While traveling through life, somemay obtain various occupations, overcome many challenges and make many decisions.For Quaja Bell, a junior fine arts major from Milwaukee, Wisconsin thissentence is evermore true.
Bell, a licensed mortician found herlove at an early age.
“I have loved clay since highschool. Clay has always been my first love,” Bell said.
Intrigued by the art of languageBell’s ultimate goal is to become an art teacher for hearing impaired highschool students.
“We often take our senses forgranted. People who have hearing disabilities tune into other forms ofcommunications,” Bell said. “I have a profound respect for people withresponsibilities.”
Bell feels people don’t know theimportance of art and that art is everywhere.
“People don’t realize that art iseverywhere and what they see was created by artists,” Bell said
She also feels you can’t put a priceon art.
“Art itself is priceless. It issomeone’s brain on some type of canvas,” Bell said.
While facing many obstacles in life,Bell became stronger.
“My mom was a teenage mother, so Ihad to travel a lot. Having to adapt to new schools and neighborhoods wasdifficult,” she said.
Bell admits that her family posed adifferent challenge.
“After telling everybody I was goingto major in art, my grandmother would ask me how can you make money doing that?I would always respond, it’s not about the money. I will make my ownopportunities,” Bell said.
Born into a family of SouthernUniversity graduates Bell knew at an early age she wanted to attend SouthernUniversity. “I knew all the professors before I came here and they were and stillare dedicated. The professors spend a lot of time with the students and I feltI would leave with a lot of useful information,” Bell said.
Bell feels she is a better artistbecause of the teachings of fine arts instructor, Robert Cox.
“Mr. Cox just doesn’t teach us howto draw but encourages us to know the world around us,” she said. “Solely underhis influence I have become well-rounded,” Bell said,
Greatly inspired by her one-year-oldson, Bell feels her biggest accomplishment thus far, is being a mother andbecause she is a mother and a wife she is a better artist.
“Becoming a mother changed myprospective on life. It makes me want to dig deeper into my creative side andbecome more adventurous and fun and being a wife helps me understand relationshipand myself. I am more of a well-rounded person now,” Bell said.
