Knox Students lead Successful Summer Arts in Action Program

This summer, Knox College offered free summer pop-up art workshops for all ages and skill levels through the Arts in Action program. Participants learned various forms of art, including collage, drawing, music, poetry, and printmaking. Associate Professor of Dance Kathleen Ridlon oversaw the work of six Knox student artists.  

“The goal is to bring people together to have a shared experience where being social is as important as the art-making process,” Ridlon said

The 2026 community partnerships included the Galesburg Community Arts Center, the Galesburg Public Library, and the Hawthorne Inn—an assisted living center in Galesburg.

As part of their summer collaborative research projects, students led the immersive art classes ranging from poetry, music, drawing, printmaking, and journaling to demonstrate the broad range that art encircles. 

“Art is hard to define, but it encompasses a lot more than it excludes,” said Choiselle Joseph ’29, who led the class Poetry in Action: Craft and Catharsis. “Anything can be art depending on the intention it was made with. Fashion can be art; the way you decorate your room can be art, but I think at its core, it’s the way we make meaning. Art gives us some sense of control over our lives and our environments, what the significance of ourselves is.”

Students led 12 classes from June 24 to July 18, inviting members of the public for an afternoon of art and socializing. Keeping the classes informative and simple (introductory, geared toward all abilities) was a goal of the students who welcomed patrons of all skill levels. 

“I wanted to do a really non-intimidating class; I wanted it to be for everyone, be as inclusive as possible even though I come from a more academic background,” said Zoe Grigoroff ’27, who taught a class called Drawn Easy at the Hawthorne Inn. “I wanted to show people that if you have a lot of thoughts or emotions, you can use drawing to let it out a bit, like writing, playing music, or other creative outlets.”

The sense of community was just as important as the art for the student teachers, as they connected with community members and each other over the summer work.

“Something I found really interesting was a lot of the sharing aspects of the workshops; the community aspects were cited as the most engaging parts,” Joseph said. “I found that fascinating: in an arts workshop, the making is the main point, but the most cited reason why it engaged them was the part we might consider secondary: connect with other people and share their experiences.”

Not only did the community bond with each other, but the student teachers also bonded while working on their research projects. 

“I wanted something purposeful to do during the summer, and this seemed like a great opportunity to see how art can be used outside of the classroom and my classes at Knox,” Grigoroff said. “This is how I can use my skills in the community. I got to meet a lot of new people, especially collaborating with Hawthorne Inn, which was really special. I think I formed a lot of connections there, especially with people outside my circle—people born in the 1930s and 40s. Hearing their stories and seeing them create things was really inspiring. I saw all this creative energy come out of them. I put on songs for them from the 50s and 60s, so it was fun seeing them enjoy themselves like they were teenagers.”