Using the Ronald and Deborah Ratner Distinguished Teaching Award she was presented in 2019, Dance Professor Karen Eliot led an interdisciplinary team of students to work on a print publication of student writing and photography documenting and reflecting on the Wexner Center for the Arts' season of performing arts. "This publication facilitates student critical writing and interaction with contemporary artists," says Dr. Eliot. "Students serve as writers and observers of the arts, and they also learn about the processes of preparing a manuscript and editing and bringing a volume to full publication."
The Writing about the Performing Arts at Ohio State initiative continues this year under the guidance of Dr. Eliot and the Wexner Center’s Manager, Public and University Programs Alana Ryder and Director of Performing Arts Lane Czaplinski. According to the project website, “students with backgrounds in dance, economics, math, microbiology, political science, psychology, statistics, and beyond will serve as ambassadors and advocates for the arts….They will apply performing arts history, theory, and current discourse to guide the public through themes such as race, gender identity, cultural appropriation and disability. Their writing will help steer audiences toward more illuminated and critical engagement with the art of our time.”
