Brittany Poeppe | Assistant Arts + Life Editor

Cortney Weaver is a junior Biology and Art major, but she didn’t always start out that way. Cortney came to Buena Vista University (BVU) as a Biology and Chemistry major hoping to go into physical therapy. She was part of the Undergraduate Rural Medicine Education and Development (URMED) program at BVU. URMED took a trip to Sioux City Hospitals and took a tour of a prosthetics clinic; that’s when it all clicked for her.

Not many people know, but Weaver is a highly religious person. She believes the human body is God’s artwork, and she finds the human body both fascinating and beautiful. Weaver feels she is honoring God by recreating his image.

“I want to help people and make their lives easier. People might ask me if I’ll get bored doing this, but I know I’ll never get bored. Every person is different, so every prosthetic piece is a unique piece of art,” Weaver said.

Aside from art and science classes, Weaver plays softball at BVU. She says it’s difficult to balance everything sometimes, but to her it’s worth it. Because softball plays such a large part in her life, she is creating a softball-themed piece in one of her art classes. She used a cast to create 17 plaster softballs, and then she’ll suspend the balls from the ceiling using pre-wrap.

“I made 17 balls, which is about the number of people on a softball team. The pre-wrap will be tied to the balls and strung from the ceiling to show stress and tension. There’s always going to be stress within a game, and there’s also the stress of being a college athlete. Sometimes it’s hard to manage my time. The balls will be hung close together because as a team, we win and lose together. Each ball will have its own hanger, showing the individuality of each player. I’m keeping them white plaster to show the seams of the softball and the fine lines and details that come from using plaster. I’ve never worked with pre-wrap for an art piece, so I’m excited to see where it goes,” Weaver said.

Weaver tries to use her art as both a tool for enjoyment and a learning tool. She says if someone looks at her art, she wants them to learn something new, whether it’s big or small. As an artist, sometimes it’s hard to get a piece just right. Luckily for her, she never gives up.

“I’m a biologist gone artist whose work stands for the left and right sides of the brain and stands for the human body. I love working in 3-D because it’s non-restrictive. I can manipulate my subject until it looks right. Sometimes you can’t force things; you just have to let them come naturally,” Weaver said.

Working in both art and science is an interesting ride for Weaver. Nearly every day holds something new and interesting, and that’s what fascinates her most.

“If I fail, it’s okay because it’s something new. All great artists have failed before, but they picked themselves up and kept trying. That’s what I want to do.”

Photos by Brittany Poeppe
Graphic by Dee Friesen