Alchemy of Witness II: Relating Through the Camera

“A story is a handful of breadcrumbs leading to a home.” -Mark Yaconelli

Building on the central themes of Alchemy of Witness I, this eight-credit program will continue to develop counseling and psychology skills through an interdisciplinary art therapy lens.

We continue to ask: How do stories, people, and events transform through being witnessed? Using film photography as an observational tool, we will experiment with capturing medium-format images for distinctly different audiences: art for the self only, art for each other, and art for strangers. Through these three perspectives, we will add new questions to our study: What effects do our projections on the perceived external witness have on what we create as both artists and community members? What are the qualities of the witnesses we most prefer for our art and our stories? And finally, how do we create belonging spaces where the stories of others can freely emerge?

Students will have the opportunity to connect theory to practice through sharing a virtual art workshop with Hummingbird Studio. Hummingbird Studio is a local non-profit that serves adults with disabilities by providing community art making spaces. Students’ work will also be displayed in an art show alongside Hummingbird community members’ work during Olympia’s spring arts walk. We will continue to use watercolor painting as an experimental medium during some classes and extend a deeper focus in medium format film photography to give students the opportunity to fully utilize the campus’ state-of-the-art darkroom facilities. No previous art experience is required.

Relational skill building will continue with a specific focus on counseling skills preparatory for career success in the helping professions. Students who enroll in this program should be ready to use appropriate and respectful sharing to engage in dyad and group work, participatory class sessions, and be interested in creating high-vitality spaces of belonging for any and all members of the Evergreen community.

Credit will be awarded in mixed media studio art (necessary for entrance into many graduate-level art therapy programs) and counseling skills. Readings will include:  Between the Listening and the Telling, How Stories Can Save Us , by Mark Yaconelli, and a counseling skills workbook.

This course has a signature requirement and will be capped strictly at twenty-five students due to the limited availability of the school's photographic equipment. Students who attended Alchemy of Witness I should write to the professor between week five and the academic fair explaining (in no more than one page) both their readiness to attend the program and how it connects to their life or career interests.  Those who have not taken Alchemy of Witness I should write to the professor between week five and the academic fair explaining (in no more than one page) their previous psychology coursework and/or their working experience in education, law, public service, or the helping professions, and how it connects to their life or career interests.

After 25 successful applicants to the program have been accepted, the course enrollment will be closed, so take care to apply as soon as possible within the application window.