Cambridge Analytica, an obscure company that combined data mining and political consulting, become a news sensation after its role in Brexit and 2016 elections in the U.S. became known. In the wake of the scandal the company closed operation, but the technologies of weaponizing masses of data to manipulate public opinion, and the intentions that drive them, are surely here to stay.

Launched in 2018, the HOMEWORK Collection is the student-only art rental collection available to student members, with artwork selected by WAM Collective Officers. The below works were purchased at last year's MCAD Art Sale. Meet the artists behind these works, and, if you're a UMN student, come to WAM for Study Night on September 18 to rent the works to bring some life into your dorm or apartment.

To make Wood Collage: Landscape, George Morrison collected driftwood and fit the pieces together to form what he described as a “painting made of wood.” He assembled a loose grid structure, with the smaller fragments seeming to coalesce into squares, divided by beams that stretch across the composition. In places, the texture of the wood gives the impression of brushstrokes. Color also appears: not just the browns and tans expected from driftwood but also red and traces of green, blue, and purple.

Affectionately known as “Weisguides,” WAM’s volunteer tour guides complete extensive training and lead hundreds of museum tours each year. Discovering new works of art, connecting with artists, researchers, curators, visitors, and each other, and engaging in critical conversations with people in the community (from school children to elders) are only some of the ways our Weisguides make an impact.

On May 15, community members gathered alongside the Target Studio cohort and their UMN collaborators to celebrate the very first year of the Target Studio for Creative Collaboration program.