In Sickness & in Health: An 11th Grade Exhibition
What "In Sickness & in Health" is all about
Let's be realistic for a moment: you are going to get sick. This is inevitable. And, just as inevitably, it will take you by surprise, and be nastier than you anticipated. You will come down with a cold, and think to yourself "Oh Man, having a cold is worse than I remembered!", and you will feel guilty about all the times that someone else complained about a cold, and you secretly (or not-so-secretly) thought they should just toughen up and stop complaining. And then, once you get over your cold, it will once again seem impossible that you were ever sick, that the way you feel when you are healthy is not a permanent state of being.
A cold, of course, is the least of our worries - but we really don't like thinking about more serious diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or dementia. Our 2013 exhibition, "In Sickness & in Health", was designed to make you think about them.
A cold, of course, is the least of our worries - but we really don't like thinking about more serious diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or dementia. Our 2013 exhibition, "In Sickness & in Health", was designed to make you think about them.
A virtual tour of our exhibition:
1. The 11th Grade Commons
As you enter the 11th grade commons, you see four huge posters hanging down almost to the floor: these posters are based on the work of the great Italian artist Leonetto Capiello, updated to focus on health insurance and the Affordable Care Act. The slideshow below shows posters being painted, as well as photos of the finished posters on display.
As you enter the 11th grade commons, you see four huge posters hanging down almost to the floor: these posters are based on the work of the great Italian artist Leonetto Capiello, updated to focus on health insurance and the Affordable Care Act. The slideshow below shows posters being painted, as well as photos of the finished posters on display.
Also on display in the 11th grade commons are 3'x3' paintings depicting the chemical processes at work in disease. The slideshow below shows the paintings being created, as well as photos of the finished paintings on display.
By now, you've probably been approached by a docent (or would have been if this were a real tour!) - follow them into the first room.
2. The first exhibition room
The four corners: cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological disease, diabetes
Each corner of the room is focused on a different disease. We chose these categories based on diseases that have affected our ancestors and immediate family - since these are the most likely to affect us. You can read more about each disease here.
The four corners: cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological disease, diabetes
Each corner of the room is focused on a different disease. We chose these categories based on diseases that have affected our ancestors and immediate family - since these are the most likely to affect us. You can read more about each disease here.
The center of the room: the Oral History table
In the center of the room stands a tall round table with four computer monitors on it. These are showing oral history "annotated interview" videos that we recorded with our family members about the diseases in our families. This table, and all software and hardware systems, were designed and run by students. You can read how they did it on Lance Currey's digital portfolio. The slideshow below shows photos from the design and construction process, as well as visitors watching the videos at exhibition.
In the center of the room stands a tall round table with four computer monitors on it. These are showing oral history "annotated interview" videos that we recorded with our family members about the diseases in our families. This table, and all software and hardware systems, were designed and run by students. You can read how they did it on Lance Currey's digital portfolio. The slideshow below shows photos from the design and construction process, as well as visitors watching the videos at exhibition.
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You can watch one "annotated interview", in which Cori Strell interviews her grandmother about having dementia, here:
You can see other oral history interviews here.
All over the walls: "Pieces of Me" self portraits
Throughout the room are self-portraits painted by students at the beginning of the semester. You can see a few in the slideshow below:
Throughout the room are self-portraits painted by students at the beginning of the semester. You can see a few in the slideshow below:
2. The second exhibition room
I don't have as many photos of the second exhibition room as of the first, but what I have I've put into the slideshow below:
I don't have as many photos of the second exhibition room as of the first, but what I have I've put into the slideshow below:
Making it all happen
Exhibitions like this take a lot of work, from a lot of people. The slideshow below provides some snapshots of the set-up and rehearsal process: