An audience group gathers to create their own work during the “What’s The Risk? Collaging Identity, Media & Perceptions of Safety” event. (Photo by Meadow Reaves)

Meadow Reaves

Eagle View Contributor

Dana Doughty, museum manager of the Bentonville History Museum, artist, and NWACC alumna, held an open event at the Student Center on the morning of March 6. The event, titled “What’s the Risk? Collaging Identity, Media, and Perceptions of Safety,” centered around audience participation and focused on opening a dialogue with the attending students. Doughty provided the audience art supplies and welcomed attendees to create collages exploring two prompts: create a visual representation of moments you’ve felt safe, at risk, or uncertain, and how media portrayals of risk and identity influence your perceptions of yourself, others and the world. Coffee, tea, and pastries were provided to attendees free of charge.

Doughty was introduced to the audience by Sabrina Chesne, a professor at NWACC who expressed her excitement in introducing her former student. Doughty was a student in her English composition course during her time at NWACC. In addition to her museum role, Doughty works as the Benton County Community Liaison for the Weave: Social Fabric Project. She is a seamstress, business owner, artist, teacher, community organizer, and NWACC Honors graduate.

To start the event, Doughty introduced the philosophy of Erving Goffman, a 20th century sociologist whose writings centered around identity and who likened the roles we play in life to those of actors on a stage. She related this sentiment to the modern day, and how we present ourselves differently on different social media apps, and how we might be engaging with risk by not taking the time to separate : “What does risk or safety mean to you?”

“Safety for me means home,” said one student. Many audience members engaged in the conversation, which delved into political to personal topics, creating a roundtable-like atmosphere. Doughty then explained how her thoughts around identity and risk inspired her art. Doughty didn’t shy away from sharing her personal struggles with identity. She shared a piece of art she created, titled “My Name is Not Mom,” and spoke about how, as a mother, she feels that society restricts what she’s allowed to be or do.

“That’s been a wrestling I’ve had in my own life,”” she said. How do I embrace a role that I love, that is a really authentic part of who I am, (and) how do I balance that with how society shapes what that role is supposed to look like?”

The second half of the event was used for the students to work on their own collages. The attendees crowded the tables, and didn’t hesitate to get to work on their own pieces. Doughty checked in on the attendees as they worked, commenting on their work and striking up conversation. At the end, the attendees were able to take their pieces home after Doughty took a picture of each person’s collage.

When Gauge Boze, who heard about the event through Sabrina Chesne’s English honors course, was asked what he took away from the presentation, he said, “The big thing is to subvert what people think of us, and just be cool with who you are. Don’t worry about what other people think of you.”

The program, part of Spring Arts & Culture Festival, was sponsored by NWACC Social Sciences, NWACC Honors Program, and Weave: The Social Fabric Project.