Commencement

[ kuh-mens-muhnt ]

noun

1. an act or instance of commencing; beginning:

   the commencement of possibilities.

2. the ceremony of conferring degrees or granting diplomas at the end of the academic year.

3. the day on which this ceremony takes place.

On May 31, 2024, in honor of their 50th Reunion, eight of 17 folks in the Class of 1974 who elected Studio Art as their major put on a Pop-up art show in the Rotunda on the Lawn at the University of Virginia. The idea for the project came up during a conversation over coffee five years ago in 2019. The hook was, that 50 years later, some of us were still making art, and wouldn’t it be a kick to see what that looked like?

Commencement is both a coming and a going.

After hours, weeks, and months of planning, we came together and made this show happen, the likes of which had never been done before. It offered the opportunity for coming together to connect again — with each other, as well as the joy and satisfaction of making something.

Where are we going from here? That remains to be seen. Let the possibilities commence to happen. I’m hoping they’ll be grand!