Since she could first hold a pencil, junior Lucia Selipanov has been an artist.
Her lifelong passion has driven her to not only making it, but studying art as well. Selipanov now takes her knowledge and shares it with her peers by hosting a series of lectures educating students on Jewish-American artist David Labkovski.
Selipanov’s first lecture took place on Apr 22 in Room 61, with a huge turnout of fellow student artists wanting to learn more.
Last fall, Selipanov took a docent training program through the David Labkovski Program (DLP) that certified her as a David Labkovski teacher. This training program consisted of 8 sessions, each an hour long, teaching both the life story of Labkovski, and dissecting his art.
“My DLP was super rewarding,” said Selipanov. “It taught me so much about my own Jewish heritage and culture, and also gave me a new outlook on interpreting art.”
Selipanov opened her presentation by asking questions like, “Is the meaning of an art piece defined by the viewer or the artist?” to frame the overall theme of her lecture.
Following her opener, she gave a detailed background on Labkovski’s life and work, taking her listeners through his childhood, time spent in the Gulag, and his final years living in peace.
“His life story is so inspiring to me,” said Selipanov. “His admirable adversity, and the way you can see his healing process through his art is something I wanted to capture in my lecture.”
Selipanov is Jewish herself, so Labkovski’s story was something that she was able to easily connect to, and learn from. This personal connection to Labkovski led Selipanov to learn more about the Holocaust, and through this, discovered the importance of learning from history and spreading the message of social activism.
“I’m personally motivated to spread the message on how important social activism is because history repeats itself,” said Selipanov. “If we don’t reflect and remember the past, we will never be able to progress.”
Selipanov’s overarching theme of learning from history is something she plans to carry forward for the rest of her life, and hopefully, in future lectures. She strongly believes that as citizens of society, we have an obligation to learn from history in order to not only ensure we will not make the same mistakes, but be kinder to those around us.
“This message is something that I really wanted to hone into my listeners during my lecture,” said Selipanov. “I found the best way to do this was through art.”
After her second lecture on May 1, Selipanov gave the audience an opportunity to respond to the material and message of her presentation. On a large white poster, Selipanov directed listeners to write a meaningful historical quote, or draw something or someone important to history.
In the center of the mural lay the words “Never Forget,” encapsulating her entire lecture perfectly.
“I am so happy this many people participated in the mural,” said Selipanov. “I am so glad so were so moved by my presentation. Their engagement means the world to me.”
The mural can be viewed in Room 61. Other art made by students is also on display in this classroom.
“I think the mural looks amazing,” said Selipanov. “I am so proud of the final piece.”
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