Abstract
From a linguistic transnational perspective, I craft a counter-narrative to the Land-Grant Frescoes (1940) by Henry Varnum Poor. These frescoes, which span over 1,300 square feet, stand as a vibrant testament to Penn State's rich heritage. My project, Wandering Histories, employs the linguistic metaphor of tiers/tears/tear to unearth and shed light on the concealed stories within this iconic campus location. By exploring multisensory art approaches, Wandering Histories transcends visual appreciation to include auditory, kinetic, olfactory, and tactile experiences. I engage three arts-based strategies: (a) imagination to counter tiers of patriarchal colonial social structures projected on my body, (b) watercolor tears to animate counter-narratives, and (c) augmented reality participation to tear away from exclusions. The strategies leverage tiers/tears/tear as metaphor of an undercurrent flow to transform university environments into landscapes rich with diversity, inclusivity, and complex narratives. Wandering Histories critiques entrenched colonial narratives and advocates for blending a transnational lens with emotion and creativity into higher education. Through integrating sensory experiences with art forms (i.e., watercolors, animation, and augmented reality), my project seeks to re-interpret the prevailing colonialist narrative within the Old Main Building at Penn State University.
