Finding Light and Hope During the Pandemic Through Art

Saint Joseph’s University’s Office of Campus Ministry and Post Learning Commons and Drexel Library launched a new art display to show how members of the campus community found light and creativity during COVID-19.

Titled “Pandemic Perspectives,” the display features photographs, paintings and other artwork created by Saint Joseph’s students and faculty who wanted to share their personal stories and reflections of the pandemic through different mediums. The art submissions came from the Archives and Special Collections’ COVID-19 Archiving Project, which documents how people experienced the pandemic for future generations to look back on.

Campus Ministry partnered with Deborah Lenert, manager of library digital services, and Anne Krakow, library director, when they heard about the archiving project. Andrea Mueller ’21, a psychology major and peer minister, says Campus Ministry was looking for an alternative to their annual art retreat, Encounter, which was canceled due to the pandemic.

“My supervisor, Jessica Kerber, ACJ, and I wanted to still get to the heart of the retreat — finding connections through creativity. At the beginning of the year, we had the idea to create an art display at the library to bring some inspiration to campus,” Mueller says. “When we found out they were doing the COVID-19 archiving project, we thought it was the perfect connection — sharing personal stories about how people experienced the pandemic while spreading creativity on campus.”

The exhibit will run until May 22 in the Post Learning Commons and Drexel Library. Additionally, the library is still accepting submissions to the archiving project. You may submit photographs, video clips, written anecdotes or stories and other types of creative work. Here are a few pieces featured in the exhibit.

“The Silence of Music During COVID-19,” Marissa Abel ’21

“When quarantine first began in March 2020, I found myself turning to photography as an outlet for creative expression. I would go on walks around my neighborhood with my sister, looking for little aspects of the ‘new normal’ in our lives to capture — images I do not think we will ever see again, from parks closed off with locks to basketball hoops taken off the backboards.” — Marissa Abel ’21, finance major and economics minor

“John Lewis,” Veronika Nemeth ’21

“I was inspired to create this piece last semester after reading the March graphic novel trilogy about the life of John Lewis and feeling deeply moved by his devotion to nonviolence and justice. Channeling this inspiration, I wanted to create something to serve as a tribute to his power and impact on history. The charcoal portrait is of his iconic mugshot after being arrested for using a Whites-only bathroom; his soft smile a conscious sign that he was on the right side of history making ‘good trouble.’ In acrylic behind him are rays of light, symbols of peace and the skyline of Atlanta to honor other elements of his life. The quote of his I included is a constant reminder that even in the most unexpected moments we are called to be positive change-makers in our world.” — Veronika Nemeth ’21, early childhood education and Spanish major

“Wonderfully Made by Ally,” Ally Craskey ’23

“I first started working with clay in June of this past year. I’ve found that clay is a very forgiving medium; it can constantly be made anew. While I’m creating, I often think about the story of the potter in the Bible, how he reshapes the clay bowl he is making in spite of its flaws and makes a new bowl from it. When I create earrings from clay, I embrace imperfection because it’s a reflection of humanity and that is much more beautiful than something without flaws.” — Ally Craskey ’23, English and secondary education major

“Candles for Corona,” Khalid Alzubi ‘22

“A few weeks into quarantine, while finding myself with a lot of free time and wanting to do something to help out with the pandemic in some way, I found a love for making candles. At first, it was just something I would do for my family or to keep around the house. But as I started to think about the possibility of making more candles, the idea for ‘Candles for Corona’ hit me. I decided to start taking orders for candles and donating all the profits to Partners in Health, a nonprofit organization that provides equal access to healthcare opportunities in low-income communities.” — Khalid Alzubi ’22, marketing major and business intelligence and analytics minor