“Wow, Katia, that looks great. Now paint the whole thing black.” Lucas pointed at the widest paintbrush in the jar and signaled for me to take it. I had just finished a painting, and now I had to destroy it. I had no idea what Lucas thought I would learn from this. “So then what am I going to show my mom next week? I’m going to tell her I learned how to paint a canvas like a wall?” ...

Beyond my craft as an artist, I believe I have a responsibility to actively engage with and serve the communities around me through art, media, and communication. This stems from my passion for the intersection of these concepts, which have become extremely prevalent in the 21st century. I am drawn to the University of Pennsylvania’s perspective that no single idea, person, or field of study is isolated. Instead, everything coexists and new opportunities are created by fusing multiple fields...

My family collects plastic bags because when my parents were growing up in Russia, packaging was scarce. This is just one of the unique traditions that define the Russian community in the Greater Boston area. Many people view Russia as a place of danger and insecurity, thinking that there is no more to the culture than “Putin, Communism, and vodka.” Despite these stereotypes, the Russian language, culture, and community have always provided me with a sense of belonging, a new...

When I am playing the piano, the rests in the music remind me of the negative spaces in my paintings. I love playing the piano because it allows me to give meaning to time, just as art allows me to give meaning to space. When I am playing the piano, I fill the room with the sound exerted from my fingers, and I am reminded of the difference I can make by changing the silence of time into music, or...