Warp & Weft: 
Threads of our Doctoral Journey

Doctoral research can be a lonely process. The puzzlement and uncertainty that accompany our solo decisions destabilize us from time to time. Ultimately, this makes us more confident and knowledgeable researchers, but not without stress. 

During the pandemic, students at The Ohio State University created a research collective, trace/layer/play, to support one another. The collective fostered more than motivation and encouragement; it incited new ways to incubate ideas as their research unfolded. Inspired by trace/layer/play, we formed our own collective, Warp & Weft. The collective provided structure across our disciplines (art education, museum curation and education, libraries, and archives) to help each of us make our dissertations a little less lonely for each other. 

This exhibition invited visitors to take a few steps with us on our PhD journeys. Each section highlighted our research topics during a stage of the messy process of academic thinking. We invited people to add their own ideas and perspectives to the interactive elements throughout.

The Warp & Weft was co curated by Ashley Williams, Dianna Bradley, Zoe Hume, Audrey Jacobs, and Dr. Cat Usewicz. We continue to meet online and support each other on our diverging paths of scholarship and academic work.