Arts, Media, and Design at AIC: Food and Society Art Show Opening Celebration at American International College 11/29/23

Art show opening celebration Wednesday 11/29/23 from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. Location: West Wing Gallery of the Karen Sprague Cultural Arts Center, 1000 State Street, Springfield, MA Food will be served. You are invited to join us.

We heard an interview with Stanford Professor Christopher Gardner, PHD on the Rich Roll Podcast. Dr. Gardner mentioned his course Food and Society. We reached out to him for background information related to the course

This led to Midterm Projects focused on Food and Society created by students in Digital Photography 1 and Cultivating Creativity. Student responded to the following assignment prompt:

What we eat, how food is produced, and the conditions of the workers who farm, prepare and serve food have huge implications for our lives.

Absorb the provided resources. Or, you may have your own personal connection to Food and Society. Find an issue relating to Food and Society that resonates with you. Then, imagine how you would visually portray this issue. Finally, create the artwork to express your ideas.

(Click any image to enlarge it.)

Reliability by Rhaymi Porter

To aid student research, Information Literacy Librarian Maxine Girard visited Professor Nordell's classes to explain using the Gale in Context: Environmental Studies Database. Maxine also made a tutorial video that shows effective use of the database.

Resources provided to students:

The diet that helps fight climate change
Meatpacking: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Op-ed: I’m a Restaurant Worker, Not a Robot | Civil Eats
Meet The Undocumented Coachella Farmworkers Feeding America - YouTube
Safe Workplaces for Fast Food workers NOW! - IUF
How Are Factory Farms Cruel to Animals?

Can Organic Farming Solve the Climate Crisis?

Environmental Impacts of Food Production

Taking the role of a curator, History of Art student Charlotte Tvelia distills the essence of the exhibition:

The following pieces illustrate the consequences of the processes and people involved in preparing the foods we consume. Each year, twice as much greenhouse gas is emitted from agriculture and farm usage compared to emissions from cars. As a society, we tend to overlook the workers involved and the compensation they receive working in industries ranging from farming, to serving in a restaurant. The students used a variety of art styles and mediums to convey these messages, as well as to encourage more eco-friendly practices in the foods we choose.