Arts, Media, & Culture

Artistic expression opens up the ability to examine humanity at its core. From documentary to paint, journalism to dance—all forms of art and media have the power to preserve and transform culture. The ways in which this may engage social change are endless. Storytelling has historically been used to convey realities and raise critical awareness. Mural paintings can serve as large-scale tools for advocacy and reclamation. Literature and music change the ways in which we share information and look at the world. As a common point of reference, arts, media, and culture ultimately bring people together in viewership, production, and experience and can serve as a critical avenue of social action and change.

 

Engaged Scholarship Opportunities

There are several ways to get involved with arts, media, and culture on Swarthmore’s campus outside of the classroom.

Arts in Action — A faculty-led initiative of the Lang Center, Arts in Action brings together artists, students, faculty, and staff to engage with the arts for building community and to explore creative and transformative possibilities at the individual and community level. 

Storyboard — If you have more experience in filmmaking, photography, and writing, consider joining the Storyboard team, a Project Pericles funded summer program that teaches high school students storytelling for social change.

Engaged Humanities Studio — This program, currently in its pilot year, brings together faculty, students, and community members for projects that combine the humanities with collaborative practices and creative sensibilities to address social issues.

 

Connect

Lang Center Associates

Natalie Fraser '24

Sign up for an appointment with them on the LCA appointment calendar. 
 

Key Faculty & Staff

  • Pallabi Chakravorty, Professor of Dance and Director of Arts in Action Program at the Lang Center
  • Ron Tarver, Associate Professor of Studio Art
  • Katie Price, Lang Center Point Person for Arts in Action
  • Patricia White, Professor of Film & Media Studies, Coordinator of Gender and Sexuality Studies Spring 2022, Centennial Chair
  • Rodney Evans, Associate Professor of Film & Media Studies
  • Syd Carpenter, Professor of Art, Peggy Chan Professorship in Black Studies
  • Paloma Checa-Gismero, Assistant Professor of Art History 
  • Lei X Ouyang, Chair of the Music Program in the Department of Music & Dance, Associate Professor of Music
  • Tracey Stewart, Associate Professor of Music
  • Tom Whitman, Emeritus Professor of Music and co-director of Gamelan Semara Santi
  • Joe Small '05, Assistant Professor of Dance
  • Alexandra Geuydan-Turek, Associate Professor of French and Section Head & Program Coordinator Comparative Literature
  • Bakirathi Mani, Associate Professor of English
  • Sangina Patnaik, Assistant Professor of English 
     

Centers

Student Groups

 

Learn

Relevant Courses 

 

Act

On-Campus Opportunities

  • Apply for a summer grant (each year, one or more students is awarded from the 1961 Fund for Arts and Social Change)
  • Apply for an International Reporting Summer Fellowship
  • VISIBILITY Magazine
  • Write for the Arts Section of the Swarthmore Phoenix
  • Write for Voices
  • Write for the Swarthmore Review 
  • Apply for the Pulitzer Center Fellowship| Contact: Katie Price (Lang Center), Professor Emily Paddon-Rhoads
  • Apply for an Inclusive Excellence Fellows Initiative 
  • Attend an Arts in Action event | Katie Price (Lang Center), Professor Pallabi Chakravorty
     

Off-Campus Opportunities

 

Projects

Storyboard - Storyboard was founded by Rebecca Castillo, Ariana Hoshino, and Tiye Pulley in 2017. Funded by the Project Pericles grant, Storyboard offers affordable programs to underserved youth in urban areas. Throughout these programs, students will learn how to use photography, filmmaking, writing, and graphic design to share their stories and impact their communities by highlight important social justice issues. 

 

Student Engagements