By Aliiyah Cole
Abstract
In this project, I blended my art and language skills. When Professor Po DeLisle told me about the opportunity to collaborate to create material for an Open Educational Resources (OER) language book that she is developing with Professor Viglione, I recognized the significance behind creating a piece with the potential to help other students learn through artistic approaches and visualizations. I combined artistic techniques with the language by choosing food items associated with the beginning letter of the words to represent the Italian alphabet. The project has been useful to me because I have been able to review lessons that I was taught in “Italian 1 & Culture” while also developing additional knowledge that I had not practiced before creating the artwork. The opportunity to incorporate art alongside studying Italian has also increased my desire to immerse myself in the beautiful language and reflect on my affiliation with the culture. Overall, I am grateful that I was allowed to be a part of an incredible project and to share my passion for art along with learning Italian. I hope my efforts in helping other students learn will be positively impactful for years to come.
“Arte e alfabeto”
Questo progetto mi ha dato l'opportunità di unire la mia passione per l'italiano e l'arte. Io ho creato una griglia in cui ho posizionato ogni disegno. Ho scelto parole che si riferiscono al cibo e ho fatto degli schizzi approssimativi degli alimenti che rappresentano le lettere dell'alfabeto in italiano. Poi ho messo la pittura ad olio sulla grafite. Ho scelto colori complementari per immagini come quelle della banana, della fragola, della teiera, del succo di frutta, e del rosmarino, e colori analoghi per i lamponi, il vino, l’uovo, l’insalata, la quinoa, e il mango per creare diversi effetti visivi. Mi piace creare delle differenze e avere alcune figure in un ambiente con colori simili e altre che giocano di più con i colori per creare dei begli effetti cromatici.
Biographical Statement - Aliiyah Cole
I am currently a senior and a studio art major at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. As a multiracial individual, I embrace my Italian and African American heritage through art. Through striving to incorporate old master Italian techniques and following a traditional approach, my goal is to reach a skill level where I can form narrative pieces that evoke strong emotions in viewers. In the future, I plan to use art to help others heal from adversities.