Henry Ford College’s Fine Arts department hosted its second annual HFC-24 on Sept. 6 and 7. HFC-24 is a 24-hour competition in which Fine Arts students must complete and then showcase a project based on themes and prompts created by faculty members. Participants were presented with their prompts, which included colors and abstract words like “yesterday,” “dust,” and “love.” Once the prompts were chosen, students, either individually or in groups, had just 24 hours to bring their artistic visions to life.

The competition attracted students from various areas within the Fine Arts department, including theater, media communication arts, graphic design, studio art, music, and photography. Each group brought its own distinct approach to the challenge, using the skill sets of their respective fields. As the clock began ticking down, students pushed their artistic boundaries, reflecting the blend of creativity, pressure, and teamwork that defines HFC-24.

Anthony Lai, Director of Bands, discussed how HFC-24 impacts and influences students artistic processes: “A big part of this is that it jump-starts the creative and collaborative process. Because it’s so early in the semester, students who maybe don’t know each other yet or have never tried creating before, can do so with the excuse that if it’s bad, it’s because they only had 24 hours. So it’s a different type of freedom creatively.”

Chair of Media Communication Arts, Susan McGraw, views HFC-24 as serving as a catalyst for creative freedom and the formation of friendships in the Fine Arts community. “HFC-24 is pivotal in allowing students from all of these artistic disciplines to not only rise to the occasion under stress to create something that is meaningful and that they’ll be proud of, but also an opportunity to experience what other creatives at HFC are doing. The end hope is that we will have some friendships coming out of this,” she said.

For some students like Adam Al-Zain, the friendships formed during the competition were just as meaningful as the creative process. Working in a musical theater trio, Al-Zain and his group turned the color blue and the word “dust” into a song about accepting the death of a lover while trying not to forget them. Al-Zain saw his first HFC-24 competition as a way to dive deeper into his program and make connections with other students. “I never was truly involved last year. I kind of just like walking around so like doing this, I feel more integrated in this little group we have. I have friends here now,” he shared.

For music major Khalil El-Reyes, HFC-24 was about rekindling an old passion. Having not been in a recording studio for three years, he jumped in head first by giving himself only 24 hours to create a pop-country song. “I think it’s gonna really reignite that spark that I had locked away for such a long time. It’s gonna be, honestly, just what I need,” he said.

Meetta Martin, a prolific writer, created a spoken piece with her teammate, Estelle “Dani” Marcum. Describing writing as her “superpower,” Martin has used it as a form of self-expression since childhood. She has dreams of creating her own podcast some day so she decided to use HFC-24 as “an opportunity to get to plant my feet, to boldly go where I have only dreamed in my head, to go where I’ve only dreamed in the past, to go.” She adds, “I’m so glad that I came back to the program at my age and the stage in life, believing that I still have something to give to this world. My talent is valuable, my passion is important”.

Marcum used HFC-24 to step outside of her comfort zone by working with the MCA department. “This is my first time working with somebody other than the theater department,” she notes. Through this experience, Marcum developed greater confidence in her abilities, as she beautifully edited “Yesterday,” despite never using editing software before. She credits this breakthrough to the extensive support she received from her teammate and from the Media Communication Arts faculty, McGraw and Tom Hopkins. “I think what I take from the event is that everyone needs unconditional love and support,” Marcum beamed.

For this year’s theme, the graphic design students chose the color green and the word “risk.” Nicole “Nikki” Canilao, who has been doing graphic design since 2018, said, “That’s what graphic designers do; we take risks all the time.”

The graphic design students, such as Kamryn Begeman, who participated in HFC-24 last year, discussed their growth as artists since then, embracing new approaches and matured mindsets. “Since the first year I tried this, I definitely think more about the sketching, what I want the focus to be, the color scheme, what’s behind the colors, and how it all goes into my style — just exploring it,” Kamyrn explains.

DJ Harshaw-Minley attributed his growth to something else, “It’s not even that I’m more skilled; I’m just more open to trying things.” He continues, “It’s the building up of confidence, more than like a building up of hard-level skills.”

While the students faced bouts of stress and obstacles within the 24 hours, their support and enthusiasm for one another made the challenge very rewarding. “I mainly came for the social aspect,” Megan Lambert said. “We shared ideas and feedback with each other. It felt more collaborative than just a group project in class. I really enjoyed it.”

The media communication arts, music, and theater students performed in the Fine Arts Adray Auditorium later that evening. All performances were vibrant and varied in emotion. Theater students opted for a humorous story that explored existentialism in “The Tragedy of Lavender Orchid.” Magdalena Quiroz wrote and performed a comical piece on the piano about an upcoming psychology exam. Victory Shane showed off her angelic vocals in “Yesterday Was Green,” and Kamilah “Sunshine” Foster performed a heart-felt monologue about exclusion.

HFC-24 not only serves as a test of artistic skill and creativity but also as an event that fosters collaboration, personal growth, and community within the Fine Arts department. The competition exemplifies the supportive environment that HFC strives to cultivate. The atmosphere was lively and lighthearted, as students and staff alike could be seen smiling, laughing, and embracing each other.