Life as a teenager in 1980s war-torn Beirut was difficult, and drawing was 安娜贝利道尔的逃跑. The Barnard alumna and assistant adjunct professor of art history turned to the pursuit to soothe herself in stressful times — something she still does today.
“Drawing is what saved me when we were in bomb shelters, which was a large part of my life,”她说。.
现在, over 30 years since she arrived on campus after leaving her homeland, Daou is sharing her beloved craft with the next generation of Barnard students. 她的课程, 的画室, is intended not only to teach students rudimentary skills and techniques but also to encourage them to use other forms of expression — such as 运动 and sound — to help enhance what shows up on the canvas.
“I’m trying to expand the notion of what drawing can be,” said Daou.
Each class brings students on an artistic odyssey as they converse, apply their skills in the studio, and spend time reflecting on their creations. It is important to Daou that she create a collective space for students to learn how to work together and support each other — the same kind of welcoming, 安全, and intellectually enriching environment that she encountered as a student and refugee at Barnard.
To keep inspiration flowing, Daou regularly invites guests into the classroom. 这是关于手势的一课, 运动, 和节奏, students sketched the various gestures of a conductor as she listened to a song while wearing earphones. Unable to hear the music, students’ depictions rested solely on the conductor’s bodily expressions. Daou later brought in a choreographer who came up with a sequence of 运动s based on the students’ drawings. To bring everything full circle, Daou then played the original music the conductor was listening to and had the students act out the choreography they learned — in effect, 将他们的艺术带入生活.
In teaching students the boundless possibilities of drawing, Daou strives to move beyond the practical and open students up to their own potential.
“One of my goals of the class is to have the students feel their power and find the courage to express their power,”她说。. “Not just in the class, but to take this out of the class. And I think drawing can do that.”
