A Busy Semester

Yikes! It's been way too long since I updated this blog. That's what happens when you are so busy!

Over in 3D we have full classes in many of the studios and that has made for some tight working conditions, but we are getting buy and some good art is coming out of it all. It's about mid-point of the semester and we are really beginning to see some people get their groove on and make some cool stuff, some pictures of student work in the next post.

As far as events go we had Christo come to campus in early September and do a lecture and that was way fun. He hung out with us at the 3D Building for about an hour prior to the lecture and several students got to meet him at the official pre-lecture reception. It's the best campus wide arts lecture we have had in many years. Many thanks to the College of Arts and Letters for funding this project, and John House, our department chair, who did an amazing job organizing the many details that made this whole event possible.

We also had a student organised iron pour with the hot rod in September. It was early in the semester to take care of some works needed for senior project. We'll do another one on November 30th, which will be bigger and have more students involved. The pour went off without a hitch and I am very proud of my students for doing such a good job getting everything organised and ready.

Finished Tables

Here is a look at the fruits of our labor from the summer class.

I certainly hope we can do this class again next summer. Due to the logistics of running this course it has to be done at a time when there are few if any other classes going on in the building. Everyone was successful in building their tables. It was a challenging class but I couldn't ask for a harder working group of students to work with.

Working Hard

Just thought I would share a few new images from the past few days of working in the furniture class. It's getting really exciting and I can see real progress.

The milling machine, perfect for cutting a mortise.

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Cutting tenons on the table saw.

And a table base emerges! Lots of sanding now.

Lots of gluing and clamping going on here.

Building Tables

My second class of the summer is a special class on designing and building a table. Each student gets to design a simple table and then build it from scratch. I say simple because most of these folks have no wood shop experience and this is only a five week course. So our primary objective was to get most folks learning how to do a basic mortise and tenon and let them design from there. Four legs, four aprons and a top, that is our primary goal. All of the tables are different and unique even with in these basic parameters.


We started by going to a hardwood lumber dealer and purchasing lots of raw materials. These students are learning how to mill from rough cut stock. Face planning on the joiner and then using the large thickness planer and so on. All this prior to even making and joints and cutting parts. 


They are doing really well. Some students needed a tutorial in how to use a ruler and many don't have basic skills in math, figuring out decimals and fractions, but we are learning. After a few folks made some measuring mistakes every one is being extra careful.


It is very exciting to see so much new stuff going on in the shop. This class is hard as we have a fine wood shop but only one of every thing so it takes time to get folks through the process, but everyone is patient and working hard.

Back Up and Running for Summer!

So here we are again, ready for summer semester. When we made the push to get summer classes going about five years ago I never expected that the department would end up with so many full classes over the shorter and generally more intense summer semester.


It became apparent that we would need to offer more studio classes to make it easier for students to get their studio electives completed, so we started by offering some ceramics classes.  Painting quickly followed. Now we have all of those in addition several sections of graphics and a digital photo class. This summer I am also offering a new studio in furniture design, boy did that fill up fast!


For non-majors we also have several sections of Art Appreciation and on Tuesday I will offer the first ever on-line Art Appreciation. Gosh has that been a learning adventure for me. So far it seems like it will go off well, but it has it's own challenges and I'll keep everyone posted on its progress.


Ultimately I hope that some day we will be able to offer non-credit type studios, open to the public. Those pose many, many challenges, for us mainly space and resource issues, but with detailed planning and some funding maybe it can happen in a few years, any way, one can always dream!

Spring Pottery and Art Sale

Need a Mother's Day gift?
How about a neat gift for your favorite graduate?
What about just supporting your local art students and art program?

This sale will in part, benefit the Sculpture Guild students who are trying to raise funds to go to the International Sculpture Center's Annual Conference in Chicago! Buy some art to help support them!

SPRING POTTERY AND ART SALE
April 27, 12:00 - 6:00 PM
April 28, 9:00 - 5:00 PM

At the 3D Arts Building on the USM Campus
2905 West 4th Street, Hattiesburg, MS

For additional information, jennifer.torres@usm.edu or call 601-266-6032

Laurel Arts League Scholarship

Hey students, don't forget to apply for one of the most important scholarships for local students!!! The Laurel Arts League gives away a $2,000 ($1,000 each semester). The award is given on quality of work, financial need and recommendation letters.

The deadline in April 1st! Do it NOW! Must be in junior year or above. Also if you are going to get letters you need to let folks know at least two weeks in advance that they need to write one!!!

Laurel Arts League Scholarship

More Shows to Enter

Majestic National, a really good show that I got two pieces into last year. Take a look at the link and you can see them in the ad for this years show.

Westmorland Art Nationals, connected with a huge art fair this show gets many, many viewers.

MarinMOCA, Summer National Juried Exhibition, California. Establish a national reputation by getting into shows on the west coast!

7th Annual National Juried Show, Axis Gallery, California, this show has a really good juror from the San Fransico Museum of Modern Art.

Shows to Enter

MOST IMPORTANT for USM current art students, enter the 2012 Student Exhibition. This is a juried exhibition and Greg Moran, a sculptor from Gulfport MS, will be the juror for the fine art section of this show. Participating in shows is really important for students. All graduate programs and employers that I know want to see that you have taken the time and effort to put your work out for the public to interact with. These shows are lines on your resume and the more you have the more competitive you will be in the job market and for graduate positions.

Information and applications for the 2012 Annual Student Show are available in the art office.

Other shows you can enter-

Juried Shows-
Works on Paper NYC

Going Green at Crossing Art in Brooklyn, NY

Open call for proposals-
The Soap Factory

WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE? You never know until you try!

Artist John Barnes to Give Talk

New Orleans Artist and Dillard University faculty member, John Barnes will give a talk and demo to students and the public Friday, February 24th at 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon at the 3D Arts Building on West 4th Street, in Hattiesburg. 

TROUBLED BLAKK,  19” x 5” x 7”, Painted Wood Construction

WHITNESS, 19” x 5.5” x 6”, Painted Wood Construction

MEAT THE FUTURE,  19” x 6” x 7”, Painted Wood Construction

BRIDGE CITY,  20” x 7” x 9”, Painted Wood Construction

What Mr. Barnes says about his work,

Most of my sculptural work focuses on the aftermath of disasters, and all of the colors and shapes of a disaster-affected reality.  Disasters such as Hurricane Katrina in particular, which I experienced as an evacuee, as well as the current state of expanding war and a troubled economy, which we are all experiencing.  I coined the term “disaster aesthetics” to describe what I’m capturing in my work.  I also attempt to create a bridge between the tragic and the beautiful.  I sum up the totality of these experiences symbolically in the shape of a sinking upturned boat, merged with a ragged disaster –affected house.  I use boats metaphorically to represent personal circumstances, and within the hull of these boats are artifacts from the disaster experience that codify the meanings of that particular moment.  I often use text-based markings throughout the vessels as “tags.” The vessels are designed to be small scale, yet monumental, the smallness relates directly to the individual and their feelings of isolation and vulnerability, the monumental aspects relate to the scope and range of the problems addressed.  These sculptures were all featured in the Prospect.1 U.S. Biennial, New Orleans.

 
In addition Barnes will also give a more formal talk at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art during their African American Art Symposium, beginning at 1:00 PM up in Laurel on Thursday February 23rd.

For information at the USM event call 610-266-4972
For more information about the Laren Rogers Event call 601-649-6374

A Really Good Read

Read this blog! It highlights a letter that Sol LeWitt wrote to Eve Hess encouraging her not to worry about being cool but to make her own "uncool".

Sol LeWitt's Advice to Eva Hess


I have included this blog in the favorite blog list, because it has some excellent writing and addresses some great contemporary creative efforts.

Gwarlingo

Something to Look Into!

An exciting place to produce some work!

CALL FOR ARTISTS