Current McKinnon Artist Minigrants

With the full version of Capture, I will have access to a full and complete library of fixtures, allowing me to accurately mock up and draft concept and/or preliminary lighting designs, as I intend to use Capture alongside my independent study under Professor Kennedy as a research and learning aid. In conjunction with Capture, the lighting visualization software, I am also requesting funding to purchase two symbol packs for Vectorworks, an industry standard software used by lighting professionals to create design paperwork.

The proper shoes to ensure safety, a professional look, and preparation is a must. As a very experienced dancer who competed in dance competitions around the world, I have always had my eye on La Duca Character Shoes and Jason Samuel Smith Tap shoes. Both shoes are extremely expensive but necessary for an aspiring professional. These shoes would not only better prepare me, but they would also improve my style of dance.

Since coming to UV A, I have pursued my love of music and performing to the fullest extent. I take private lessons with Dr. Kelly Sulick at a 3000-level and play in the Charlottesville Symphony. This year, I hope to take my musicianship to the next step by auditioning into the Performance Concentration. The Performance Concentration is a selective program offered in addition to the BA in Music here at UV A. Students in the program get more opportunities to work alongside music faculty to advance their abilities in a more involved way than what is offered in the general major. This is the necessary next step in my performance progression.

I am an interdisciplinary artist working in film and photography, with a focus on themes of identity, migration, and the ephemeral nature of belonging. *Homelands in Exile* is a photographic exploration of longing, diaspora, and the shifting notion of home in the modern age. This project will use portrait and landscape photography to interrogate how identity is constructed, perceived, and, at times, erased.

The Flute Society of Washington’s Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention takes place on February 15th and 16th, 2025. As I am planning on auditioning for the Performance Concentration, I would like to gain as much performance experience as possible.

As a visual artist who has worked all my life in a two-dimensional form, I am increasingly excited in seeing the potential of digital art. One form of this is 3D printing.