On September 27, Brennan’s Pub in the Davis Center and the ̽̽ Program Board (UPB) hosted Catamount Tales, a long-awaited story slam competition. This event was put on by several groups on campus collaborating to create community while showcasing the arts and humanities. Here, Davis Center Art Curator Emma Kane and Book Nook creator Jacques-Paul (JP) Marton discuss the importance of sharing student art with the greater ̽̽ community.
The Art Curators at the Davis Center have been around since the building opened in 2007, filling the space with student and alumni artwork to make it feel more like home for anyone walking into it. The pandemic caused the initiative to go on a brief hiatus but the two students involved are now on a mission to bring life and student work into the DC.
“We curate art installs, shows, and move around the building’s art to keep things fresh. We also host many art and literature-centered events throughout the year! And, last but not least, we have been helping JP with Book Nook upkeep,” says senior Emma Kane. ̽̽ is a school teeming with creativity from all sorts of majors, and the Art Curators are attempting to feature this kind of creativity on the walls where students tend to be most.
“This event was an opportunity for students to share anecdotes about their time at ̽̽!” says Kane. The event followed the structure of a , an event first popularized in the late 1990’s. Participants are selected by random draw, and had five minutes to share a story with the audience from memory. In this case, participants were asked to tell stories from their time as a Catamount. A panel of judges, including Marton and faculty member Dr. Zeina Salame from the ̽̽ School of the Arts, rated storytellers, and the audience likewise had the opportunity to rank performances. Storytellers competed for a variety of prizes, and all participants received a copy of . Throughout the evening, participants shared a wide variety of stories from their ̽̽ experience, proving that college can be different for everyone.
“I cohosted this event and had a great time listening to all of the storytellers!” added Kane, who says she holds the event in high regard.
The School of the Arts as well as the Art Curators are working to put on more events that specifically showcase the arts and humanities in Brennan’s Pub, which has two dining locations, plenty of seating, a stage with a fantastic tech setup, and the Book Nook. The Book Nook was created by JP Marton, a former ̽̽ custodial staff member who has put in a lot of effort to make this campus a better place. The nook was built with his friends, and created out of the need from students for a place to sit and read.
“In the years that I've maintained the Book Nook I've seen how important books can impact the lives of students; it only seemed logical to want to hear what students are thinking and want to share during this unique time in their lives,” Marton shares. Catamount Tales, in his opinion, was just the event to do this.
While this was the first story slam of the year, Marton, Kane, and the other folks who helped put the event on want to get the word out there for more participants to join in. ̽̽ is a community with such diverse minds and experiences, and it is important to bring the spotlight to everyone’s work -- especially the humanities, which unfortunately tend to be on the back burner.
“I feel that a rich exposure to the Arts and Humanities is essential to shaping young adults into great citizens leading fulfilling lives. I desire to see this happen for students at ̽̽,” says Marton.
The Davis Center Art curators are possibly expanding in the future, and they are always looking for new student art to install. Check them out on their Instagram or email them at dcart@uvm.edu!
