Spencer Museum announces 2019 Brosseau Creativity Award recipients

LAWRENCE — The Spencer Museum of Art has announced the 2019 recipients of the Jack & Lavon Brosseau Creativity Awards. Established by benefactor Lavon Brosseau in 2011, the awards honor thought-provoking creative work in the categories of writing and diverse media from University of Kansas undergraduate students in any area of study.

Recipients were selected from 16 submissions by more than 20 individual students and collaborative groups. Submissions included sculpture, poetry, metalwork, choreography, creative-nonfiction, painting, film and research projects. They represented a range of disciplines, including history, Jewish studies, film & media studies, biology, visual art, art history, art education, English, Slavic languages & literatures and East Asian languages & cultures.

In the writing category, Elizabeth Wenger of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was recognized for her creative-nonfiction essay “Still Frame,” which is part of her larger undergraduate thesis, “Dancing to Utopia.” Wenger’s writing combines personal experiences, quotations, research and visual markers that guide readers. Wenger is a senior majoring in both English and Slavic languages & literatures, with an emphasis in Russian.

In the diverse media category, Lourdes Kalusha-Aguirre of Lawrence was recognized for her video essay “This Video is a Timeline.” The submission is an ode to Kalusha-Aguirre’s mother that is linked to the larger political landscape of El Salvador and the United States during El Salvador’s civil war in the 1980s. Kalusha-Aguirre is a sophomore majoring in film & media studies.

An honorable mention in the writing category went to Rachel Atakpa, Derby, for her untitled collection of poems that are part of her larger undergraduate thesis. Atakpa is a senior majoring in English and minoring in Spanish.

An honorable mention in the diverse media category went to Erik Harken of Prairie Village for his film “Tell My Family I Love Them.” Harken is a senior majoring in film & media studies and minoring in theatre.

More information about the awards and excerpts from the recipients’ projects are available online.