Arianna (Ari) Alvarado (Class of 2030)
Blogger Role: Art History
Major: Illustration
Clubs: L’CASA
I chose Marywood because I fell in love with the Art Department when I first came to visit the campus. I thought all the different classes I could take and all the different mediums I could learn were amazing, and I felt that Marywood would help me reach a greater potential as an artist. I love knowing how many opportunities are built into the program, and how much help is available if you just ask. Besides all that, I’m a homebody at heart, and Marywood is only half an hour away from my house. While thinking about the next four years of my life, Marywood impressed me most because of how much they care for the students. I really felt welcome from before day one.
I am majoring in Art because since I was young, I have lived off of television series and video games and online animators. All the creations and art I have gotten to experience throughout my life made me realize that I want to inspire someone the exact same way that I was inspired. I want to make something so wonderful that it changes someone’s life forever. Art is one of the biggest things that keep me going, and they do say that if you do something you love, you never work a day in your life.
When I’m not in class, I’m doing one of three things. I’m taking a nap, drawing a picture, or playing a game. If this is going on record, though, I spend all my free time studying. Definitely… In all seriousness, I’m off on my own a lot. It gives me the most space to think, and thinking is my number one activity. From art, to music, to the world’s most random questions, I always have something I need to ponder probably every second of the day. Time goes by so fast, that a lot of us forget to stop and smell the flowers. I also don’t stop to smell flowers, but I DO like to have a yummy drink and scribble down my thoughts as they come and go. My best ideas come from a good chai and the right level of sun.
Marywood’s art program makes you want to put your best foot forward, or your best pencil to the page.
So far, my favorite art class at Marywood was Digital Design and Global Baroque Art. Digital Design is my first introduction to industry standard programs like Photoshop and Illustrator. It’s surprisingly been a lot of fun to “tame the beast” that these software appear to be at first glance. It’s really satisfying to get it to work the way you want it to, and I get those happy chemicals every time something feels like it snaps into place. On Global Baroque Art: I love art history. It’s been my favorite subject for a hot minute now, even before coming onto campus. You learn a lot about beautiful art, yes; but you also learn WHY it’s beautiful, and how it was changing the status quo at the time. Hindsight is 20/20, but we only accept a lot of what makes “good art” today because someone hundreds or thousands of years ago set the precedent. It’s a fascinating subject that I hope I can get some more people into.
The coolest thing I’ve done at Marywood so far was Bingo Night! It’s a really simple event, but as a person who is impossible to get out of their house, getting to go to an easy event where we all just play games and chat was really nice. I didn’t win anything, though. That’s a little less cool. It’s only my first year, so I’m keeping an eye out for events that interest me. Just from talking to some upperclassmen, I can tell there’s a lot that goes on year-round, and I’d say that having something to anticipate is pretty cool on its own. [Editor’s note: Bingo is a THING here at Marywood, IYKYK!]
When I graduate I hope I can share my talents somewhere they’ll be seen. Whether that means film work, book work, or doing something on my own, I just want to share what makes me happy in the hopes it makes other people happy too. Having my name as part of a larger piece that makes its mark on the world would be the ultimate source of fulfillment for me.
I’d recommend the Art program at Marywood because the facility alone is incredible. You don’t know what variety looks like until you step foot inside the Insalaco Center for Studio Arts building. Apart from that, the faculty members I’ve had the pleasure of meeting are wonderful and I truly believe that their guidance is going to shape me into the artist I dream of becoming. Being here makes you want to learn as much as you can. In my time so far, I’ve considered probably every minor under the sun because of just how robust the art program is. Getting excited to go to class is an experience hard to come by in most places, but not here. Marywood’s art program makes you want to put your best foot forward, or your best pencil to the page.