Senior Spot Light: Sarah McMillen

What is your year and major? -I am a senior (fourth year) and I am majoring in art education (k-12) and pursuing a master's in art therapy at UWS following graduation here at UMD.

What is your favorite medium to work with and why?

-Acrylic paint is my favorite to 'let go' with. It's smooth to apply, easy to pick up, fast-drying and you can always go over and over (it again), creating (new) layers. But charcoal is close in the running. I love the dark richness you can create with it, and there is something about getting dirty that makes you feel obliged.

How did you choose the pieces you will be displaying?

-I chose a theme that I felt passionate about: humanity. I sketched a million different ideas in my journal that made me think of how wrong humanity can be sometimes, and tried to think of ways that it could be fixed, which connected me to art therapy. A lot of my work shows how I let go, and shows people a way they can let go as well. And I linked that with what I thought was the biggest problem our society had: racism.

What would you like people to know about your show?

-The show, in the end, should leave the viewers feeling that we are all the same even though we are different in some way, so we should stop neglecting each other and instead work together.

What is one piece of advice you have for incoming art students?

-Be excited about your future. No matter what people say to try and change you, remind them that you are you and they are them. Do NOT let them decide your path, create your own.

Compiled by Taylor Jensen

Arts and Entertainment Editor

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