The pilot year of Creatives @ the Barnett launched earlier this semester, and already, the 12 students and six faculty mentors involved are hard at work creating interdisciplinary artwork that examines the many facets of homelessness in Columbus and abroad. 

Scott A. Jones, a professor and associate director of bands in the school of music, has served as director of the Barnett Center for Integrated Arts and Enterprise for the past three years. Jones spearheaded the program’s launch. “I’ve been impressed with how transparent the students have been about themselves and their creative processes. Very quickly, they were willing to share what otherwise might be dimensions of their experiences, as people, that would be reserved for the company of somebody they know really well. Which is the dream of anybody who's pulling a cohort of creatives together.”

By the end of the academic year, each pair of students will create an artistic expression related to the social theme of homelessness. The program will conclude in April with an exhibition of their collaborative creations on campus.