A great couple of days. Last night I was offered another solo exhibition at the Spiral Gallery in Grand Rapids, MI. Then this morning I heard that two of my drawings from my last exhibition were juried into a big show out in Oregon- Au Naturel!
April is looking very busy with my second solo show to hang in 7 months, and the opening of my curated exhibition of drawing from around the country. This life is one fun ride!
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Investigating the Portrait, an Exhibition of Student Work
If you've been keeping up with my occasional posts, you know I had an excellent Portrait Painting and Drawing class in the last spring/summer term. They were such a great group that halfway through I proposed the idea of having an exhibition of their work!
Our local community puts on First Friday gallery walks every month and I loved the idea of linking what we were doing at the college to the greater arts community. I wanted their show to be in the best venue- 22 North Gallery. It is a very classy operation and was very receptive to the idea. Their next open slot was this November, and even after 5 months since the end of the class I had tremendous energy from the students in getting it together.
All of the work represented was from that one class. 38 high-quality pieces from 20 students in 10 weeks! We titled it Investigating The Portrait at Washtenaw Community College.
Not only did it give the students a chance to get their artwork out of the studio and connect to the wider community, but it gave them the opportunity to learn how to prepare for and deliver to a show. All of the artwork in the show was juried by them in the final day of the class, so they got to see much of the entire process of making, preparing and exhibiting the work, as well as some of the curatorial work involved in an exhibition like this.
This has gone so well I might try the same with my Studio Concepts class. From the most representational subject to the most conceptual ones, I am stretching my teaching skills, and really getting my students involved in many aspects of the complex and diverse world of art!
Our local community puts on First Friday gallery walks every month and I loved the idea of linking what we were doing at the college to the greater arts community. I wanted their show to be in the best venue- 22 North Gallery. It is a very classy operation and was very receptive to the idea. Their next open slot was this November, and even after 5 months since the end of the class I had tremendous energy from the students in getting it together.
All of the work represented was from that one class. 38 high-quality pieces from 20 students in 10 weeks! We titled it Investigating The Portrait at Washtenaw Community College.
Not only did it give the students a chance to get their artwork out of the studio and connect to the wider community, but it gave them the opportunity to learn how to prepare for and deliver to a show. All of the artwork in the show was juried by them in the final day of the class, so they got to see much of the entire process of making, preparing and exhibiting the work, as well as some of the curatorial work involved in an exhibition like this.
This has gone so well I might try the same with my Studio Concepts class. From the most representational subject to the most conceptual ones, I am stretching my teaching skills, and really getting my students involved in many aspects of the complex and diverse world of art!
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Studio Concepts Class Developments
This semester I have been teaching Studio Concepts at EMU. This is a fascinating class to teach, and unique among many classes at the college art level. This is a course that asks students to take the formal structures they have learned in their first two years, and asks them to begin considering contemporary art themes in the development of work that builds conceptual thinking into formal creation. It is not media specific, and students are asked to work with mediums they are at least familiar with, and that will most reveal the conceptual meaning built into each piece. Drawing, painting, sculpting, photography, video, performance, installation and more- all are open and encouraged. The diversity of work coming out of one class has been exceptional and exciting!
Within four projects I give them themes to work from and I introduce professional and student work along those themes. Project One explored Time and Place. Project Two, Nature, Science and Spirituality. Project Three explores Identity, Memory and The Body, and their final project will synthesize any of these themes and their own interests. They take these themes, readings and visual presentations and ideate in their sketchbooks. Group and one-on one discussions take place, and the projects develop within the community of the classroom.
Within each project they are asked to make journal entries exploring artists, media and writings based on the current theme. Project Proposals explore what they might make and how, and what problems they might encounter along the way. These are developed into artist statements for each project, that shift and coalesce as the concept and form of each project develops. Studio work time is scheduled where discussions and collaboration continue. I strongly emphasize the quality of their final presentations, as I shift our studio into a gallery-like setting for critique. Critiques are deeply engaging and highly thought-provoking!
Lastly, they are asked to create an online presence and share their writings, research and final development with the class, and if they wish, the entire world beyond. This helps to prepare them for an increasingly important online art community and market.
What a fun class to teach! Watch as I add more of their completed projects to my Studio Concepts web page. Be sure to scroll over each opened image to see the materials and themes explored!
http://nick-reszetar.squarespace.com/student-work-studio-concepts/
Within four projects I give them themes to work from and I introduce professional and student work along those themes. Project One explored Time and Place. Project Two, Nature, Science and Spirituality. Project Three explores Identity, Memory and The Body, and their final project will synthesize any of these themes and their own interests. They take these themes, readings and visual presentations and ideate in their sketchbooks. Group and one-on one discussions take place, and the projects develop within the community of the classroom.
Within each project they are asked to make journal entries exploring artists, media and writings based on the current theme. Project Proposals explore what they might make and how, and what problems they might encounter along the way. These are developed into artist statements for each project, that shift and coalesce as the concept and form of each project develops. Studio work time is scheduled where discussions and collaboration continue. I strongly emphasize the quality of their final presentations, as I shift our studio into a gallery-like setting for critique. Critiques are deeply engaging and highly thought-provoking!
Lastly, they are asked to create an online presence and share their writings, research and final development with the class, and if they wish, the entire world beyond. This helps to prepare them for an increasingly important online art community and market.
What a fun class to teach! Watch as I add more of their completed projects to my Studio Concepts web page. Be sure to scroll over each opened image to see the materials and themes explored!
http://nick-reszetar.squarespace.com/student-work-studio-concepts/
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