Trio of talented artists inspires students this fall 

As part of its transformation process, three visiting artist-scholars, Nancy Rourke, Veru Rodríguez, and Mélanie Joseph (pictured from left to right above), are teaching in the Art and Media Design program this fall. Each lends their singular perspectives and expertise, teaching intensive eight-week courses. Read ahead at your own risk: you’ll wish you could have taken the classes yourself!

Nancy Rourke: exploring identity through De’VIA

Internationally acclaimed artist, Nancy Rourke is wrapping up her course, DST 315 Introduction to Deaf View/Image Art (De’VIA). The class covers Deaf Art History, focusing on De’VIA, an important movement grounded in affirmation and resistance founded by nine Deaf artists in the late 80s. Rourke’s work is grounded in this tradition. 

Rourke says that students appreciated learning directly from a Deaf artist and experiencing De’VIA through both “historical context and its living, evolving practice.”

Students also create their own art, keeping junk journals and working together on a collaborative mural, pictured above, culminating in hosting a showcase of their work. Rourke exposed students to ARTivism, encouraging them “to examine how Deaf artists use their work to raise awareness and foster community dialogue.” In another project, she posed a De’VIA Challenge to students who had to use a lightbulb and a mirror to symbolize key concepts of affirmation and resistance. “Each student developed a theme that reflected their own experience and understanding of Deaf identity,” she explains.

Together, the group went on three art tours: first, to discuss the art curation in House One; the “Beyond the Waves: Deaf Art,” exhibit in the Linda K. Jordan Gallery; and “We, Native Deaf, Are Still Here!” in the National Deaf Life Museum, where Rourke’s land acknowledgement mural is on display. 

Rourke says she enjoyed the opportunity to share knowledge and information not often taught to students. Read Rourke’s entire first-person reflection of the course here.

Veru Rodríguez: film creation through teamwork

Spanish filmmaker, screenwriter, and educator Veru Rodríguez is teaching a special topics class on filmmaking, taking students through ideation and script development to pre-production, filming, post-production, and screening. He says, “Making a film involves great effort, dedication, commitment, and above all, teamwork…Each student has taken on a specific role and demonstrated great commitment.”

The students’ work culminates with a community premiere of “Unbalanced” this Wednesday, October 15th, from 4:00-6:00 PM in JSAC 1011. Rodríguez teases, “The short film is a horror movie and will not leave the audience indifferent. We don’t want to give anything away. We recommend attending the premiere—everyone is invited!”

Program Director Scott Carollo recently attended the class’s all-day filming workshop, observing, “The entire class worked together nonstop from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. without a single complaint. The energy in the room was incredible; everyone was so excited about their film project…I am truly proud of our students and grateful to have Veru teaching this course.”

Rodríguez is grateful to Gallaudet for the opportunity to do what he loves the most, saying, “I am very happy to see how they have applied the theory they learned and have risen to this challenge, and are now seeing their finished work. The pleasure and pride of watching them collaborate in the creation of a cinematic work that others will enjoy fills me with joy.”

Mélanie Joseph: expression through performance

Up next, French visiting artist-researcher Mélanie Joseph will teach a course on video editing and performance theory starting on October 20th. Joseph attended the École des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts) and earned her Ph.D. from Aix-Marseille University. Her work draws on Deaf Studies, visual sociology, and video performance. Joseph says, “I am particularly interested in the representation of minorities and the ethical issues inherent in restoring invisible voices. I explore the relationships of domination exerted on deviant bodies and the way in which they receive and endure injunctions to conform to the norm.”

Joseph is excited to be at Gallaudet; after attending a Dr. Deaf writing retreat two years ago, she says, “I realized the importance of collaborating with researchers who communicate in the same modality as me. Gallaudet University is the only academic space dedicated to this.”

Keep tabs on the exciting changes coming to Gallaudet’s Art and Media Design Program.