#snails bfa

[twosnails4eva]

gijinka refs for my little dear adored polycule :) they have little accessories symbolizing each member of the polycule. saw also has matching earrings with pin, saw's are red while pin's are pink

i forgot to note but two and snails also have little matching tattoos <3 two has a snail shell on its right shoulder while snails has a two on their left shoulder

also some doodles

please don't tag as twofour!

[windycityazan]

Looking to make some Penpal friends

Been searching around trying to find any pen pals from Instagram mostly, dont really trust the FB groups that are made for pen pals.

I did meet a pen pal on IG but she had stopped really with the letter writing or damn USPS got lame and may have lost her letter that she said she was gonna send months back so not sure if I am just personally bad at making any friends in the real World.

I haven't done one in ages since i was prolly in my elementary days but i guess being in the late 30's can be boring. But would love to meet new people either online or on paper which I rarely have done.

Is anyone on Tumblr looking to make Real Life friends?

I am 35, American (Korean) born and raised in the hell hole Chicago has become now with all the crazies going on. Likes: pretty much all sort of tv dramas from the American to Kdrama and C dramas and some animes (will take on recs for any other Asian style dramas if there good plots) If you want to know more I can post a list. Music: Kpop (mostly the boy bands like BTS, ATEEZ, SF9, Astro,Seventeen) some Black Pink- had some favs as teen but been so long since I listened to girl bands and cant remember much, have gotten back into Kpop for about the time Covid started but slowly building into liking more bands) Also love listening to certain Kdrama OST's which lead me to fall in love with korean music more as the shows aired. But i have a spotify playlist i build for a bunch of KDrama songs. Also Chinese music has also gotten some of my likes from Ren Jialun (Allen Ren) has some great songs and acting, Zhang Zhehan who was a good actor now mostly into singing is pretty good too. I like also being creative with digital art like fan art of tv dramas like making gifs or plane fan art posters and such, used to do a lot on LiveJournal if you know that site. Been mostly making short vid clips for Twitter here and there haven't really done gifs in a while but I sometimes do for the fun of it. I also graduated from Uni with a BFA in concentration in Graphic Design since all I love is being on the computer so have that as a hobby. Fav foods: korean bbq love spicy pork and pork wit lettuce also the short ribs marinated. American wise Pizza, pasta, Chinese cuisine a bit of mix of everything. Fav books: scifi fantasy, romance, mangas ( Sailor Moon, Haikyuu, Shadowhunters series, Harry Potter series, Twilight saga, Fifty Shades series, Gabriels Inferno series)

If you have any questions you can DM if you want to snail mail hopefully t doesn't get lost in the mail on both ends or we can chat before deciding on giving out addresses.

Twitter: judy1987

IG: jca_creates (online store coming soon and where some of my art gets posted or judychodesigns (was made mostly for university senior art class reasons) has some of my works kind of

[leslie-allen-spillane]

Scott McMahon

Scott McMahon grew up in Connecticut and now resides in Columbia, Missouri where he is an Associate Professor of Art at Columbia College. He received his MFA from Massachusetts College of Art & Design in Boston, Massachusetts, and his BFA from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Photo Letters (Response Time)

Over the past several years, Ahmed Salvador and Scott McMahon have been collaborating on a project they call 'photo letters', as a way of communicating over their geographically distant situations.

For the project, Ahmed and Scott have been mailing pieces of unexposed film or photographic paper to each other. The packages containing the light sensitive materials were altered in such a way as to let in small amounts of light during transportation. As they receive each package, they develop the results and mail them back to the sender.

The play of light on film and paper usually produces abstract linear patterns and clouds, but at times the results are eerily representational images of glowing landscapes. Simply put, they are an elegy to the fading art of traditional photography, the act of light hitting a light-sensitive material, and to traditional snail-mail correspondences.

Sight [Un]Seen

There is speculation that the last image that passes through the eye when someone dies lingers on the retina for an undetermined amount of time. I find the thought of this possibility profoundly beautiful and poetic.

Many years ago, I came across a photographic image in Pinhole Journal (Volume 4 #1, 1988, Eric Renner & Nancy Spencer) that deeply intrigued me. The image was of a murky landscape taken by the Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, painter and photographer, August Strindberg (1849-1912). The depiction of the landscape wasn’t that remarkable, but the way in which it was created intrigued me the most. For this image, Strindberg used the biconvex lens from the eye of a beetle, in place of a standard camera lens to photographically render the landscape.

Since the camera lens is closely designed after the human eye, it only made sense to experiment with the human lens, as camera lens. In this series I replaced the camera lens with that of the human (cadaver) lens. Essentially, I approached this project as if making a pinhole camera. A box is used and made light-tight; a hole is drilled in one side of the box where the human lens is carefully held in place. Light-sensitive black and white photographic enlarging paper is secured in the box to receive the projected image. Upon chemical development, a photographic negative is produced and in turn, a positive print is made.

Sight [Un]Seen explores images that may have been formed after one departs their physical body. Rather than dwelling upon death this series focuses on the celebration of life. The images are hazy and ethereal, they are forming and dissipating, imprinting the familiar and at times, the unfamiliar. The majority of the series is comprised of portraits. Some of the portraits taken of the donors are made with their own lenses, a literal self-portrait, gathering light and forming a present visage. Additional portraits are made of the living as they peer through the lens of the departed to form their own likeness. Images of landscapes and architectural structures also appear in this series as a way of providing an environment or place one may have frequented.

[talkiesshow]

TALKIES returns to Cobb’s Weds March 2nd!

Wait, you mean to tell me that Talkies is doing ANOTHER live show? This time on Wed MARCH 2nd at

Cobb's Comedy Club

in San Francisco?! And with Sad Vicious HEADLINING?! Get outta town! GET OUT NOW!

If you missed the last show, there's a sneak peak of the first few minutes in the video at the bottom of the email. With a special appearance by Keanu Reeves!

We have discounted tix available

here

through Goldstar.

If you're feeling like a maniac, get your full priced tix

here

.

With your hosts:

George Chen, Nick Stargu, Aviva Siegel and Land Smith-Abbinante!

SPECIAL GUESTS: Sad Vicious, Laura Weinbach and Cliff Hengst! Sad Vicious  - San Jose’s most hated band™, Sad Vicious boasts a pedigree of having played every good bar, club, and bar and grille in San Jose: Mickey’s Tavern, The Locker Room (closed), Om Ultralounge, Lucky Lil’s(closed), and Java Crossing, to name a few.  Sad Vicious is pumped to wreak havoc on SF Sketchfest and super pumped to see the other bands play.  It has always been our dream to play in Frisco. BTW, If anyone knows a bassist, drummer, or keyboard/efx musician, we need members NOW! Must be cool with partying, must be cool with cats=^.^=, must have own gear. Laura Weinbach - The Hollywood Hills-born daughter of a horror filmmaker and sister of a cult comedian, Foxtails front-girl Laura Weinbach grew up in a household that embraced eccentricity. Her next-door neighbors were circus contortionists with emus and fang-toothed monkeys as pets and her childhood activities included snail hunting and spying on celebrity neighbors like Slash, Ice-T, and Larry from Perfect Strangers. Laura’s upbringing is present everywhere in Foxtails Brigade, from the lyrical imagery to the hand-drawn artwork and sophomoric Instagram cartoons. The band’s live show is a clockwork of junkyard beats, warped orchestral sonics, and Laura’s trademark voice and classical guitar intricacies with an A-List ensemble featuring performing members of Bright Eyes, Van Dyke Parks, and John Kale.  The songs tackle subjects of substitute teaching in the Oakland and LA public school scenes, steak appreciation, and general unfairness awareness with a warped pop sensibility akin to influences like St. Vincent, Joanna Newsom, The Smiths, and Spoon.

Cliff Hengst - Cliff Hengst is an artist and performer, with a BFA from SFAI and current teaching position in the SFAI grad program. Hengst’s one-man play, "Mr. Akita" was recently performed at the Berkeley Art Museum as part of their Matrix program. He has exhibited his work at SFMOMA, Southern Exposure, The San Francisco Arts Commission and Gallery 16 in San Francisco. Hengst has performed and exhibited at Hauser & Wirth, Machine Project in Los Angeles and The Tang Museum at Skidmore College in New York, and most recently at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia. Follow us on Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/talkiesshow/schedule

Follow us on FB -

https://www.facebook.com/talkiessf

Follow us on Instagram -

https://www.instagram.com/talkiescomedy

twitch:

https://www.twitch.tv/talkiesshow

============================================================

Talkies is the Bay Area's best unconventional, experimental, and multi-media live comedy event every first and third Friday on Zoom and Twitch (previously

in person at All Out Comedy Theater

in Oakland, CA). At Talkies, comedians, writers, improvisers, and performers work outside of their regular routines to push the boundaries of comedy; PowerPoint presentations, characters, and off-stage antics are the order of the day.

Started in the basement of San Francisco’s Lost Weekend Video, this show has been an incubator for many unique comedy talents spreading their wings on weird flights of fancy. Past guest performers have included Jamie Loftus, Ron Lynch, Myq Kaplan, Sad Vicious, Mary Mack, Johnny Pemberton, and Aparna Nancherla.

TALKIES is produced by Nick Stargu, Aviva Siegel, George Chen and Will Scovill.

[mtairyartgarage-blog]

Summer Classes at the Mt. Airy Art Garage

Looking for a way to beat the heat this season? Well, here at the Mt. Airy Art Garage, we’ve got the perfect solution to overcome those dog days of summer. Throughout July and August, MAAG will offer an array of studio classes for both children and adults, which include collage, quilting, bookmaking, drawing, acting, photography, and more.

Perhaps you’ve been itching to hone your digital photography skills, polish that long-lost monologue, or piece together that brilliant quilt in your mind’s eye? Perhaps you yearn to go back to a simpler time when snail mail ruled and self-bound books were a work of art? Or maybe you’re just a budding artist, between the ages of five and seven, who simply loves to draw numbers and letters?

Regardless of your desire, our accomplished teachers are bound to cultivate your creativity. Whether a novice or experienced student, all will find a welcoming and supportive environment where creativity can rule. Just see for yourself on July 1st from 2-4pm at our “Meet the Teachers” sneak-peek.

Plus, with classes ranging from $25-$160, now is the time to register as space is limited! To register, please  send an e-mail to donna@mtairyartgarage.org with your name and class choice, and send your check (payable to the Mt. Airy Art Garage) to 11 W. Mount Airy Ave., Philadelphia PA, 19119. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact donna@mtairyartgarage.org or call 215.242.5074.

Until then, though, browse through the below classes and let them pique your interests! Don’t spend those summer days sweltering. Instead, come to MAAG and indulge your creativity! What do you have to lose except boredom?

Single Session Courses

Introduction to Digital Photography | Kevin Bennett Saturday, July 14: 9 AM – 12 PM Adults and Adolescents over 13Students will gain a greater understanding of using their digital camera and will have an introduction to the art of photography. Access to a digital camera will be needed for the course.Price: $30

Paper Piecing Primer Quilt Workshop | Sarah Bond Saturday, July 7: 10 AM – 4 PM Adults and Children over 10 (if accompanied by an adult)Paper piecing is a technique used to create intricate quilt designs without agonizing over precision. This workshop is for intermediate quilters or advanced beginners. The result of the workshop will be a small quilt that the student will finish at home after receiving all patterns and instructions in class.

Price: $70

Photographing Artwork With A Digital Camera| Janine & Mike Zaikowski Saturday, August 4: 2 – 4 PM Adults and AdolescentsLet the owners of Profiles Studio show you how to use a consumer digital camera to create accurate and pleasing digital files of your artwork. We’ll outline our straight-forward approach to lighting and setting up a digital camera, and demonstrate how to use the basic tools in Photoshop Elements to edit the files for optimum results when submitting to shows and galleries, uploading to a website, or having promotional materials printed.

Price: $25

Sewn on Tapes: A Simple Non-Adhesive Book | Donna Globus Saturday, July 28: 9 – 5 PM AdultsStudents will make a multi-section, supported spine blank book with an integral soft cover. The stitching can be either visible or hidden in the completed book. Text block and cover paper will be provided.

Price: $70 with a $15 material fee

Snail Mail Art | Claudia McGill Wednesday, July 11: 7 – 9.30 PM AdultsStudents will learn a variety of ways to use collage in making art that can be sent in the mail, including postcards, note cards, and decorated envelopes. We will create items that will surprise and delight their recipients.

Price: $32

Multiple Session Courses

Acting & Performance Workshop | Susan Zipin Mondays; July 9 – August 13 (6 sessions):  6.30 – 8 PM AdultsThis workshop will culminate with a performance by the class of a series of monologues written by its students. Also, we will use art as a tool to enhance our theater/acting experience. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even become the MAAG Players!

Price: $120

Collage From Every Direction | Claudia McGill Wednesdays; July 18 – August 15 (5 sessions): 7 – 9.30 PM AdultsStudents will approach collage from a variety of angles, including the use of paint, constructing backgrounds, and creating collage works in four genres to include landscape, still life, abstract, and portrait.

Price: $160

Drawing and Painting for Children | Arleen Olshan and Carol Nashleanas Tuesdays; July 10 – August 14 (6 sessions): 1 – 3 PM Children, Ages 5-7Students will have fun with numbers and letters through drawing, painting, collage, mixed media, mobiles, and other mediums. Using their names, homes addresses, and other important numbers and letters in their life, we’ll further our education in a fun and creative manner!

Price: $75 with a $5 material fee

About our Teachers!

Kevin Bennett has been a nature photographer since age 10, living in the Philadelphia area his entire life and in Manayunk for the last 25 years. In 2005, Kevin added a new dimension to his nature photography by working mostly from a kayak, which evolved from the decision to focus his work on the diversity, wonder, and fragility of Pennsylvania’s natural world. You can visit him at www.bennettsvignettes.com.

Sarah Bond is an expert quilter and has been quilting for over twenty years. She teaches at many art centers in the Philadelphia region and is particularly interested in the place of quilts in culture and family history.

Donna Globus is a book artist and printmaker, as well as an architect and construction manager. While the latter is her day job, the former is her passion. She teaches in the Continuing Education program at the University of the Arts and is also a founding Board member of the Mt. Airy Art Garage.

Claudia McGill is a mixed media and clay artist whose motto is “Give it a try and see what happens!” She has exhibited her work in local and regional shows for the past 15 years. Her collage/mixed media classes are offered in a variety of topics and her goal is to encourage each student’s individual development. You can visit her at www.claudiamcgill.com.

Carol Nashleanas has been painting landscapes and portraits for 15 years.  She is recently retired and enjoys working with children.

Arleen Olshan, cofounder and treasurer of the Mt. Airy Art Garage, has been drawing and painting from her childhood at Fleisher Art Memorial to completing her BFA at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and Philadelphia College of Art (now U Arts). She is also a master leather crafter. She has shown, taught, and sold her work throughout Philadelphia especially in the Northwest section of the city. You can find out more by visiting www.arleenolshan.com.

Mike and Janine Zaikowski operate Profiles Studio in Chestnut Hill, a small fine art printmaking studio. They work one-on-one with local artists and photo-graphers to create meticulously crafted giclée prints on fine art papers, canvas, and fabric, and also offer high-end scanning and archiving services. You can find them at www.profilesstudio.com.

Sue Zipin is a New York City native and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She has a Masters degree in Theater and Literature from Temple University and has worked in theater in Philadelphia as an actor, director and teacher, having spent several years working with new playwrights and directing their plays in workshop productions.

[artstartart]

Artist Spotlight: Alanah Paige

Get to know one of our Massachusetts College of Art and Design artists from the November 2019 Sale on ArtStartArt. 

To get us started, share more about yourself and your artwork.

I am a studio artist from Austin, Texas who is currently pursuing a BFA in printmaking at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. My aesthetics have been largely influenced by mid-century modernist artists as well as some contemporary printmakers. I also have been focusing on imagery that suggests both macro and micro-environments.

Tell us about your first experience creating.

I've been creating ever since I was a kid. My father is a big craftsman and an architect so a lot of my influence and my love for art comes from him.

What has been your favorite part of art school so far?

My favorite part of art school so far has been working alongside so many talented artists and becoming a part of the incredible printmaking community in and around Boston.

What are you currently exploring in your work?

I’m currently exploring organic and abstract compositions and subject matter relating to the study of human use of space and the effects that population density has on behavior, communication, and social interaction.

What excites you about ArtStartArt?

ArtStartArt is an incredible opportunity for student artists to start getting work out into the public sphere.

If you had to choose another major besides art, what would it be, and why?

If I had to be in another major besides art I would probably studying history with a concentration on the Romantic Era. I have always been drawn to the literature, poetry, and art from that period.

What’s your favorite spot on campus and what do you like to do there?

My favorite spot on campus is actually one of the critique areas in our printmaking studio. There's a couch older than I am that frequently breaks and an old microwave. It's the place where all of my studio mates and I go when we need a break or just want to hang out.

What plans do you have for the future of your art?

I'm going to be studying abroad in Italy during the upcoming semester so I am hoping to take inspiration from the incredible architecture and art in the area!

Rapid fire questions for Alanah:

Favorite quote: "The innumerable compositions and decompositions which take place between the intellect and its thousand materials before it arrives at that trembling delicate and snail-horn perception of Beauty." - John Keats

Favorite book(s): The Poetics of Space, Gaston Bachelard

Last album you listened to: Honky Chateau, Elton John

Last meal you ate: A huge bowl of cheese tortellini with tomato vodka sauce.

Last TV show you watched: Living With Yourself

Behind the Scenes with Alanah:

We asked Alanah to share some images that encapsulated the creative process.

VIEW ALL OF ALANAH’S WORK CURRENTLY FOR SALE.

[enrinkari]

some of my fave recent WoW screenshots (the bottom three are old stuff tho YEAH I RECENTLY GOT MY ROGUE TO 120 SO HUSH)

Making it gay while waiting for Nalak

secret meeting a sea snail and their sea slug minions

Flynn proving he’s the best new character added Alliance side in BfA

my rogue peeping the new ride

....of course my rogue, my first ever character, is the one who gets the poop quest of the expansion since she has herbalism as one of her professions

[footballghana]

Botswana FA start transformation plan for new top-flight league

The Botswana Football Association (BFA) is making progress in preparing their elite clubs for migration to a new, independent Premier League competition.

The BFA has engaged a private consultant to touch base with all the Premier League teams to prepare them for the transformation.

Former FIFA Development Officer, Ashford Mamelodi, through his consultancy, was tasked with the implementation of the plan.

Acting Botswana Premier League Executive Director Monnakgotla Mojaki confirmed that they have visited all the teams as expected.

“I can confirm that we travelled together with the consultant within at least 15 clubs that are in the premier league. The one team not visited is the 16th which will be determined by a play-off between Nico United and Mogoditshane Fighters,” Mojaki revealed in an interview

The one-day engagement wasn’t a full training, but it gave both the club and the BFA an opportunity to appreciate each other according to Mojaki.

The engagement was a transformation plan that prepares teams to move from being societies to corporate bodies. The teams were told what they need to do in order to be professional side and companies which can be run professionally.

“I can confirm that of all the 15 teams visited they all had different set-ups but are all willing to move forward and transform. They have different challenges of the current set-ups but most of them have resolutions that direct them to where they should take the clubs.” Mojaki explained

Mamelodi was specifically identified by the BFA because of his vast experience not only in Botswana football but African football in general.

His engagement started with club structures, governance, finance, marketing and public relations.

The meetings in different teams also saw different stakeholders attending so that they get the information from the horses’ mouth which was what the BFA appreciated.

The day covered governance being the good and bad side of it. It also looked at club structure in totality. This also covered basics of club management both the administration and technical components. Teams engaged and shared their challenges to all ingredients that were described as key in being a business entity without hurting anybody be it investors and fans.

The professionalization of football in Botswana dates back to in 2008 when elite league converged in the then mining town of Selebi Phikwe. They came with a document to be popularly called the Bosele declaration. The move failed to bear fruits and was later revised in what was then termed the ‘Revised Bosele Declaration’ at Cresta in Gaborone in 2012.

The move still died some natural death until it was partially revived in 2016 when a FIFA consultant was invited to address the clubs and find a way forward. Fast forward to 2020 the progress was still at a snail’s pace until the BFA-President Maclean Letshwiti made it a point that he set timelines on how the whole project was going to be done.

For the month of July all teams were prepared for the transformation. An independent private company was registered. A sponsorship and transformation committee was also appointed and it looks like they have hit the ground running with regards to their mandate.

Mojaki however wouldn’t be drawn much into what has been achieved thus far.

“The company has been registered but there will be a meeting of the shareholders which will make a determination of the league model and directors’ appointment. The committee has been working on the constitution and the play rules and regulations that will govern the new entity.” Mojaki explained.

Source: cosafa.com

source: https://footballghana.com/

[gocacolospgs]

Collectivity Artist: Xi Zhang

AS01E56 (Second Hand Memories Series) , 19.25 x 19.5", Acrylic on Canvas, 2015

Collectivity investigates points of connection between artists from two significant artist collectives based out of the Western United States – Hyperlink (Colorado) and Durden and Ray (Los Angeles) in back-to-back exhibits across two states. Currently on view at Durden and Ray in Downtown Los Angeles through August 25, 2018 - http://www.durdenandray.com/exhibitions/

Xi Zhang was born in 1984 in Kaifeng, China and studied painting at China’s Beijing Institute of Art and Design. To advance in his artistic career, Zhang attended the Colorado’s Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver, Colorado and received his BFA in painting and drawing. In 2011, Zhang graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, Zhang with an MFA in painting and drawing. Zhang has gallery representation at both Marc Straus Gallery in New York City, NY and PLUS Contemporary Gallery in Denver, Colorado. Zhang’s most recent accomplishments in the art world include being a part of the Celeste Prize winners exhibition at The Bargehouse, OXO Tower gallery, London UK and receiving the Celeste Prize in Painting Finalist. He was also part of the group shows: 100 Asian artists from all around Asia at the Gallery LVS, Seoul, South Korea; National Juried Competition—Works on Paper 2017 at Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Sciences, Loveladies, NJ; and Time Zone Converter at the Korean Cultural Center in Beijing, China. As for his recent solo shows, he exhibited artworks in Shelter of Desire at Arts Brookfield, Denver, Colorado. Currently he lives and teaches in Salt Lake City, Utah.

AS01E47 (Second Hand Memories Series), 13.5 x 14", Acrylic on Golden leaf, 2014

In Xi Zhang’s most recent series, the Metallic Leaf Garden, he explores both the conscious and subconscious. Through the use of color, subject, and by subverting the audience’s gaze, Zhang explores a surreal sense of reality and creates an environment for the subject that analyzes the mood, the subject’s internal strife, and perhaps their personality.

Snail, Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 36 inches, 2018

Xi Zhang’s Second Memories Series mixes contemporary pop culture with traditional Eastern style of art, similar to Ukiyo-e. These paintings on paper, or gold leaf, reflect our technological age, employing humor in the process. By mashing up traditional Chinese calligraphic painting techniques with supremely modern subject matter, the artist invites us to consider how our current social behaviors will stand up to the test of time.  

AS01E59 (Second Hand Memories), 13.5 x 13.5", Acrylic on Canvas, 2015

[twosnails4eva]

recent art! drew all my object faves and the object polycule family :) i love them so much

[zachwhitworth]

Where are the art students?

Social media has proven to be a fantastic set of tools for artists in this past decade. I’ve personally grown attached to Instagram, as the image-oriented structure yields a platform prime for arts exploration. I love being able to look into art schools and university art departments around the country, something which normally required travel prior to the Internet’s widespread usage. Connecting with other young creators and students is invaluable; ideas and creative methods can be shared between urban and rural communities, (or rural with rural, urban with urban,) allowing for distance-bridging friendships and mutual corroboration.

Since I’ve been living on my own in a rural southern Oregon town with a (sadly) laughable arts scene, Instagram has been my main link to other working artists. Conversing with students my age living in Oregon’s larger cities has resulted in the exchange of show cards and zines via snail mail, and the positive feedback that comes out of each new relationship only reinforces why we’re all on this career path.

However, building these connections can be difficult when one can’t find others online. When looking for fellow students, our educational institutions are the gatekeepers, since the social media accounts of art schools and universities can be the most direct routes to discovering one another––the youngest, most up-and-coming, emerging artists. Official school accounts have a significantly higher reach than most individuals too, meaning even a single-post promotion of a student’s work may be one of the more supportive and elevating acts an institution can do for someone these days. Even if a school is relatively small, highlighting student artists is a valuable boost, and it ultimately shows that an institution cares and is invested in helping people succeed. Student promotions on college Instagram profiles allow for those outside the institutions or immediate areas to gain some insight as to what these other schools are brewing. It shows what sorts of artwork are being produced and sometimes gives a preview of what styles or methods one would expect to be geared toward while attending, (or perhaps what programs are more popular).

It is fascinating then that many schools don’t promote their younger students. When students are shown off, they will almost exclusively be MFA candidates, (graduate students,) while ignoring or obscuring undergraduates. This does vary by school, and some colleges are doing far better than others, but the trend of seeing art department Instagrams with select or no art students is far too concerning to disregard.

I’ve noticed this from numerous colleges in the Pacific Northwest, (being that it’s my most local region,) but in seeking out a number of art schools and departments elsewhere, I’ve seen disheartening similarities. It is somewhat common to find studio-specific accounts managed by students, but they are typically more hidden from standard searches, and most are limited to only a few people working in a single medium, i.e. ceramics or painting. Many of those accounts tend to be abandoned or rarely updated after a while.

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) is the biggest name on the west coast guilty of this; for example, their Design & Media Arts account (@ucla_dma) features only nine posts in total, last updated nearly three years ago. Their art department’s main account (@uclaarts) remains active, but it focuses most heavily on non-student events and faculty promotion, occasionally showing work by alumni or MFA students, while undergraduates seem to be featured only once in a blue moon. They claim in their bio that the UCLA arts program is the “#1 Public Arts School in the US,” yet there seem to be next to no undergraduate art majors according to their Instagram feed.

Going further north is another example, University of California Berkeley. Their arts department account (@berkeleyartsdesign) is also focused on non-student events, and half the posts serve only as an extension for their art museum, BAMPFA. What hurt me the most was digging around to find the art department geotag, only to find a plethora of students having documented their own work and classes. The art majors at UC Berkeley seem to be wildly active, sharing paintings, ceramic sculptures, colorful installations, illustrations, and even large-scale collaborative murals, all while their school appears to be giving them little to no attention, at least as indicated by their Instagram.

It’s both better and worse in my home state of Oregon. Both Eastern Oregon in La Grande (EOU) and Oregon State in Corvallis (OSU) do show some student art, but nearly all are class projects. While OSU (@oregonstate.art) does attribute the classwork to individual students, EOU (@eou_art) bunches several pieces into single posts, typically excluding the names of students. There is then Southern Oregon (SOU) in Ashland, whose social media management is arguably the messiest on the west coast. Searching for the most straightforward “sou art” leads to an empty account under an official name (@art_souashland), though the art department has a second account with actual content, started just this April. This second account uses a title and acronym completely obscure to someone who hasn’t attended the university, and there is no work by an individual student, (there is a single piece made by a group, but not even at the school itself). Once again, there is more focus on non-student events rather than students, functioning primarily as an extension of the school admissions account.

Why is there little to no focus on art students on these college accounts? Boiling it down, this would indicate either a lack of enrollment in art programs or actual apathy on the part of these art departments, as posting an image to Instagram is––let’s face it––not tough in the slightest. In fact, all these schools have art students. These schools are not unique in their avoidance of their own students; too many colleges across the country, from California to New York, are culprits of keeping their students invisible in an age where visibility comes at the touch of a screen.

It becomes even more shameful when placed in contrast to college art departments that put more thought and effort in their Instagram curation. University of Washington Seattle (UW) is a prime sample of adequate social media management; their Instagram feed (@uwsoa) features student artwork regularly, and it does give undergraduate BFA students some good love, all while incorporating faculty art, alumni features, well-spaced event announcements, and an account takeover by a student every once and a while.

Full-on art schools are also hit-or-miss. The Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland (PNCA) has one of the most student-oriented approaches on Instagram, with their account (@p_n_c_a) given over to individual students for short periods of time as digital residencies. While this model is fairly experimental, visitors can view the entire spectrum of artwork coming out of PNCA through Instagram, and all student residents of the account are linked back to their own personal accounts, allowing for people to be easily contacted and connected with. Other schools like the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle have struggled in social media execution. Cornish finally has a visual arts department-specific Instagram account exclusively featuring their BFA students (@art_cornish), but it was only started this last week. Nothing prior.

Why are numerous university art departments with established Instagram presences so uninterested in their undergraduates? Instagram specifically has been out in the world for over six years, so finally hopping on the train at this point is a bit sad, but it is nonetheless needed. For every institution doing a crap job with their social media, there’s another that’s been using it successfully and in full support of their budding art students. Do these department administrations not pay attention to what others are doing well? Are they flat-out opposed to using social media as such? Are they embarrassed by their student body?

These days, plenty hopefuls are risking a lot by seeking a career path in the arts. Wealth can become a cruelly determining factor in acquiring arts jobs, and university tuition prices seriously hurt art students even before wandering into the job desert. Promoting student work is the very least a school can do, and even those small gestures can open up avenues for young artists who are just hoping to be given a chance and be noticed.

My last school’s ignorance of most of its art students left my peers and I in the cold without any real visibility or connection to the outside world. In begging for a change in approach to social media, I was met with uncaring attitudes and a total lack of recognition, even when nearly all of the dedicated, core art majors had transferred away within a year due to dysfunctional relationships with partisan faculty and department administration. In finding the absence of undergraduates in the Instagram posts of other college art departments, I am genuinely concerned that these issues of disconnection are not unique to my previous university.

I implore arts institutions to be generous in providing promotional boosts to students. I praise those like the University of Oregon in Eugene (UO) for finding a solid balance in online presentation. UO (@uoart) is no stranger to problems, but its Instagram serves as a virtually ideal model; students frequently rotate managing the account and can provide real pictures of both people and the artwork they create. They regularly share a balance of classwork, studios, some alumni, and faculty, but they most importantly create a fluid feed between undergraduates and MFA students; they are presented equally side-by-side, never favoring one over the other, and credit is satisfactorily given.

It is through fair and ungrudging reinforcement of young art students through school social media accounts, especially Instagram, which can help bolster better relationships between students and administration. It is vital in the modern age for allowing students to interact with those from outside schools and to be discovered in turn. I know from my own experience on the platform that priceless ties can be fostered between young artists in this way, and it could prove to form bonds between institutions themselves.

We do not deserve to be abandoned by our schools. Please support your art students.

__________

•Give attention to students of all ages, class standings, and working media •Credit individual artwork and link to the artist’s own account •Show studio spaces and classwork, but not as an alternative to more serious student projects •Acknowledge alumni on occasion, as they deserve continued love •Hand off the account to students on a regular basis •An art department account is not an extension of a university museum or school admissions account

[goope-jp-tenmei]

Behind the Stationery: Cheree Berry Paper

There’s something so incredible about seeing a small business started by one designer turn into a team of 20 employees over the course of 10 years! We’ve admired the work of Cheree from Cheree Berry Paper for every single one of those 10 years, and we’re beyond thrilled to welcome her to our newest installment of Behind the Stationery! Balancing her signature custom work with the retail stationery side of her business, Cheree shares about her team’s design process for both kinds of work and how they maintain that Cheree Berry touch. Take it away, Cheree! –Megan Soh

From Cheree: My love of all things paper started as a child. Visiting the Hallmark store was a treasured outing –there was just never enough time to open all of those cards. Fast forward to college, I chose graphic design as my major. With a BFA in hand from Washington University, I moved to NYC for my first design job at the graphic design powerhouse, Pentagram. Shortly after, I landed a position at the fashion company Kate Spade. It was at KS that I really fostered my love for paper, helping to create the company’s wedding stationery line with Crane & Co. In 2006, I returned to the Midwest for a beau (turned husband) and upon my arrival, I quickly started Cheree Berry Paper in my apartment.

Work started coming in from across the country, and one employee has since turned into over twenty! And now that we are in our tenth year, you could say that we have two businesses camouflaged as one – the custom invitations and graphic design side that our business was built on and now the retail stationery side. Our love is the clever and unexpected. For our custom designs, our challenge is bringing stories to life on paper. For our retail stationery line, it’s creating something that is engaging and supportive of our visual voice.

Custom: Our business was started on creating custom solutions for our clients, and this is where our passion still remains today. During the custom process, our first task at hand is to listen to the client’s story and vision. We love leaving a meeting or ending a call with lots of material, but not the exact design solution. After our client interaction, we sketch, research, and refine until we come up with two to three different design solutions to present. From there, with feedback from our clients, we work through revisions and ultimately get to the end result – it’s our job to ensure that our clients are as happy with the design as we are.

Retail: We are our very own test market. Our first mini line of stationery, produced about eight years ago, was created out of necessity in order to keep our own stationery drawers fully stocked. How do we create a line from scratch? We open our treasure chest of snail mail keeps and think about how these particular pieces made an impact. You’d be hard pressed to find a card in our retail stationery offering that is simply a rectangular card with a pretty design on the front. What you can find in our line? Unexpected formats, clever copywriting, hidden details, fun envelope touches that create anticipation, interactive moments and items that feel personalized without much DIY commitment.

The design process typically starts with a client meeting or call including a project manager and a designer. We listen and ask questions to be able to achieve our ultimate goal – telling a personal story on paper with great design. Often the next step is mood boards or sketches to narrow a design direction. Timelines and budgets are set and then the design phase begins!

A few design options are presented to the client, then we get feedback and move to revisions before settling on a final design. Most of our designs mix lots of processes – letterpress, foil stamping, painted edges; really, whatever it takes to make the piece a stand-out while maintaining the budget we’ve been given. The final stop? Our production departments applies the finishing touches. We may be tying a booklet, lining an envelope, or placing the stamp just so. We delight in all the details.

No one day is like another, but after coffee, I’m ready to check my email and see what happened after midnight. I make my to-do list for the day and the brainstorming, sketching and meetings begin. Lunch is usually at my desk, and when I need to fully focus, you might find me at a nearby coffee shop or bookstore. Four o’clock becomes six o’clock and then I’m rushing home to relieve my nanny. After dinner and a lengthy bedtime routine with my kids (that usually starts with a short dance party and ends with a Mo Willems book), I plug back into work once lights are out.

Our team consists of designers, project managers, and a full production staff. Every department touches each job throughout the design and printing processes – without one department, our job could not get done! Our design team has a range of talents, so projects are assigned according to the project style and content. For example, we match the designer to the project based on whether the client’s vision includes a custom hand-drawn illustration, more focus on typography, hand lettering, etc.

Our project managers work very closely with our clients to ensure great communication throughout the process. Once a job has gone to print, it moves through a very thorough production process. There is no piece of stationery that leaves Cheree Berry Paper without being quality checked. Our jobs must finish as strong as they started.

The evolution for me is to focus on the big picture. I have a staff of fabulous designers and art directors so their talents allow me to think about vision, voice and concepts. I love connecting with them daily to see the brilliance brewing. Marketing is my big push right now. I am driven to get my Instagram message out there – a place where I showcase our work and occasionally my values.

I’m hands-on when I need to be but really rely on my personal projects – holiday cards, kids birthday invites, etc. – to get me back to my love for design. And I don’t forget what 10 years ago looked like when I was designing invoices to look pretty and taking too long to send them out and working for what seemed like every minute of every day.

Here’s a very special sneak peek at a brand new line of all-occasion cards by Cheree Berry Paper, produced and distributed by Galison Gifts. The designs will debut at the National Stationery Show this month!

Write-On Cards offer stickers and spaces to handwrite, so each card can be personalized.

Expanding Cards unfold and expand to reveal the message.

All photos courtesy of Cheree Berry Paper

from Oh So Beautiful Paper http://ift.tt/2qWW2uL via IFTTT

[twosnails4eva]

it's been a year since i got into the osc and, most importantly, fell in love with two. can you believe it? because i sure can't!

these are redraws of very old drawings i made last year!!! if you remember these you're an og... (old ones will be under cut if you want to check them out!)

[twosnails4eva]

hey happy love day guys! just lovey dovey stuff :3 also hiiiii @reptilianrepscallion ily <3

[twosnails4eva]

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

thank you guys SO MUCH for sticking up with me in this journey of drawing silly objects and numbers having fun. for a year of more shenanigans like these 🥂

please don't tag as twofour!

doodle + boring versions under cut

[twosnails4eva]

Merry christmas from Twosnails 💝🎄