Victoria Meono (Class of 2024)
Blogger Role: Art Therapy
Major: Art Therapy
I chose Marywood because of the Insalaco Center for Studio Arts. When I went on the campus tour for Marywood University, the guide showed us around and inside Insalaco. We saw the painting classrooms, photography and ceramic studios, and woodwork shop. I was blown away how spacious but harmonious Insalaco was, after all it is an art building. A previous tour from a different college was amazing, but I was a bit let down at how cramped and far some of the art studios were from each other. Insalaco has large windows that make you feel less claustrophobic, and the art classrooms are confined to one building that makes things convenient.
I am majoring in Art because it was a passion of mine that persisted ever since I was a kid. I had a handful of ambitions and career choices I desired when I was younger, like becoming a prima ballerina, a professional soccer player, or artist. With where I am now, you can guess which one I settled with. I loved drawing whatever appeared in my imagination, whether that be animals or cartoon characters. My parents, however, wanted me to find a career where “making art” would be sustainable; Art therapy was the result of research in career options. Throughout high school, I kept taking the art classes that were available, all the while looking for colleges that offered art therapy as major; as you can tell, I found the university just right for me.
When I’m not in class, you can usually find me in my dorm room as much as possible. Most of my hobbies include doing stuff on my own, whether it be playing video games, drawing, or watching television and movies. However, I sometimes take the time exploring Scranton and accidentally driving over potholes.
So far, my favorite art class at Marywood was Character Design. To be honest, it is difficult to choose a favorite art class, but Character Design allowed me to let my imagination run wild without getting any weird stares. My art style is more accustomed to illustration and cartoons, so I felt very much in my element in Character Design. Besides that, I learned a lot of important skills to improve on my art.
The coolest thing I’ve done at Marywood so far was go on a field trip to the MET Museum in New York. I heard so much about the MET Museum, so I jumped at the opportunity to sign up for the trip. A long bus drive later, and I bore witness to the largest museum I have been to; me and some friends couldn’t even finish seeing the entire building considering the amount of exhibits there were. I took some art history classes in previous semesters, so there were a lot of moments where I recognized pieces I learned about in class at the MET.
When I graduate, I hope to pay off any loans I may have, and work towards saving up for graduate school. I aim to get into internships and work studies as well.
I’d recommend the Art program at Marywood because it is so diverse and engaging. I was pretty limited to my comfort zone when it came to making art, but the classes in the Art program helped me experiment and try something new. My interest in ceramics have grown as a result of this, and I didn’t expect to ever use clay on a pottery wheel. I was able to go on field trips to art museums. I’ve always wanted to go with peers who appreciate art. Speaking of peers, the Art program has been filled with people that I call friends now, which I am grateful for.