AUK opens art and music therapy rooms
On October 10, 2017, AUK held the opening ceremony of the Art and Music Therapy Rooms, a new space introduced by the Counseling Center under Student Affairs. With a welcoming crowd of staff, students, and faculty, the event began with a few words from President Sullivan. He began by posing a question to the people around him, “What is life without art and music?” adding that art and music “enrich our lives and make them better in a variety of ways.” Following the President’s words were a few from Jason Sullivan, the director of the Counseling Center, “There is a therapeutic quality to art and music and we want to give students a place to express themselves.”
In front of the anticipating crowd, the AUK President cut the ribbon, officially declaring the Art and Music Therapy Rooms open. To keep the momentum going and introduce the community to the spaces, people immediately began trying out different instruments in the Music Room and the sounds of piano playing and drum beating filled the hallway of the Science Building. Next door in the Art Room, employees from Art Space began setting up for an open workshop. Just before they began, Sarah Chouari, a workshop instructor from Art Space, gave a brief description of the upcoming activity saying, “We are leading a free expression workshop. We really want to show people that there are no rules in art. Everyone will pick their own medium and we’ll just guide them through the process. It’s open to all AUK students and supplies are provided.”
Falling in line perfectly with the mission Dr Sullivan provided at the beginning of the ceremony, the workshop was centered on individuality and the translation of emotions and thoughts into artistic expression. The room was filled with students and staff working on projects that showcased the way in which art crossed boundaries. Mediums varied from paper to canvas, from paint to charcoal, people found their own comfortability, some sitting on the ground, others on stools, some standing in front of easels. In the hallway just outside the room pieces of completed artwork were displayed, each piece wonderfully different and unique.
The AUK community is eager to see more of its members’ expression and talent flow through these rooms. Commenting on the new facility additions, Dr Hanan Muzaffar, Dean of Student Affairs said: “As we navigate through the many challenges our youth faces today, in an age especially marked by high rates of anxiety, we see the need to provide space that engages the student in creative self-expression as a tool towards enhancing positive mental health and wellbeing and bringing a sense of community inspired by art and music”.