Convened by Kathryn Nusa Logan at James Madison University with regional collaborators

The JMU Office of Creative Propulsion (OCP), housed within the College of Visual and Performing Arts, aims to center the imaginative and transformative potentials of art in considering public issues. We seek to provide staff, students, and faculty the space, time, nourishment, multimedia, and arts-based activities necessary to approach the contradictions of America through conversation, connection, and creation. The monthly OCP x IA Open Forums held in our space will draw together university members across disciplines: by fostering a safe space for attendees to comfortably share their perspectives on pressing topics verbally and creatively, we aim to build a community of scholars and community members. 

Mixed Media, Mixed Voices: OCP functions as an arts-centered interdisciplinary space for collaboration. Drawing on the Imagining America consortium’s public scholarship and methodologies, one of our goals is to crowd-source research materials across disciplines and media in order to engage a broad range of perspectives. By centering interdisciplinary collaboration on all levels, beginning with research, we aim to foster a sense of security and community. 

Safety and Care: Because the topics we aim to discuss can be stressful and potentially triggering, one of our goals is to prioritize community members’ safety and comfort. This includes considering the spatial pedagogies of our space, such as the manner in which we present our crowd-sourced materials and the orientation of our seating. To foster lateralization and equity, we shall sit together. We also aim to center our community’s wellbeing: every Open Forum will provide attendees with nourishment, including options for those with dietary restrictions. Most importantly, each discussion leads with community agreements, in order to protect attendees’ boundaries. 

Make Art, Make Community: What is learning, if not play? Contesting the isolating and laborious nature of typical academic spaces, we aim to center play during each of our sessions at each phase. Most importantly, we aim to involve university and community artists to lead making-sessions during each Open Forum. We shall craft together, move together, and imagine together.

Collaborators include: Furious Flower Poetry Center, African, African American, and Diaspora (AAAD) Studies Center, and the Department of Justice Studies at James Madison University.