The Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College recently hosted a screening of two documentaries by Art21, a nonprofit organization dedicated to contemporary art. The documentaries, “Everyday Icons” and “Bodies of Knowledge,” highlighted the artistic processes of Rose B. Simpson and the Guerrilla Girls, respectively.
Author: Ananya Vinay
Algorithms and organisms: Ken Rinaldo’s artistic exploration of technology and living systems
Ken Rinaldo, a celebrated artist, spoke at the Benton Museum of Art on Nov. 17 about his bio-art works, which meld technological and natural realms to analyze and amplify living systems. His work included robotic art installations and sound sculptures. His work addresses biological concerns and envisions interspecies and trans-species communication. The talk concluded with a workshop where participants created microbial self-portraits.
“Being Human in the Age of AI” featuring Stephanie Dinkins: Technology and humanity, hand in hand
This Monday, Harvey Mudd College hosted its third and final event for the 2023 Dr. Bruce J. Nelson ‘74 Distinguished Speaker Series “Being Human in the Age of AI.” Stephanie Dinkins, a transmedia artist and professor of art at Stony Brook University, spoke on “Love & Data.” Beginning in September,
Indigenous resistance at the Benton: ‘An Exploration of Memory, Resistance, and Creativity in a Time of Environmental Flux’ by Leah Mata Fragua
On Nov. 2, the Benton Museum of Art invited Leah Mata Fragua to speak on the climate crisis’s impact on the practice of Indigenous art. Fragua is a place-based artist and a member of the yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini Tribe, located on the California coast. Fragua presented a talk titled “An Exploration of Memory, Resistance and Creativity in a Time of Environmental Flux,” followed by a conversation with Dr. Meranda Roberts regarding ephemeral art and advocating for change in art institutions.
The 2023 Payton Lectureship featuring Dr. Anita Hill: Social change is a relay, not a marathon
With regard to transformative shifts in society, Dr. Anita Hill wouldn’t say she identifies as an optimist, but is ever hopeful to overcome a number of impossible challenges. On Oct. 28, Pomona College invited Hill to speak on civil rights in current politics, education and greater society in the United States for the sixth annual Payton Distinguished Lectureship.
“From artificial intelligence to collective wisdom”: The power of a boundless imagination
On Oct. 19, Dr. Ruha Benjamin, sociologist, author and professor of Africana Studies at Princeton University, gave a lecture entitled “From Artificial Intelligence to Collective Wisdom.” As part of Harvey Mudd College’s “Being Human in the Age of AI” Nelson Speaker Series, Benjamin outlined the origins and effects of inequities embedded in digital power structures.
The Hive’s Tiny Patio Concert gives NPR a run for its money
Transformed into a cozy, intimate setting, The Hive became the perfect backdrop for the first ever “Tiny Patio Concert,” a riff on NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert.” On Sept. 22, throughout three half-hour sets, audiences enjoyed performances of original songs and covers from student acts B5 Guitar, Aphelion and Tea Rooom.
The Golden Antlers open mic night: Just try it!
The Golden Antlers’ first open mic event of the year kicked off with an enthusiastic lineup of performers, covering topics ranging from the trials and tribulations of dating to coming out of the closet.
The Ath living wage debate: economic radicalism at the Claremont Colleges Debate Union
On Sept. 12 at CMC’s Athenaeum, Audrey Strevey PO ’25 and Yui Kurosawa CM ’26 debated the following proposition: The United States should establish a guaranteed living wage.