At Yale SOM, Using Art To Bolster Community

ESPEJISMO: A Festival of Borrowed Reflections.

200 MIRRORS

For the second part of the project, Burks and Dang asked participants if they could borrow their mirrors, and Dang says they received nearly 200.

“They’re mirrors from every walk of life,” Burks says. “Our very first mirror was from one of the custodial staff who we see every day. He gave us a beautiful mirror. We also have a mirror from a Nobel Laureate who is a professor here, and a mirror from a Pulitzer Prize winner.”

And several of the mirrors weren’t even really mirrors. One was a foil survival blanket, borrowed from Pulitzer Prize winner Du Yun, who acquired it while working with Syrian refugees.

Other mirrors have come from Pulitzer Prize winners, sanctuary city mayors, celebrated artists, undocumented immigrants, military personnel, students, and members of the nearby community. “We have a lot of Ikea mirrors,” Dang adds. “But also antique mirrors.”

A TRUE BUSINESS EDUCATION

ESPEJISMO: A Festival of Borrowed Reflections.

Both Burks and Dang believe that organizing this project has given them a true business education. Burks comes from an art history background, and used to work in an art museum. Dang is a former Teach for America teacher, and says she’s used to learning in unconventional ways.

“This is what I loved about ESPEJISMO,” Burks says. “It’s a project about getting to know each other, but I also feel like we’ve learned so much. We’ve been able to use this as independent study, because we’ve managed a budget and hired contractors; we’ve figured out how to connect with people across different sectors; we’ve worked to make sure this fit with the community; and we’ve had to deal with logistics like where the exhibit should be. We’ll carry what we’ve learned into our future careers.”

PROMINENCE AT THE SCHOOL

Burks and Dang say they’re especially grateful to Dean Ted Snyder. “No one knew if this would work, or what it would really look like, but he allowed it to be in a prominent location,” Dang says. “We had the former prime minister of Pakistan here to give a speech, and he saw the mirrors. We have prominent donors come through all the time, and they see the mirrors. Its message was for students, but also for people who visit the school. It encourages them to think about how we can be better connected, and better global leaders.”

The exhibit will be on display at SOM from April 24 to April 30, but after it’s taken down, the website with participants’ written reflections will stay up. There’s also a chance that other places will want to transport the exhibit to display it over the summer, Burks says.

“And the first year students are already expressing interest in doing a similar thing next year, so we’re hoping this will catch on,” Dang says. “Maybe at other business schools too.”

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