A Raft Through Storms (A.R.T.S.) is an ongoing, open-ended, interactive hybrid-creative project exploring the sustaining and healing power of creative work in difficult times. Comprised of film, music, poetry, visual art, and community engagement, each genre and collaborative action offers a unique opportunity for meditation and discovery—with the sum being greater than the parts. Subject matter includes the traumatic effects of poverty, coping with the loss of a parent, and managing mental illness, as well as the importance of collaboration, providing creative outlets for children and people with disabilities, and affirming the voices of the marginalized, among other related subjects. The four main sections of A Raft Through Storms (A.R.T.S.)—SELF, FRIENDS, GLOBAL COMMUNITY, and OUR FUTURE—follow the same format: watch a film, listen to an album, read poetry (accompanied by visual art), and connect through creative engagement.
","abstract_html":"<p>A Raft Through Storms (A.R.T.S.) is an ongoing, open-ended, interactive hybrid-creative project exploring the sustaining and healing power of creative work in difficult times. Comprised of film, music, poetry, visual art, and community engagement, each genre and collaborative action offers a unique opportunity for meditation and discovery—with the sum being greater than the parts. Subject matter includes the traumatic effects of poverty, coping with the loss of a parent, and managing mental illness, as well as the importance of collaboration, providing creative outlets for children and people with disabilities, and affirming the voices of the marginalized, among other related subjects. The four main sections of A Raft Through Storms (A.R.T.S.)—SELF, FRIENDS, GLOBAL COMMUNITY, and OUR FUTURE—follow the same format: <em>watch</em> a film, <em>listen</em> to an album, <em>read</em> poetry (accompanied by visual art), and <em>connect</em> through creative engagement.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ferguson, Ronald L."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Fine Arts","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"English","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Lynn Domina"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-04-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2022-04-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:24:24Z","subjects":["Art Education","Audio Arts and Acoustics","Film Production","Interdisciplinary Arts and Media","Poetry"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/695","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Lynn Domina"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ferguson, Ronald L."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2027-03-31T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Fine Arts"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Art Education","Audio Arts and Acoustics","Film Production","Interdisciplinary Arts and Media","Poetry"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/695"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["A Raft Through Storms (A.R.T.S.) is an ongoing, open-ended, interactive hybrid-creative project exploring the sustaining and healing power of creative work in difficult times. Comprised of film, music, poetry, visual art, and community engagement, each genre and collaborative action offers a unique opportunity for meditation and discovery—with the sum being greater than the parts. Subject matter includes the traumatic effects of poverty, coping with the loss of a parent, and managing mental illness, as well as the importance of collaboration, providing creative outlets for children and people with disabilities, and affirming the voices of the marginalized, among other related subjects. The four main sections of A Raft Through Storms (A.R.T.S.)—SELF, FRIENDS, GLOBAL COMMUNITY, and OUR FUTURE—follow the same format: watch a film, listen to an album, read poetry (accompanied by visual art), and connect through creative engagement.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A RAFT THROUGH STORMS (A.R.T.S.)"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Lynn Domina"],"dc:creator":["Ferguson, Ronald L."],"dc:date.available":["2027-03-31T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["A Raft Through Storms (A.R.T.S.) is an ongoing, open-ended, interactive hybrid-creative project exploring the sustaining and healing power of creative work in difficult times. Comprised of film, music, poetry, visual art, and community engagement, each genre and collaborative action offers a unique opportunity for meditation and discovery—with the sum being greater than the parts. Subject matter includes the traumatic effects of poverty, coping with the loss of a parent, and managing mental illness, as well as the importance of collaboration, providing creative outlets for children and people with disabilities, and affirming the voices of the marginalized, among other related subjects. The four main sections of A Raft Through Storms (A.R.T.S.)—SELF, FRIENDS, GLOBAL COMMUNITY, and OUR FUTURE—follow the same format: watch a film, listen to an album, read poetry (accompanied by visual art), and connect through creative engagement.
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