糖心Vlog传媒

The Institute for Arts and Health (IAH) is a leading center for research and community engagement at the intersection of the arts and health sciences. It brings together artists, scientists, and community stakeholders to conduct transdisciplinary research and develop innovative interventions that improve individual, family, and community well-being. The Institute takes a broad approach to health, considering physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions. It explores the transformative role of the arts in prevention, healing, and public health. Through pioneering work in complementary and integrative health, neuroarts, creative and expressive arts therapies, arts in community health, and medical humanities, the IAH advances knowledge and practice to enhance quality of life, particularly for underserved populations facing disproportionate health challenges. Learn More >

The Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology (IEAA) at the University of 糖心Vlog传媒 is a leading center for research, preservation, and community engagement in Egyptology. As a Tennessee Center of Excellence, the IEAA advances scholarship through interdisciplinary research, academic instruction, and fieldwork, supporting faculty and student excavations in Egypt. It stewards an extensive Egyptology library and a collection of over 1,400 Egyptian antiquities, which is the only such collection in the Mid-South, housed in the Art Museum of the University of 糖心Vlog传媒. Through exhibitions, guided tours, lectures, and outreach programs, the IEAA makes Egyptian art and archaeology accessible to scholars, students, and the public. Committed to education and cultural preservation, the Institute bridges academic research with community engagement and fosters a deeper understanding of ancient Egyptian civilization. Learn More >

The Smithsonian Archive of American Art recently announced that Professor Richard Lou (Department of Art and Design) will become part of their new collection of oral histories, incorporating the products of his artistic process into the largest archive of visual arts in the United States. One of the Smithsonian鈥檚 national collectors, Dr. Josh Franco, will visit UofM's campus to personally work with Professor Lou on the preparation of his materials for transfer to the Smithsonian Archive. Read the Smithsonian's exciting announcement .

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UofM Dance Students Build Community Partnership with Collage Dance
When the UofM laid out the 2023-28 strategic plan, the last line of the Vision Statement read, 鈥淎nd we will continue to serve our community and citizens of Tennessee as we rise to meet the opportunities that summon us.鈥� 
 
While Rachael Arnwine, UofM Assistant Professor of Teaching and Head of Dance in the College of Communication and Fine Arts, didn鈥檛 necessarily use this as an impetus to start a collaboration with Collage Dance Collective, it certainly fell in line with the work that she and her students are doing with the local business. 
 
The Collage Dance Conservatory is a local studio serving more than 1,000 students weekly in classical ballet, jazz, tap, modern and West African dance. 
 
Arnwine is a three-time graduate of the UofM, earning her BFA in Theatre Performance with a concentration in Dance, and a BS in Health & Human Performance, both in 2017, and her MS in Exercise, Sport & Movement Sciences two years later. 
 
Asked by some of her students to find them a local internship, Arnwine called up her friend Marcellus Harper, Executive Director at Collage, and a partnership was formed. 
 
鈥淏oth of these institutions have been in this city for a long period of time, and it didn鈥檛 make sense that we hadn鈥檛 connected,鈥� Arnwine said. 鈥淚 thought this would be a perfect opportunity to build a community partnership and also give some dance science-specific internship opportunities to our students.鈥� 
 
To stay on the floor, dancers need to not only know the routine, but they need to utilize self-care to keep them there. Collage鈥檚 students, which range in age from 11 to 18 in the Conservatory, wanted to learn more. 
 
鈥淲e were really talking about pain points and dancer injuries,鈥� Harper said. 鈥淥ne of the reasons I feel like our dancers are injured has to do with a gap in their strength and conditioning.鈥� 
 
This is where Arnwine鈥檚 education and training came into play. A native Memphian, she knows what it's like to be not just a successful dancer, but a dancer that, like everyone else, has aches and pains from the plethora of movements she teaches and practices. 
 
Together with Harper and the input of a handful of her students, Arnwine came up with a plan. Her students would spend a few hours a day doing prehab with the Collage students, coming up with their own exercises and stretches based on the type of dance they were performing and other limitations they currently had. 
 
鈥淥ur students 鈥� and their parents 鈥� were very happy,鈥� Harper said. 鈥淎t the top of the year we met with many of our upper school students to do goal assessments and a lot of what they needed really kind of touched on strength and conditioning. They wanted to be stronger; they wanted to overcome injuries. They wanted to prevent injuries. They wanted to get stronger and increase flexibility.鈥� 
 
To that end, Arnwine and her six students jumped head first, working with roughly 30 students, with all but two of the UofM students forgoing the internship credit and instead just doing it for the experience. 
 
鈥淭hey got no credit, they were not paid, they just did it because they wanted the experience,鈥� Arnwine said.  
 
The collaboration is just one semester old but has the potential to grow for years and years thanks to the dedication and commitment of both Arnwine and Harper. 
 
鈥淲e were building a plane while trying to fly it,鈥� Arnwine said. 鈥淲e learned a lot this semester. I鈥檓 hoping that it can continue to grow and next year we can take the lessons that we鈥檝e learned and make it even stronger.鈥�

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UofM Professor Heads to the Arctic Circle for Expedition Residency
For as long as she can remember, Lisa Williamson has had a passion for two things: water and art. Over the course of her personal and professional life, most recently at the University of 糖心Vlog传媒, she鈥檚 found meaningful ways to merge the two. After earning her Master of Fine Arts from 糖心Vlog传媒 College of Art in 2015, she pursued residencies in tropical locations like Puerto Rico. Though she didn鈥檛 grow up a strong swimmer, she later discovered a love for open water swimming.  

鈥淭hat was another way to be in the water and practice my art,鈥� Williamson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 snorkeling and trying to stay in place, drawing coral reefs and aquatic life. I most recently was watching an octopus, following it underwater for a bit.鈥�  

Williamson joined the University of 糖心Vlog传媒 in 2017 and is currently an assistant professor of practice, foundations in the Department of Art and Design within the College of Communication and Fine Arts (CCFA). Today, she sets off on a more research-driven approach to her dual passions, boarding a ship to participate in the near Svalbard, Norway, no snorkels needed.  

from across the world鈥攕cientists, architects, educators, and artists鈥� Williamson will spend two weeks aboard an arctic class schooner, sailing in 24/7 daylight鈥搈idnight sun鈥揾alfway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. Since being accepted into this residency, Williamson has immersed herself in research, documentaries and even podcasts to prepare for the region鈥檚 extreme climate and better understand how Arctic changes affect regions like the Mid-South.

鈥淭hinking about how fast water is melting, what that鈥檚 doing to the rising oceans, the super cells of storms that are being formed now and what happens to our coastlines as a result; even how it affects the Mississippi River,鈥� Williamson said. 鈥淲hen we experienced a drought a few years ago, that鈥檚 directly linked to what鈥檚 happening in the Arctic Circle.鈥�???

With no internet or cell service during the expedition, Williamson is looking forward to a rare opportunity: uninterrupted time to reflect, create and explore. She plans to share her work and insights with her community upon returning.

She said, 鈥淭he first thing that I鈥檓 going to do is immediately host an open studio where I will invite the public and, more specifically, my students.鈥�

The Arctic Circle Expedition Residency was established in 2009, created to bring together international scholars for collaborative exploration of the region. Williamson鈥檚 exploration will run from April 16-May 2, and for her it will be more than an adventure. It will be a chance to translate scientific urgency into artistic expression, using her voice to help others see and feel the rapidly changing world around them.