty and staff, a free website—unityflagproject.com—was built to allow art lovers anywhere to enjoy the exhibit for free.
The artists, who represent more than 30 states, were asked to create a 3 foot by 5 foot flag that demonstrates “purple empathy,” a concept indicative of the optical blending of Blue and Red coming together to engage in bipartisan civil discourse. A virtual gallery presentation featuring Nelson and other contributing artists discussing the project and selected works will be held Thursday, Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. CT—visit the Events page on belmontdebate2020.com to join the online conversation.
From Sea to Shining Sea, Unity Flag submitted by Holly Grosshans (Illinois)
“Belmont University is recognized nationally as an exceptionally talented and creative community,” said Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher. “As the catalyst and organizer of this exhibit, Dr. Brady Nelson exemplifies that notion while also using her skills to inspire civil discourse among her students and everyone fortunate enough to experience these works of art. This reflects a uniquely Belmont way to explore citizenship as we prepare for hosting the third and final presidential debate of 2020.”
Dr. Brady Nelson added, “As the director of The Unity Flag Project, I had the extreme honor of unrolling each Unity Flag and viewing them first as they arrived on Belmont University’s campus. As I critically read the visual of each one, I became overwhelmed with a feeling of connection and community deeper than I have ever experienced through collaborative artmaking. It is obvious that every Unity Flag creator dedicated many hours to their design and process of making. For this I am deeply humbled and inspired as an Artist and an American. Each Unity Flag is distinctive in its visual meaning, and as a collective they help us to understand, become aware of, and sensitive to, vicariously experiencing bipartisan discourse.”
Some examples of the artwork presented in the Unity Flag Project include:
Dr. Craig Wansink, Christine Hall and Kelly Jackson of the Robert Nusbaum Center at Virginia Wesleyan University collaborated on a flag that uses a lighthouse and heart images in representing their state, noting them as symbols of welcome and hope. “The United States has been a beacon of hope for so many around the world. May we remain vigilant in uniting around a vision for a more perfect union, a union in which equality and justice for all ring true.”
Tanya Wall and Jordan Sauer were inspired by the Wyoming State Code of Ethics in creating their flag, encouraging viewers to do their part to make the world a better place. “We believe that kindness, courage and optimism are traits we should all have in this current time and climate in order to make a positive impact on humanity.”
From Alaska, Vonnie Gaither uses a flag seemingly covered in confetti to express her idea: “Confetti is defined as small bits of paper, usually colored, thrown or dropped to enhance the gaiety of an event. I think of confetti as a form of celebration such as a party, a wedding, and joyful holidays when people get together as one. My flag of splattered colors represents a celebration of America, the unification of all into one.”
It was a historic night for bluegrass band Sister Sadie, which includes Belmont staff member Tina Adair Dishman, director of Curb College Academic Advising.
The International Bluegrass Music Association held its 31st Annual Bluegrass Music Awards, and the band was awarded one of the biggest accolades of the night, “Entertainer of the Year.” This is the first time in the show’s history that an all-female band has received this honor. Sister Sadie also won Vocal Group in the Year for the second year in a row.
“WOW is an understatement for what happened last night. I, along with the other ladies of Sister Sadie are so grateful and honored to be voted in as the 2020 IBMA Entertainer and Vocal Group of the Year! Both awards mean so much to us and our hope is to represent these categories to the best of our ability throughout this coming year,” Dishman said. “On a personal note…Singing, entertaining and making music has been my passion, heart and soul since I can remember. It’s all I’ve ever known! To be able to share my love of that with the other four ladies in Sister Sadie is icing on the cake! I never take any of these experiences for granted. I am truly blessed and grateful!”
Sister Sadie is made up of critically-acclaimed singer Dale Ann Bradley, Tina Adair, ACM winner Deanie Richardson and Gena Britt. Prior to forming the band, each member already had roots planted deep within the genre. They formed after a ‘one-night only’ performance at the Station Inn in Nashville, which later developed into Sister Sadie.
In continuation of the “White House Style” series hosted by Libby Callaway, the second webinar premiered on October 1, entitled “Department of the Interior- Designing the White House.” The night featured special guest Michael Smith, Los Angeles based interior designer, who received the 2018 Arthur Ross Award for Excellence in the field of design.
Smith has worked under the Obama administration where first lady, Michelle Obama, described how his work combines both the past and the present. He has published various books that are an attempt to hold onto the memory of each historical moment in the White House. Currently, with offices all over the world, Smith began working for well-known people at the mere age of 23 which he credits as his gateway into his career.
Throughout the night, Smith shared a lot of his experiences working with the Obama family and how each element of the White House during their residency was crafted to feel welcoming and comfortable for their family. Smith expressed that Lady Obama’s amiable personality is an inspiration for the design elements. “Michelle Obama takes time to connect and talk to each person she meets. She is always giving and is kind and thoughtful,” said Smith.
Bedroom in White House designed by Michael Smith
Smith shared the importance of each design element is significant to the president residing in the White House. “You have to consider who made this, what is the story behind the maker and how does this relate to American culture and the American story,” expressed Smith. He shared how First Lady Obama had the ability to be creative and radiant during their administration which is why the rooms in the house embodied a warm and inviting feeling.
The White House is a place where everyone can be represented, and Smith shared how the various design elements are an analogy of an inclusive and diverse idea of America. His approach is to design a room that tells a story of both the president and the previous leaders. “I try to be personal. The prettiest rooms are the ones that are pretty, but they’re custom to you,” said Smith.
The night ended with a question and answer portion from students and faculty in the O’More College of Design. Smith shared his favorite elements of his design makeovers and credited his mentors in England for helping him craft his style. He encouraged students to “look at the history of the world through the history of art and decor,” as each student develops their own personal craft and style.
President Obama entertaining inside the White House
He also closed by urging students to vote this year and expressed the importance of having your voice heard. “Voting is such a privilege, but it’s also a duty. Our country functions best and it’s most precious when we are engaged and making an investment in our country,” Smith said.
The White House Style series can be found on its page on the Belmont Debate 2020 website.
Music business major Carly Moffa has been working alongside the Nashville Film Festival in order to teach young females more about the songwriting process from start to finish. Moraine Music Group, Youth Villages, Songwriters Sinclair, Shannon LaBrie and Sarah Holbrook have also partnered with the film festival in order to provide at-risk youth with a unique opportunity to write, record and film their own song.
Moffa works with young girls from a local group home in Nashville who have experienced trauma and abuse and is able to provide a creative outlet for them through songwriting. The first meeting was conducted on Zoom where the girls were able to write the first verse and chorus independently.
“The experience showed me the power that music has to connect and heal, even during a time when it feels like physically I am isolated from so many others,” expressed Moffa.
In the past couple of weeks, the girls had the opportunity to record their own song socially distanced in the studio. Moffa helped the girls with songwriting, lyrics and melody throughout the project as the girls centered the song around hope and the perseverance to hold on.
“I’m honored to be a part of this project with these girls. My intention is to show up and hold space for the girls to express themselves, however that looks. Whether it’s art or lyrics or melody or whatever. To just tell them that we hear you, we see you, you are not alone and you matter. Their voice matters,” shared Moffa.
The song and video Moffa has been working on with the girls will premiere at Nashville Film Festival’s virtual festival on October 1-7 on their website. For more information on how to get involved, readers can visit the Youth Villages website.
In continuation of Belmont’s “Ideas of America” programming, the University hosted Dr. Lee C. Camp, author of “Scandalous Witness” to discuss the integration of politics and Christianity. Throughout his book, he addresses the newly conceived perception of Christianity as a “bad public joke,” especially in the realm of politics. “We need to find a way to reconfigure the nature of Christian political witness,” said Camp.
Camp stressed the need for Christians not to belittle religion to a political stance. The importance of history in both politics and Christianity is one that he emphasized as “doing the great work of God’s redemptive purposes.” Reducing the idea that Christianity is a partisan position on the right or the left is the starter in preventing a flawed claim.
Camp discussed the importance of knowledge of Christian empire history as a way of understanding that the United States is not the ‘ultimate historical concern,’ but one that is presented to the world. “The goal is to describe what it is that we are for as Christians and what we are trying to be in the world,” shared Camp.
Camp challenged viewers with a question, and said, “In all sorts of animosity and hostility, we are called again to ask ourselves how might we rightfully bear witness to a new rightful scandal?” He encouraged Christians to confront the oppression before our country and work to change injustice using all the resources from the biblical narrative.
Camp ended with opening the floor to questions from Belmont’s student body and gave them a more personal insight into his book. To learn more about “Scandalous Witness” and receive more resources on politics and Christianity together, Dr. Camp just released a new online course.
