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The first floor of the George D. Aiken Center—home of the on �պ�����’s campus—contains an always-active student lounge, multiple classrooms, a large lecture hall, a computer lab, secure indoor bike parking, and as of November 2023, an art gallery.

The gallery fills a well-lit hallway with thought-provoking artwork created by members of the Rubenstein School community. It was developed as the first project of the Rubenstein School Inclusive Arts Initiative. The Inclusive Arts Initiative was created by four staff members: Hannah Kershaw, Cathy Shiga-Gattullo, Alayna Howard, and Marie Vea. It is one way the School is pursuing its mission question: How can the Rubenstein School unleash empathy, passion, innovation, and creativity to heal and radically change human-environment systems in a just, equitable, and ecological direction?

“We acknowledge that art and creativity are important tools in the movement towards justice and healing for and with the environment,” said Marie Vea, Rubenstein School Assistant Dean for Student Services. “With this new gallery, we’re striving to reflect these values and make space to represent our community’s wide-ranging talents and diverse identities.”

All artists in the Rubenstein School community are encouraged to participate, especially those who hold traditionally underrepresented or marginalized identities, such as LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and individuals with disabilities.

Inaugural Gallery

The Inaugural Gallery is made up of nine framed pieces created by six Rubenstein School undergraduate and graduate students. A small committee of staff and faculty in the School facilitated the call for art and the selection of the featured pieces.

“It is essential to create a dialogue between art and the environment,” said Hannah Kershaw, Rubenstein School Student Services Assistant. “We prompted artists to submit pieces that connect their identities and their relationship to nature, the result has been a passionate gallery that I believe resonates with a wide variety of visitors.”

In their artist statements, each artist explores the Rubenstein School mission question and reflects on how the multifaceted distinctions of self are tied to the natural world. so that the art and accompanying statements can be enjoyed from anywhere.

Collaboration Across �պ�����

While the Inclusive Arts Initiative is embedded in the Rubenstein School, the process of launching the gallery and offering ongoing programming was and continues to be highly collaborative. Kershaw and Shiga-Gattullo partnered directly with the �պ����� College of Arts and Sciences to develop the gallery. They worked with Kelley Di Dio, Executive Director of the School of the Arts, to link students in the Museum Studies program to the gallery project.

Via Hedley ’26, Gender Studies and Environment Studies double major and Art minor, and Latham Allison ’25, Studio Art major and Community and International Development minor, interned with Kershaw and Shiga-Gattullo during the fall 2023 semester. The two students helped to arrange the artwork and developed and installed gallery labels for each piece. This proved to be an important skill-building opportunity for the students.

Hedley was excited to get involved with the Inclusive Arts Initiative because it related to her multiple areas of study: the environment, gender, and art. “It combined all of these intersecting elements of identity, creativity, and environmental work, it was a perfect fit,” she explained.

“We worked closely with the artists to accurately reflect their voices in the descriptions of their works,” said Hedley. “It was a great experience to connect with fellow artists and ensure their unique art was honored.”

The students gained specific experience that they can apply directly to work on future exhibits. Hedley’s work with the Inclusive Arts Initiative will continue as she is seeking opportunities for the initiative to highlight Indigenous artists in future programs.

Staff members of the Fleming Museum of Art were also crucial to the success of the gallery. Kristan Hanson, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions, and Suzy Zaner, Preparator, consulted with the Inclusive Arts Initiative team on multiple occasions, offering guidance on everything from gallery lighting to ideas for future installations in the Aiken Center.

“The collaboration with students and staff from other corners of �պ����� has been one of my favorite parts of this project,” said Cathy Shiga-Gattullo, Rubenstein School Professional Advisor. “Art Is a great connector, spanning every discipline.”

More to Come

The gallery is scheduled to rotate annually, with the next exhibit coming in fall 2024. .

The team behind the Inclusive Arts Initiative is also pursuing educational programming and opportunities for additional art exhibits. On March 7, 2024, the initiative hosted a talk and panel discussion with Dr. Jenn Karson, Art, and Art History Lecturer at �պ�����, about intersections between environmental data science and art. The panel (pictured above) included Lauren Cresanti with the �պ����� Spatial Analysis Lab, Olivia Welford '24 Computer Science and Studio Art double major, and Maya Griffith, a Computer Science graduate student. The two student panelists are working with Dr. Karson on the use of artificial intelligence and technology in art, data science, and environmental healing.

The Rubenstein School Inclusive Arts Initiative is supported by funding from , established by former Dean of the Rubenstein School, Nancy Mathews.

to the next Inclusive Arts Initiative gallery or contact Hannah Kershaw to get involved in future initiative programming.