Jan Kather And The 'This Face Has Faced' Project

Elmira, NY (12/08/2021) — A lightbulb went off for Jan Kather, media artist, when she saw a full-page skincare ad that celebrated strong women who surmounted adversity. What if she used a similar prompt with her Electronic Art Studio course students in their culminating project? The answer is a print and online magazine called, "This Face Has Faced" where Elmira College students visually share about the trials they have overcome.

"I started this last year just after students returned from six months of COVID-related remote learning," said Kather. "I sensed the time was very disruptive for them as they worked to keep up with their studies, work summer jobs, and stay in shape for their respective sports."

To Kather's surprise, while some talk about overcoming COVID, many of the students tend to focus on their challenges and triumphs as athletes or overcoming illnesses, anxiety and other uncertainties. She is impressed with the vulnerability some are willing to express.

To make each submission for the book, the students leveraged the digital skills they picked up in the course including technical Photoshop skills, incorporating text and other basic design and layout concepts. Once the project is complete, the students each receive a print copy of the magazine.

"It's cool," said Graham Denomme '23. "It's nice to see students' artwork portrayed in such a fantastic way!"

Kristen Aasheim '24 enjoyed the varied topics students chose. "It was interesting to see the different paths each student took," she said.

"It's nice to see all of our artwork presented in one place," said Samuel Shaw '22. "It's like a culmination of everything we've done this term."

Throughout the course, students get to know each other and Kather is always touched by how supportive they are and how much she gets to see them mature over time.

For Kather, the magazine and the course as a whole give her a window into her students at an exciting time in their life. The students are young and like to joke, they are boisterous and enthusiastic yet increasingly aware of the impact they can have in the world.

"Art classes are a little different because we talk a lot in critiques about creative and topical items that are personal," Kather said. "I get to really see the students mature over time, which is fun. But the students also get a chance to see each other and form a special group different from the circles they usually hang out with outside of class."

"I hope the book serves as a historical piece for the students," said Kather. "In 5-10 years they can look back and remember this time and what it meant for them."

Click here to see a copy of the 2021 This Face That Faced magazine.

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