“I was inspired to apply for the Fulbright while I was doing research in Salvador, Brazil last summer. I felt so energized by the art activism that I was witnessing, and I hoped to find a way to come back while also focusing on my own artmaking,” says Jasmine Linder ’23.
And now, Colorado College Art Studio major Jasmine Linder will be heading back to Brazil following graduation thanks to being awarded a Fulbright Research Arts Award.
“Jasmine is the first Arts Fulbright winner from CC since I began advising for the Fulbright in 2015!” shares Roy Jo Sartin, Fulbright adviser and Writing Center specialist at CC who assisted Linder through the grant writing process.
Linder’s research project is centered around cordéis, or cordel literature, which is a kind of leaflet-style book that is prominent in the northeast of Brazil and stems from the colonial period. Cordel means twine in Portuguese and these leaflets are hung from them all over street markets. They usually contain woodblock prints on the cover and they are a powerful way to share art, ideas, and news.
“I will be learning about this aspect of Brazilian culture by making my own illustrated version of cordéis out of paper that I will make by hand and illustrate with relief prints,” Linder shares. “My plan is for my books to have mostly environmental themes, as I am especially interested in this method of bookmaking and printmaking as a form of mobilizing around climate justice.”
As an environmental studies and Luso-Brazilian studies minor, Linder is counting on combining all her educational skillsets into this project and making connections in artmaking, bookmaking, history, and environmental causes.
“I hope that when I return to the U.S., I will have more refined technical skills in both printmaking and papermaking, and a deeper understanding of how visual art and information can be accessibly shared,” she says.
Linder credits Visiting Art Professor Kate Aitchison ’10 for introducing her to her passions of papermaking and printmaking and influencing her project, as well as Professor Kate Leonard for inspiring her to follow her heart and pursue an art studio degree.
“There are many others I should thank for helping me with this process that has culminated in a Fulbright grant, as I have received so much advice, knowledge, inspiration, and encouragement from people inside and outside of CC,” she says. “Dr. Naomi Wood’s incredible Portuguese program helped me find my love for Portuguese and Brazil. She placed her trust in me in completing research on visual art and art activism abroad last summer and has been a constant source of support and mentorship throughout my time at Colorado College. And I would like to thank Roy Jo Sartin for her patience, encouragement, and aid through the grant writing process.”