Kim Beneschott Creative Arts Scholarship

Hello! My name is Hailee Hoffman and I am currently a senior majoring in Product Design at Stanford University. I also competed on the Stanford Women’s Gymnastics team for 3 years! This fall, I will continue my academic career by pursuing a Master’s degree in Design. Although the Product Design major is a part of the Department of Engineering, I have fulfilled several of my course requirements with art studio and design courses. I am passionate about creating beautiful things and making a positive impact on the world through my artistic pursuits, through photography, writing, relief printmaking, and physical product realization. For this essay, I will discuss two of my favorite art projects; “Jurisdiction” and “Transformation.” 1. “Jurisdiction” (https://hhoffmanportfolio.wordpress.com/2020/04/08/kim-beneschott-creative-arts-scholarship/) Through the medium of printmaking, aim to bring awareness to, and creates empathy for, the struggles gymnasts face. I was a gymnast for 12 years and still struggle with overcoming the mental and physical challenges the caused by the sport. I hope my visual expression serves as a catalyst of change in the sport -- the stop the emotional manipulation and verbal and physical abuse of athletes. This work is part of the following collections: -Special Collections of the Stanford University Libraries -The Al–Mutannabi Street Archive, Rare Book and Manuscript Collection, Columbia University Title: “Jurisdiction” Medium: Italigo etching Edition size: 30 Size: 11×25 in Statement: Gymnastics is often seen a beautiful sport of calm faces, perfection, agility, and elegance. In these prints, I aim to bring light to the dark, concealed parts left invisible; the parts that appear absent yet are so painfully present. The hands reaching towards the gymnasts are the things that define the lives of gymnasts: the anorexia that keeps you up at night, unhealed, years-old injuries that chronically ache, the tumultuous, mental warfare of the dangerous sport, the disappointments of your family, who have sacrificed their time and money, the slanderous words of critical spectators. Those who rule this jurisdiction are the adults in sport, those who are supposed to protect us, who use fear tactics and emotional, physical, and more often than not sexual abuse. The beam the gymnast performs on is a mere 4 inch piece of wood, but a simple mistake might land her into the wrath of claws that rip skin and leave you to bleed out. 2. “Transformation” (https://hhoffmanportfolio.wordpress.com/2019/10/14/design-and-manufacturing/) This project required me to complete a full product realization cycle: finding a meaningful concept, validation through creation and testing of models, realization through high fidelity prototype creation tools, and communication through portfolio publication and presentation. I learned several manufacturing processes crucial to the practice of design, including woodworking, forming, joining, machining on the lathe and mill, sand casting, and welding. Transformation is an aluminum figurine encapsulated by a candle. As the candle burns over time, the figurine is revealed. This project aims to encourage patience and serve as a reminder that good things take time. Through creative arts, students have the opportunity to express themselves and make what is in their head exist as a physical thing in the world. Students can then share their artistic artifacts with the world, making a more colorful, empathetic world with a wider range of opinions, experiences, and realities. I am eternally grateful for the ability to express myself through art and the potential to move others with my creations. Thank you so much for considering my application!