Celebrating National Arts in Education Week 2024: CMU Community Shares Personal Reflections on Art’s Impact

National Arts in Education Week is Sept. 9-13, serving as a reminder of the profound impact art has on humanity. This week, members of the Carnegie Mellon University community share how the arts have touched their hearts and minds — and influenced both their personal and professional journeys. From the delicate stitches of embroidery to the vibrant worlds of film and theater, each reflection is a testimony to the transformative power of creativity. Their experiences highlight the impact of the arts on every aspect of life, education and career, and exemplify how art can foster a deeper connection to oneself and the world.

“Playing the cello has been an immensely important part of my life for many years. In addition to being a creative outlet that allows me to step out of my day-to-day work, making music has also been an important way for me to process knowledge and make connections, and to learn important lessons about living my life! Playing cello well and making the music you want to make is actually quite technical — there is a lot of physics, mathematics and engineering involved, and I find it really enjoyable to experiment and find out how those principles lead to different sounds. But being musical is so much more than technique! It also requires the musician to relax, feel and hear the music — which is a profound lesson for living a happy life.” 

— Shelley Anna
Vice Provost for Faculty and Professor of Chemical Engineering
College of Engineering

“Throughout my life, art has been a powerful catalyst for positive social change, community-building and storytelling. As the LEAP Program(opens in new window) director at CMU, I teach high school students about social justice through storytelling in the arts and humanities. Art is the vehicle that my students and I use to process the world around us and to imagine how it could be. We connect with local artists who use their creative practices to make Pittsburgh a better, more just place to live.”

— Sarah Ceurvorst (BHA 2013)
LEAP (Leadership, Excellence, Access and Persistence) Program Director
Academic Pathways Manager 
Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and College of Fine Arts

“As a designer, embroidery is about more than just repairing or decorating — it’s about weaving new stories into old things, much like how design can reimagine and transform existing ideas into something meaningful and new. The tactile experience of working with fabric and thread reminds me of the importance of being in direct contact with the material world, of shaping and caring for it. This process-oriented mindset has translated into other areas of my life, like cooking and gardening, where the act of making and caring for what’s made holds as much value as the final outcome.”

 — Ming Ming Chapman
Distinguished Service Professor of Design
Tepper School of Business

“I started quilting in grad school because I wanted to create something beautiful and see tangible progress when I got frustrated writing my dissertation. Thirty years later, I continue to design and sew quilts and now also clothing. Figuring out how to construct an idea I have in my mind out of fabric is a bit of an engineering challenge, but it is very different from what I do all day at work. I find it both relaxing and exciting, and I love the tactile nature of working with fabric. I enjoy designing and sewing clothing that meets all the requirements of the wearer: comfortable, perfect fit, looks great on, washable and of course it has to have functional pockets! And it is lots of fun when someone compliments me on my outfit, and I tell them I sewed it myself!”

— Lorrie Cranor
Director and Bosch Distinguished Professor of the CyLab Security and Privacy Institute
FORE Systems University Professor of Computer Science and of Engineering and Public Policy

“I've basically been immersed in the study of film since I could talk, so it makes sense that I found a way to make my passion a vocation. I've been teaching and writing about film for many years, and as the program director for the major in film and visual media in the English Department, I'm able to share the results of many hours of film-viewing and study with my students. Film is a distillation of all the arts — music, photography, dance, architecture, theater, drawing, painting, sculpture, fashion, as well as most of the disciplines of the humanities. At this point, what we see on screens shapes how most of us understand and process history, culture, fashion, politics — you name it, so understanding how the art of visual media works is crucial to every aspect of our lives. Every film is a window into a place and time, so every film can teach us something about the people who made it, and about ourselves as well.”

— Jeffrey Hinkelman
Senior Lecturer and Director of the Visual Film and Media Program, Department of English
Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences

“As a researcher and educator who works both in computer graphics and robots, art and artistic skills are essential to what I study and teach. First, it's nearly impossible to have a research conversation about virtual 3D objects graphics or robots we haven't built yet without sketching. So much of the reasoning and creation in my fields requires good visual understanding and communication ability. The table in my office, my walls and my whiteboard are all filled with sketches. Second, aesthetics is a wonderful motivator for students. In courses I teach, I like to structure assignments so that students have the opportunity to go further than just completing an assignment by making something beautiful and delightful. For example, building a 3D viewer (base assignment), and then developing their own 3D world to show with it (creative extension). Perhaps the grade motivates students to complete the base assignment, but an appreciation of the beauty they can create motivates them to work on the extension. And, finally, making research is not that different from making art. You need concept, and you need craft. You strive to bring some perfect ideas into the world in a way that isn't too flawed, and you hope that you inspire others to do the same.”

— Jim McCann
Associate Professor
Robotics Institute
School of Computer Science

“I’m a musician and music producer, mainly producing with my dad for a label we helped to found in Vietnam. I have musicians on both sides of my family, so I’ve been playing instruments since I was really young. But I think the moment music became a passion for me was actually when I took a break from the more formal music commitments I had. It was really freeing to finally pursue music as I wanted. I started out just playing the songs I liked, and grew into doing more once my dad asked me to help him on some songs he was producing at the time. Music really serves as an escape from reality for me, so I hope the music I create can do the same for the people that listen. I think when you’re able to feel the emotion an artist went through when making a song, that’s when music is best.” 

— Eric Parker
Sophomore, Biological Sciences
Mellon College of Science

“The arts have always given me purpose in life, and now I'm fortunate enough to lead an organization that believes art has the power to change lives through serving as a catalyst for conversation and change. Outside of being the executive director at Contemporary Craft(opens in new window) and an adjunct faculty member at CMU, I'm a printmaker and find that the practice of creating is a wonderful way to explore and regulate both emotion and the physical spaces that surround us." 

— Rachel Saul Rearick
Adjunct Instructor
Heinz College of of Information Systems and Public Policy

“Theater is such an important part of my life. It is an art form that makes me feel seen and powerful. Knowing this, when I was deciding where to go to college, learning about Scotch’n’Soda Theatre(opens in new window) was a major factor that drew me toward CMU. I joined straight away during my freshman year, and I was blown away by how rich the history is, and how welcoming the modern day culture is. This will be my second year on the Board of Directors, and I have loved my experience so far. The experience has helped me to prepare for my future by making me a better leader, improving my communication skills and giving me experience with collaborative work. More importantly, it's given me the chance to work with people from incredibly diverse backgrounds, who all have different talents and history with theater. However, what remains constant is that we are all passionate about the work that we do, and it drives us to put on phenomenal shows, year after year.” 

— Sophie Vincens
President of Scotch’n’Soda Theatre, Research Fellow
College of Engineering