The Weatherspoon Art Museum staff is committed to the expansion of student agency and engagement with the museum and its collections. As a student learning how to use cross-disciplinary resources to expand ideas and social networks in the undergraduate community, my experience as an intern at the Weatherspoon has been invaluable.
With the goal to connect students from across UNC Greensboro, I designed, promoted, and facilitated the virtual pilot program, Co-WAM! Explore, Engage, Experiment at the Weatherspoon for eight weeks in the spring semester. The Weatherspoon staff graciously supported my work while ensuring it remained in my hands and those of the participating students.
Using Zoom to bring everyone together safely, this eight-week program sought to connect students with each other and the museum. With the goal to provide an informal space to learn how the Weatherspoon can offer academic and social resources, students enthusiastically experimented with museum’s offerings to fit their wants and needs.
Creating an open environment for students to meet museum staff and engage with its resources as a group, the program culminated in a student-curated playlist paired with the current exhibition Vibrant: Artists Engage with Color. Access to the playlist is free and publicly available on Spotify by visiting the Vibrant: Artists Engage with Color exhibition page, or by following our new Spotify channel WAMUNCG.
Though the initial Zoom sessions wrapped up at the end of March, students have been eager to continue participating in Weatherspoon programs. With the generous support of Weatherspoon staff and an iBelong grant from the UNC Greensboro Division of Student Affairs to create this pilot program, students, Weatherspoon staff, and I are excited to continue expanding initiatives such as Co-WAM! in the fall.
LAURA LEVIN
Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies; Art History
Programs and Engagement Intern, Class of 202
