In the spring of 2023, students and faculty from the Interdisciplinary Art and Social Practice program at UNCG embarked on a research trip to Asheville, North Carolina, to explore and learn about the history and influence of Black Mountain College (1930-50s).

Black Mountain College was an experimental school that provided a democratic and communal structure for avant-garde art, music, and poetry. The roots of Social Practice can be traced back to the way this school operated and the radical interdisciplinary artists who came together during this time and created art.

This trip was coordinated and led by the four Directors of the IASP program:

Dr. Nicole Scalissi, (Art History)

Janet Allard (Theater)

Caitlyn Schrader (Dance)

Lee Walton (Art)

Upon arriving to Asheville, Dr. Nicole Scalissi delivered a lecture presentation on the historical context of Black Mountain College.

The Lecture was an introduction to the historical foundations of Black Mountain College and its unique pedagogical ethos emerging from egalitarian and experimental ideals, including responding to prompts posed to BMC students (by Anni Albers) that question the very basis of life, art, and community. BMC's unique profile as a site for inclusive community in the 30s-40s was emphasized in discussing artists who came to BMC after surviving the conditions of WWII and genocide, as well as how the campus racially integrated during the height of southern segregation.

After seeing photographs and learning about the history of BMC by Dr. Scalissi's talk, students and faculty were excited to see the actual grounds and site.

Our early morning walking tour of the iconic BMC campus at Lake Eden was led by Alice Sebrell, Program Director at BMC.

The 90-minute tour covered the historic lower campus buildings, including The Dining Hall, Lodges, The Quiet House, and The Studies Building, as well as the iconic frescos painted by Jean Charlot.

We also tried our best to recreate the classic photo of the artists and faculty taken at Lake Eden!

The students spent the afternoon at the Asheville Museum of Art with a focus on Black Mountain College, particularly Ray Johnson's Correspondence Art. Afterward, they embarked on downtown Asheville to create short video works that included dance, poetry, and performance art. QR codes were created for each video performance and then posted throughout the city for future passersby to discover and experience the works in situ.