A unique mask and costume exhibition inspired by George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” will be on display at the East Campus Library this summer. The collaborative “”Breaking Down Animal Farm” exhibit highlights five TPA 1232C costume design students, Professor Constance Lee, and library staff member Rae Mair.
The exhibition represents TPA 1232C Costume Techniques And Wardrobe Practices students’ efforts to connect the book to real life by creating masks and costumes for each character. The project combines literacy, creativity, and artistic expression.
“Animal Farm” was chosen because the book is short, has excellent thematic content, and easy-to-understand characters. Since its first publication on August 17, 1945, the book has gained worldwide popularity with over 25 million copies sold globally, according to data from Nielsen BookScan.
The project idea was developed with collaboration between Valencia College Librarian Mair and Professor Lee. This is the second exhibition of masks and costumes, following the first one held last fall.
Mair explained, “The main objective of the project is not just focused on reading a play; it goes beyond the play to becoming a costumer for the play and imagining what that would look like.”
Students engaged in the text by focusing on recording vital character details. They chose a character then researched and examined the narrative’s historical context, political themes, and specific symbols or colors. Armed with this complete information, the student’s objective was to capture each character’s essence and identify real-world correlations.
Student Valerie Capuzzi, connected character Napoleon the pig from “Animal Farm” to Cersei Lannister from “Game of Thrones.” She said, “Comparing Games of Thrones to Animal Farm is super easy finding the proper research. Animal Farm is similar in terms of power, and you know having a leader use that power to manipulate other people, but it was a bit of a challenge.”
The exercise helped students catch the complexity of character development and the importance of detailed research in creating accurate and adequate portrayals, so the public can understand the character.
After thorough research, students began the transformative process of manifesting their ideas into drawing designs of masks and costumes. Utilizing their findings, they sketched out their designs that show the essence of each character. The drawings served as the base for the fabrication process, guiding the specific details of their masks and costumes. As they deeper into the elaboration of the masks and costumes, students brought their ideas to life. At the culmination of their project, the students made a presentation, and the exhibition was the result of their creativity and dedication.
Professor Lee, a part-time faculty member in Theater Tech, mentioned the significance of costume design, stating, ” Costume design is a communication without words.”
Through this project, students gained a deeper understanding of storytelling, expressing details and visual elements. This opportunity allowed students to engage in a comprehensive preparation process and improve their skills and creativity, and it was an invaluable asset for their future academic and professional pursuits, according to Professor Lee.
The exhibit has been receiving positive reviews. East Campus Librarian Chris Wettstein expressed enthusiasm for the project, stating, “We can also have the chance to show the students the other things the library offers, too.” This highlights the resources the library offers to students in their academic process.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to witness the artistic expression of literature and creativity at the “Breaking Dwn Animal Farm” mask and costume exhibition in the East Campus Library, now showing until the beginning of the Fall semester.
