Choiselle Joseph

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 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. 

Meet sophomore Choiselle Joseph, who participated in the Arts in Action program over the summer, leading a poetry class working with area artists. 

What classes did you lead for Arts in Action?

I was leading Poetry in Action: Craft and Catharsis, which was a series of three poetry workshops. Each focused on a different element of the poetry craft and how those elements can be used to express raw emotions.

What drew you into getting involved with the Arts in Action program?

I’m really passionate about the arts, but I also have an interest in higher education. At first I saw this as a way to get teaching experience, but the course also focused on how to start these kinds of projects and engage people, which is something I’m interested in—starting projects instead of joining or existing in them.

What is it like to be involved with the community, working with complete strangers and having to immerse them in what you’re trying to teach?

Getting involved with people and being able to draw in a lot of people from different walks of life was interesting. It also made me think about how I balance the technical side and the community side. You want to teach people something new, but you also don’t want to alienate them with stuff that might be too over their heads. It was fun thinking of activities, almost like games, to demonstrate the concepts I was exploring. 

Art is such a big word, and it can be kind of vague. So what does art mean to you?

It’s hard to define, but it encompasses a lot more than it excludes. 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.

What is it about words that gives you catharsis, can help you relax, blow off steam, or express yourself?

I think poetry and writing in general are so important to me because language is so universal. Language varies drastically from culture to culture and even from person to person, but it is something humans do. I think in some ways it makes it one of the most accessible art forms. You can write on the back of a receipt, or even your hand. That’s why it’s so powerful, it’s always with you even when you’re not writing. It’s an easy way to tap into your feelings and beliefs. 

What are some of the things you learned through this process?

Something I found really interesting was a lot of the sharing aspects of the workshops; the community aspects were even more sited than the creating elements as the most engaging parts. 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—connecting with other people and sharing their experiences.