ABOUT ME

Dear Readers,

Thank you for coming to my website! My name is Bella Jacobson and I am about to graduate from the University of Michigan with a major in communications and a minor in writing. I have always been passionate about art, both observing and creating. When I think of all the classes I was able to take at the University of Michigan, as my senior year of college comes to an end, the courses that stuck with me the most were two art history classes and four writing classes. As a communications major, I felt a lack of creativity in my studies. It was not until my junior year, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, that I had finished my major courses and other prerequisites to fulfill requirements, that I was able to take classes that interested me on a more personal than academic level. For as long as I can remember, writing has always been something I did for school, not for fun. As my academic requirements lowered, I was finally able to see writing as a hobby. With no set minor in mind, at the end of my Junior year, I decided to take a chance and apply to the Sweetland Minor in Writing for two reasons. One, my favorite class I took was a low level writing course where I wrote in multimodes. That was the first time I realized that writing did not have to be all research papers, literature reviews, and analytical essays. I discovered that writing is useful for so many different vectors of life and being able to communicate through different mediums drew me into my love for writing. In the first week of my Capstone, we took a trip to the UMMA. I was automatically fascinated by how art and writing could possibly go together and I was determined to have my project connect both my love for writing and art. Furthermore, last semester I took a class with mostly graduate students, on the Art History of Detroit. In this course, my knowledge on art, and the city of Detroit greatly widened and gave me new perspectives when looking at art on my own. Since I am from Michigan, go to college in Michigan, and spent the entire coronavirus pandemic in Michigan, I wanted to explore pieces of art made in Southeastern Michigan during the pandemic. I have compiled six pieces of art that caught my eye and said something about money, time, and space in Southeast Michigan during the pandemic. Over this semester, my Capstone project vision has evolved and turned into a collection of art, chosen by me, and analyzed by me. I hope my perspective on these pieces of art give insight into what type of art was made in Michigan during the pandemic as well as give insight into bigger themes/issues felt by others during this time. Each essay brings in different perspectives but they all show what gets created during vulnerable periods of life. I hope you enjoy! 

Sincerely, 

Bella Jacobson