Culturally, the world can be represented by a huge canvas filled with beautiful hues.
Cultures in Colors could be part of the proof.
At this event, all students, international and domestic, were welcome to come to the Center for International Education (CIE) on the library’s first floor and paint with friends and to-be-acquaintances on Tuesday. There were small canvases and wooden nesting dolls available for use.
Led by the International Student Organization (ISO) and Asian Student Association (ASA), food and refreshments were also provided to lead a lighthearted gathering.
As the first of its kind, there are high hopes for Cultures in Colors to happen on at least monthly occasions.
“I think we’re gonna ask for feedback and then see what the students would prefer,” Lila Castillo, International Student Specialist at the CIE said. “We are going to see whether more spread-out events, once a month, would work, or if they’d like to come in every two weeks.”
When asked if they would expand to other art mediums, Castillo said that painting is too accessible to move on from.
“For now, we look to stay with painting, especially because it’s something everyone can do,” she said. “I think something that’s basic but can be advanced or simplified is something that we want to have so that everyone can be involved and included.”
A great way to bring people together is to give them resources to create together, whether that be collaborations, or their own pieces side by side. Within minutes, the room settled into lively chatter as paintings began to form under the movements of brushes. To make things a bit more interesting, cultural paintings were printed as reference images for students to use as they desired. This included Indigenous Australian, Hispanic, and Asian pieces.
The event was held at the CIE on the first floor of the library. If you take the stairs or elevator and look to your left, you should encounter an archway of the world’s flags hanging in front of their door.
Every student, regardless of their country of origin, belongs here at Millikin University, and events like this can forge or strengthen friendships. Look forward to future versions of the event, and make sure to invite friends!
