About Me
Hi! I'm Adriana, a sophomore at the University of Maryland studying Animal Science. I have participated in the performing arts since 2011 in various band, choir, and theatre programs at my schools. During my time at UMD, I have continued to grow as an artist by participating in clubs and programs such as UMD's Treble Choir, Ethnobeat: World Acapella Group, and Kreativity Diversity Theatre Troupe.
During my time in Arts Scholars, I have taken the opportunity to branch out and explore new forms of art like collage, watercolor, and dance. It has been a wonderful growing experience and has helped me learn new ways of expression and empowerment.
I am also a professional binge watcher, amateur baker, and have a lot of cute lamb and dog pictures. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions, comments, or feedback :)
Artist's Statement
Adriana Alonzo
Question/Issue:
How does human consumption and waste affect endangered species and the environment around us?
History & Distinction:
As our population grows, so does our consumption and with that our waste. Humanity today currently uses the equivalent of 1.7 planets to satisfy our demands (Change, 2019). The average American produces roughly 4.4 pounds of waste each day. This may not initially seem like a lot but it adds up to about 2,072 pounds of trash each year (Gringer, 2018). While many of us have the luxury of simply “throwing away” things once we no longer have use of them, how many of us actually think about where these things end up. In reality there is no “away,” and things that discard often end up polluting our environment and harming the animals that share the earth with us. Many of these animals were staples in my childhood and young imagination, beautiful creatures that I believed would always be around. However, everyday the effects of human activity drive the environment deeper into collapse that is hard to come back from.
Approach:
In a time where sustainability has become a mainstream trend and growing lifestyle, I am pursuing ways to make art sustainably to reduce and repurpose waste as well as enhancing the message I am trying to portray to my audience. Before beginning any sort of construction or painting, I outlined what materials I thought would be best suited for each portrait, and then I set aside time to go “litter hunting” around campus for each thing. Visual art is not my primary artform, so there was a lot of studying and experimentation with various sketching, painting, and collaging styles to help me improve the skills I needed to complete this project. Learn more about my process and research here.
Audience:
I would like this message to reach as many people as possible, but reaching our campus community is a good place to start. I primarily used waste I found around campus and am showing it to students who will recognize the materials used in their daily lives. This will hopefully have a lasting impact. As the rising generation, I believe that spreading this message to my peers will lead to a big impact in the future. It is not intended only for students. I believe any member of the general public would be able to experience and understand my work.
Impact:
I hope that seeing these images will make you come face to face with the reality of the big appetite and in turn the big waste we have as a society and inspire you to create small changes in your life to help make the world a better place for all its inhabitants.
This project has also had a personal impact on my own life. As someone who recently switched to animal science as a career, I have been exploring ways to connect my artistic interests and my career. I considered this the first step in a career of combining my passion for the arts and for animal conservation.
Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank Harold and Heather for being our wonderful directors and guiding us all on our capstone journey and going above and beyond for all of us. Harold, thank you for all the advice and guidance you gave me as my capstone advisor. Heather, thank you for always being kind and understanding.
My gratitude extends to the entire Arts Scholars community. Thank you for welcoming me and giving me a space to explore and express myself artistically.