As you walk through the HUB, you might notice something different.

No, it’s not the smell of the fresh cooked pasta: it’s the artwork that lines the corridors. These pieces of art have personalized messages for both the students that created them and everyone who happens to glance at them.

The artwork was provided by the students in Dr. Debra Torok’s Artists as Activists course.

“In my class we talk about a lot of issues,” said Torok. “As college students, a lot of these issues are relevant to them which is why it’s so wonderful to display their artwork about the issues that really pertain to them.”

An opening reception was held on Wednesday, Feb. 21. The student artists walked around and spoke about the pieces they created; defining what it means to have an activist voice in art.

Lauren Boksan ‘18 selected a picture of her mother holding a beer and a cell phone behind the wheel of a car.

“I chose this picture because it shows that we’re not supposed to drink and drive,” said Boskan. “It allowed me to convey both of those messages into one picture, [that] life is too precious to risk driving distractedly, which is why my mom is pictured.”

Derrick Lopez ‘18 selected his photograph of a scale with a single dollar bill.

“We put too much weight on the economy,” said Lopez. “The dollar represents the economy, and the scale captures the weight we choose to put on our economic situation and status.”

You can see these two activist messages and many more in the HUB from now until March 11.