A digital media kit crafted by two NMSU gender and sexuality studies professors aims to offer a fresh perspective on social transformation.
M. Catherine Jonet and Laura Anh Williams, New Mexico State University professors of gender and sexuality studies, founded the Feminist Border Arts Film Festival at NMSU, a university-based initiative that showcases underrepresented approaches in film, video and digital media, providing a platform for exploring new ways of imagining, challenging conventional representation and promoting social change.
Jonet and Williams have broadened their scope to Feminist Border Arts (FBA), through which they have released a 2023 Digital Media Kit, a curated collection of resources and creative tools designed to empower users through digital media. The kit fuses art, information activism and scholarship using technology to explore human culture.
Jonet and Williams see it as an opportunity to challenge tradition and create projects that thrive in digital landscapes. The Digital Media Kit is available for download now.
The kit takes the mission and values of Feminist Border Arts and puts them in one place to act as a launchpad for engagement, creativity and outreach.
“The kit is designed to foster a sense of community, solidarity and pride by acting as a bridge connecting academic study with real-world application,” Williams said. “It's a shared digital space where knowledge, creativity and information activism converge.”
The graphics and teaching tools included in the kit are meant for regular use by faculty and students alike. It encourages remixing and contains activities such as creating a project using graphics from the kit.
Jonet describes it as a response to a need for creative tools that can challenge narratives and foster a community. While the digital media tools are bright, engaging and fun, the kit inspires a deeper purpose.
“The Digital Media Kit is not just about aesthetics,” Jonet said, “it's a call to action for social awareness and solidarity as well as a tangible means to make the insights and design that the kit embodies a part of daily digital realities.”
The call to action for social awareness and change fuels the work of Jonet and Williams.
“In the face of current mounting challenges,” Jonet said, “the work we do in gender and sexuality studies, including our outreach initiatives, courses and the Digital Media Kit, becomes all the more critical. We are committed to not only shedding light on these injustices but also actively working to challenge, disrupt and transform them.”
Jonet and Williams hope the kit will empower a new generation through education, activism, creativity and collaboration to stand up to challenges and work towards a better future.
In addition to using the kit for creative projects, Jonet and Williams also encourage students to take courses in gender and sexuality studies and get involved in the Feminist Border Arts Film Festival over the summer. By becoming active participants, students can participate in social transformation.
“Taking our courses develops the skills, mindset and perspectives needed to thrive in diverse fields, make a positive impact and contribute to a more equitable and inclusive society,” Williams said. “Gender and sexuality studies is not just about understanding the world as it is but about imagining and building the world as it could be.”
For more information on Feminist Border Arts, go to https://fba.nmsu.edu/.
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CUTLINE: From left: Laura Anh Williams and M. Catherine Jonet, professors of gender and sexuality studies and founders of Feminist Border Arts at New Mexico State University. (Courtesy photo)