Majors/Minor: English and history/Slavic and East European studies
Creative Focus: Creative writing

Meg Brosneck’s creative journey started at a very young age. “I have been writing since I could first hold a pencil, and some of my earliest memories include telling my sister stories every day while we swung on our swingset.” Her creative energies have largely been focused on science fiction and fantasy writing – as well as penning creative non-fiction, in recent years – but she also enjoys digital art and illustration as a means of enriching the written word.

As a member of the Ohio State Art Scholars program, Brosneck has had opportunities to explore artistic collaboration during her college career, but she is always looking for new chances to discover new fields of creativity. “This program is a perfect fit for making continued creativity possible. There are so many forms of art which I know little about: music, theater and dance, in particular, are creative disciplines which I never truly explored, outside of small classes in my childhood. Finding ways to combine my creative writing work with performing arts is a fascinating concept to me.”

Brosneck said that now, more than ever, supporting and creating art is critical to building understanding between people who have lived very different lives. “Art is an expression of human nature that is at the core of living. Humans are storytelling creatures, and we’ve been using so many different art forms to tell these stories throughout the centuries. We may be in modern times now, but art is still just as important as it has ever been to help us see through the eyes of other people – even just for a moment.”

Major/Minor: English with a focus in creative writing/art history
Creative Focus: Creative writing

Ana Fierros Haro’s love of the written word stems from learning English as a second language through reading stories. "When I first moved to the United States, I was afraid of the English language. I was afraid I’d lose myself and my ability to speak and read between conventions of grammar and words that sound different from how they’re written. When the words I read began to make sense, I was no longer afraid – I was in love with the language. I learned to write and create stories long before I could have full conversations with others.”

Fierros Haro said she wanted to join Creatives @ the Barnett for the opportunity to “create with a purpose” with someone outside of her artistic sphere, using the experience to learn more about herself as a writer. “What can my creations do? What more can I put out there and how do I do that? How can I connect to people who are different from me? I hope to find answers to those questions. This will be a great way for me to hone in on my skills, because I wouldn’t just be creating for my own sake, but with another person, with an end goal in sight.”

Fierros Haro stressed that art can create a bridge between people of different backgrounds and lived experiences like nothing else can. “The arts are important in contemporary society because it reminds us that ‘we’re the same.’ No matter what your background is, what your future holds for you, your dreams and aspirations, at the end of the day we share the burden and the joy of being human.”

Majors: Theatre and music education
Creative Focus: Theatre

For Hailee Franklin, artistic creation is not just about the process of expression, but also affecting change in the world. “I always hope people will see themselves in my work. I am a big advocate for social justice, so I like to create things that empower marginalized people, as well as challenge those with the privilege to do more to make the world a better place." 

For Franklin, performance has always provided a means to express herself when words fail. “Oftentimes, art is the only way we can get all of our feelings out.  When I struggle with knowing what to say or knowing if what I have to say will mean anything to anyone, I usually look to theater or music to help me understand and express what I am feeling.”

The pilot year of Creatives @ the Barnett is centered around art exploring the many facets of homelessness, and Franklin says that the interaction between art and social change is of particular interest to her. “There have been many news stories and public discourse about certain pieces of art being deemed inappropriate or unsuitable for educational settings – especially when it comes to topics such as police brutality, gun violence or discrimination based on race, gender or sexuality. I would like to dive deeper into why art that is created to evoke change makes people uncomfortable and use that knowledge to create art with impact.”

Major/Minors: Art management/history of art, studio art
Creative Focus: Visual art

Lydia Gokey’s work at Ohio State’s Urban Arts Space has opened her eyes to the power of interdisciplinary art. “We constantly have interdisciplinary exhibitions. I help install these shows, which helps to increase my own individual arts practice. Many of my coworkers work with different mediums and have different experiences and it helps expand my knowledge in arts when working with these different practices.”

Gokey sees art not just as an opportunity for personal expression but as a means of training the creative muscle for use in other areas of life. “Art allows creativity, which can lead to further problem-solving. I see life as figuring out how to navigate inevitable problems, and having a creative mindset helps someone encounter difficult situations in a better mindset.”

She was compelled to apply for Creatives @ the Barnett because she wanted to learn how to expand her creative repertoire, learning in a one-on-one atmosphere from experienced mentors and alongside other eager creators. “Being able to work with someone who knows more than I do in music, writing or other forms of expression I am not experienced in will be key to my development, as an artist.”

Major: Photography
Creative Focus: Photography

Artistic creation has long been a part of Ira Graham IV’s day-to-day life and shapes the way he moves through the world. “I enjoy creating quickly and intuitively, and photography easily lends itself to that kind of workflow. I commonly carry around a small camera with which I take snapshots of the goings-on of everyday life and this is how I enjoy my creativity most often.”

Graham said that political expression is deeply ingrained in how he creates art, and his photography serves as a rich expression of the social change he hopes to shape in the world. “The arts are one of the most effective ways to spark social change within society and play a crucial role in humanizing the experiences of the oppressed and bringing their voice to the surface. My other interests, outside of the arts – such as politics, social issues and psychology – have inspired my pre-planned photo series that I hope can contribute to healing the American social landscape.”

Creatives @ the Barnett will be the latest in Graham’s experiences with collaborative artwork. He said co-curating a recent interdisciplinary art exhibition, entitled Habitable Zone, reinforced how a group of artists can come together to provoke thought and emotion in an audience in a way more powerful than its individual parts. “This experience showed me how different artist's work can mesh to create a physical space that feels cohesive and keeps the viewer in the same headspace. We created a show based on themes of home, whether that is reminiscing on what home was or a statement of what home is or can be, and successfully used all of the work in this show to accomplish this theme.” 

Majors: Music (percussion) performance and history
Creative Focus: Music performance

Ben Kerger’s approach to art is “brazen, energetic and passionate” and he often turns to media other than his primary practice, musical performance, to explore his creativity. “Whether through creative writing, painting or film or simply taking my musicianship to an unfamiliar position, I'm entirely open and willing to explore the unknown. When it comes to the creation of art, I am a fan of the question: ‘Why not?’”

Kerger most looks forward to the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of creators, something he has not had much experience with so far. “It is difficult to connect with artists from other fields, and I often get so caught up in my own musical journey that I forget to stop for a moment and run alongside someone else on their path. I have been deeply impacted by the way that music is paired with other artistic mediums, and I am really desiring an opportunity to develop something that bridges different artistic fields.”

Kerger’s study of history has informed his understanding of music, as he has seen how music can make history and reflect it in equal measure. “Art is not simply an outlet of escape from our lives, but a collage of our own successes and failures, of our wishes and dreams. It is a mirror of our lives, one that is vast and endless. It can inspire leaders and politicians or shine a light on injustice and crises. In this way and many others, it's our history.”

Major: Forestry, fisheries and wildlife
Creative Focus: Creative writing

Emma Robinson’s appreciation of art has long gone hand-in-hand with her exploration of nature. “Growing up, I fell deeply in love with my native forests, lakes and oceans at the same time as I was falling in love with Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Middle-earth. I began to realize that I was not limited to enjoying characters and adventures in stories, but could live new stories, every day.  My sense of wonder is most engaged when surrounded by nature and I can’t wait to integrate my studies with my artistic pursuits in a more fully-realized way.” 

As a cohort member whose studies do not primarily focus on the arts, Robinson’s creative writing plays a special role in how she learns and grows. “In my own life, creativity is what grounds me. My daily studies often closely examine topics of global importance, including environmental degradation, environmental injustice and inequity and the impact of climate change. But as a universal language, art helps me to manage the weight of learning about these topics and process their parts into something easier to comprehend.”

The impact that storytelling has on social change – whether it pertains to global efforts, such as conservation, or local efforts to combat homelessness – is of particular interest to Robinson. “My ultimate goal as a creative is to connect (and reconnect) people to the natural world and each other through art-driven experiences. As a writer driven by a sense of wonder, my greatest desire is to learn from other people and provide a stage for multitudinous voices – be they plant, animal or human – to be heard and understood. Being able to examine and tell stories of our local community is of paramount importance to me, and this program truly seems like the perfect opportunity to learn how to approach this massive undertaking.”

Major/Minor: Fine arts/African American studies
Creative Focus: Photography

Ky Smiley wants his time as a member of the Creatives program to inspire greater confidence in his creative voice as an artist who tackles complex topics. “With my work being heavily rooted in queerness, blackness and masculinity, I am often concerned about what my impact should be and how to create work that is as well-informed as possible.”

Smiley strongly believes in the increased strength that creating with multiple perspectives provides and he looks forward to growing alongside the other cohort members under the guidance of experienced mentors. “I am excited to be part of a community of young artists and the opportunity to have my work presented in a larger way. I’m already learning so much from the group about how to process the joys and anxieties of creating art with an impact.”

Smiley thinks that art occupies a unique role in portraying and shaping society in a way that almost no other pursuit can. “I see all artists, regardless of medium, as having the responsibility of uniquely reflecting their society. With society constantly changing, there is always a need for new art that critiques or appreciates the current moment. I feel the arts are uniquely important because they owe the culmination of their creation to contemporary society while also owing it nothing in regard to respecting it.”

Major: Industrial design
Creative Focus: Design

As the only person from an industrial design background, Emily Straughn comes to Creatives @ the Barnett with a unique perspective, but they say their perspective as an artist offers guidance to their design process. “Design is a creative work that is people-centered and the introspective quality of art provides a balance to the work I do, to blend form and function. Industrial design encourages interdisciplinary study and, in practice, industrial designers often work alongside engineers, architects, interior designers, artists and others from a variety of different fields.”

Straughn said that unique perspective extends to their understanding of the interplay between design and art and how the two support one another. “One of our first discussions in the design program was the difference between art and design. The line is blurred, but our consensus was art is for asking questions and design is for answering. Design is for function and art critiques function. Both are necessary because they work in tangent with one another.”

Straughn looks forward to working in collaboration with other artists for the first time and is excited about how it will enrich their future pursuits. “I haven’t had much experience with collaborative creation, but I hope to gain a new perspective that can enrich my current perspective as a designer. I don’t plan on entering the traditional product design field, so it’s likely I’ll pursue a career that allows me to work alongside other creatives from varying fields for years to come.”

Majors/Minor: Linguistics, philosophy, politics and economics/visual art
Creative Focus: Visual art

The importance of objects-as-art has been with Elizabeth Thompson from a very early age. “For as long as I can remember, I have been a collector of objects of seemingly little worth: yet, within my home and heart, these trinkets are cherished as they hold a unique ability to transport me back to a distinct time and place in my life. The process of turning the abstract into concrete, in turn, is something that I find very rewarding in all aspects of my life.”

Thompson’s studies have largely focused on areas outside of the conventional creation of art, so she is looking forward to delving more deeply into the creative process with a group of excited and talented creators. “Given that I am not studying art, I can find it very challenging to find spaces in which to create. I hope to develop the vulnerability required to fully share my work with others and look forward to not only witnessing but being involved in, other artists’ creative processes to expand my understanding of how art relates to artists.”   

Thompson has spent the last several years integrating her own creation of art into her routine and said she thinks she is not alone in this valuable practice. “Art is one of the few activities which, I feel, provides a space for a true emotional outlet, as its creation is both a highly personalized experience and ruleless. Given the stress we have collectively experienced over the last few years, art is thus more valuable than ever, as it can serve as a useful tool in processing our innermost emotions. I also think that art is contagious, in that it often inspires its viewer to create, as well.”

Majors: Dance and theatre
Creative Focus: Dance

Eyrn Toppin is thrilled to take part in Creatives @ the Barnett in no small part because of how it will contribute to her development as a working artist. “I want to better understand how to produce and create my own works and make connections with a diverse group of creators and future collaborators. I hope to create works that test the waters and create a buzz within society; to make hairs stand and ruffle the seams of people. I hope to become a force to be reckoned with.”

As a dancer, Toppin has frequently collaborated with musicians to help her work come to life and is looking forward to expanding that knowledge to other media, as well. “I always prefer working with live musicians when I can, to make my choreography come to life. It is an honor to be a part of a group of people who have beautiful, creative ideas and who are ready to work in a cohort to help and support each other.”

Toppin said she appreciates the way that her art has given her an opportunity to evoke emotions and tell a rich story without words. “Art breaks down barriers, addresses problems in ways that move audiences and allows people a temporary escape from stress or struggles of their everyday life. As an international student, dance has been an important means of speaking without words and connecting with people who have a different life than I have led.”

Major: Dance
Creative Focus: Dance

Brittni Van Dine cites her experiences with dance as a key factor in her personal growth, creativity and interpersonal skills – something she thinks will be enriched through Creatives @ the Barnett. “I hope to discover more of myself through my artistic expression and how I work with other artists. I also hope to grow interpersonally through further experience in collaborating and working with new and more creative individuals.”

Van Dine says that dance has given her a bounty of experience with collaboration, and she looks forward to seeing how that will translate when paired with other art forms. “I enjoy the spoken and unspoken communication between collaborators and the potential to deepen relationships, connections and trust. I also really enjoy the opportunity for play and new discoveries within the collaboration, such as in moments of improvisation and call and response."

For her, artistic creation and expression are an integral part of how we experience the world around us. “Art can be found in everything; it is in the mundane and the extraordinary. The arts can connect different peoples and cultures and help express emotions and ideas in different mediums that would not otherwise be possible. I am excited to explore a more holistic creative experience while still in college, to prepare me for life after college as an artist and human in various communities.”