Last night, about a dozen intrepid souls gathered in the Tap Room to discuss the possibilities of public engagement at RISD. The scheduling was unfortunate in that Jim Drain was giving a lecture at the same hour... and it was a rainy night. And it was in the midst of mid-terms or post mid-terms.... And yet, I'm a little disappointed by the low turn out.
Actually, I'm disappointed by something else. Well, "disappointed" is probably the wrong word. I'm pondering something else.
In the past week, in conversations with undergraduate students, I've been confronted with a sense of incredulity when I've suggested that students become involved with the community -- or make work in the public sphere -- at the same time as they are enrolled as RISD students. The question, although phrased in many ways, is always the same: "How can you find the time given RISD's impossible schedule."
Let me preface my next thoughts. I don't think everyone at RISD should be doing public work. Some people won't want to and some probably just don't have the affinity or the predisposition. That's fine. Yet, I also hear that people would like to be connecting with a world beyond the campus in significant ways -- but there's no time. It's the "no time" thing I want to address.
We make time or those things that matter to us and learn to manage or prioritize those things that don't.
Last night we discussed procrastination a bit. We talked about the way it can be easy to get sucked into TV "while thinking about working in the studio." While everyone is different, I know I get sucked into TV for three reasons: 1. there's something compelling in the world (like the current election); 2. I'm completely exhausted (like when I have the flu); and 3. when I'm avoiding tasks that don't matter to me (like when I'm thinking about doing something someone has told me to do but about which I have no passion).
I know it's possible to integrate significant and meaningful community practice with a RISD education. I did it when I was a student (and when far fewer faculty "got" the value of it than there are today) and I know many RISD graduates (and current students) who are doing it.
The language of the "impossible" -- as in "it's impossible given RISD's curriculum" -- does two things: 1.) it provides a polite way of saying "I don't want to do this, I like things the way they are"; and 2.) it inhibits others from believing that they might be able to do something outside the culture of the curriculum.
There's nothing wrong with committing oneself to a rigorous and intensive life in the studio. However, it's not the only way that people build a rigorous art practice. The language of "the impossible" simply limits the possibilities of creative practice within this community. How do we move beyond the language of the impossible to an acknowledgment of infinite possibility and creativity?
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Saying "I Do!"
Saying "I Do!"
Celebrate the Victory Next Door;
Forge Ahead for Marriage Equality in Rhode Island
On Friday November 14 at the RISD Auditorium in Providence, Rhode Island, the Marriage Equality Rhode Island Education Fund (MERIEF) will host a celebration of the recent landmark decision in Connecticut allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry featuring the Rhode Island premiere of the newly released documentary, Saving Marriage.
The movie premiere free and open to the public; donations welcome. Doors open 7:30pm.
Visit http://marriageequalityri.wordpress.com/ to see the trailer.
For a limited number of advance donations of $25 or more per person you will receive reserved "I Do!" seating; tickets to a pre-show reception from 6:30-7:30p with GLAD, Love Makes A Family and key participants in the CT decision; a chance to win a pair of Orchestra tickets to see the new Adam Bock comedy, "The Receptionist" at Trinity Rep Theatre on January 11, 2009; hors'doeuvres, and a champagne toast.
To reserve "I Do" tickets contact Susan MacNeil at 401-463-5368, x339 or via Email (smacneil@marriageequalityri.org)
Celebrate the Victory Next Door;
Forge Ahead for Marriage Equality in Rhode Island
On Friday November 14 at the RISD Auditorium in Providence, Rhode Island, the Marriage Equality Rhode Island Education Fund (MERIEF) will host a celebration of the recent landmark decision in Connecticut allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry featuring the Rhode Island premiere of the newly released documentary, Saving Marriage.
The movie premiere free and open to the public; donations welcome. Doors open 7:30pm.
Visit http://marriageequalityri.wordpress.com/ to see the trailer.
For a limited number of advance donations of $25 or more per person you will receive reserved "I Do!" seating; tickets to a pre-show reception from 6:30-7:30p with GLAD, Love Makes A Family and key participants in the CT decision; a chance to win a pair of Orchestra tickets to see the new Adam Bock comedy, "The Receptionist" at Trinity Rep Theatre on January 11, 2009; hors'doeuvres, and a champagne toast.
To reserve "I Do" tickets contact Susan MacNeil at 401-463-5368, x339 or via Email (smacneil@marriageequalityri.org)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thoughts on Tactical Sound Gardens
Yesterday I slipped upstairs to attend a Digital+Media talk by Mark Shepard about his project Tactical Sound Garden [TSG] Tool Kit.
Overall I left the talk feeling as though the project falls short of its potential as a sonic intervention into urban spaces. Installing these gardens at international new media festivals seems to stymie the opportunities for sustained engagement by a community of users. The "drop and run" nature of installing these sites also limits Shepard's ability to observe how people are interacting with the space beyond what he can glean from the data logs.
What, for example, might he observe if he was able to put together a class at the University of New York Buffalo (where he has already installed a garden) that specifically looked at the new kinds of play that emerge once people get over the novelty of the tool and begin to landscape the site with greater intention? How might people employ the garden as a site for communicating with one another, sharing information about upcoming events, spreading gossip, diverting traffic, etc.
So while, for me, the project didn't push itself quite far enough on an experiential level, on a conceptual level his thinking echoes many of the questions raised by the projects supported by the Office of Public Engagement (which is terribly exciting!)
Here are some of those questions:
If space is something that people produce together such that it takes on highly charged social and political resonances, then what are the ways in which these new spatial conditions can present new kinds of social practice?
How can sound be used in order to break through the hypervisual context of our cities?
What are the differences between strategic and tactical approaches to problem-solving in the artistic but also organizational realm? (his distinction was great - strategy takes an overview perspective that relies on distance, creating grand claims that he called the "zenith of arrogance" while tactics can't be separated from the object but instead are a temporal seizing of the other...like a parasite, tactics depend on a relationship with their host question/problem)
How can community be built around a particular practice (in this case, sound artists who came together to build the sound files that were used for the Zurich version of the sound garden) rather than, in the new-genre public art model, assuming or adopting a particular, but possibly fictitious community to work with?
***
One thing I have been appreciating about being at RISD is the discovery that interrelated conversations are taking place in any number of departments on campus. Our office's challenge is how to be increasingly aware of these intersections and how to connect the people who are asking similar questions of their own practice. To do so requires on our part a willingness to step out of our intellectual and creative comfort areas and into new zones of learning. So note to self: get out more often - it will aid our work on both personal and professional levels.
Overall I left the talk feeling as though the project falls short of its potential as a sonic intervention into urban spaces. Installing these gardens at international new media festivals seems to stymie the opportunities for sustained engagement by a community of users. The "drop and run" nature of installing these sites also limits Shepard's ability to observe how people are interacting with the space beyond what he can glean from the data logs.
What, for example, might he observe if he was able to put together a class at the University of New York Buffalo (where he has already installed a garden) that specifically looked at the new kinds of play that emerge once people get over the novelty of the tool and begin to landscape the site with greater intention? How might people employ the garden as a site for communicating with one another, sharing information about upcoming events, spreading gossip, diverting traffic, etc.
So while, for me, the project didn't push itself quite far enough on an experiential level, on a conceptual level his thinking echoes many of the questions raised by the projects supported by the Office of Public Engagement (which is terribly exciting!)
Here are some of those questions:
If space is something that people produce together such that it takes on highly charged social and political resonances, then what are the ways in which these new spatial conditions can present new kinds of social practice?
How can sound be used in order to break through the hypervisual context of our cities?
What are the differences between strategic and tactical approaches to problem-solving in the artistic but also organizational realm? (his distinction was great - strategy takes an overview perspective that relies on distance, creating grand claims that he called the "zenith of arrogance" while tactics can't be separated from the object but instead are a temporal seizing of the other...like a parasite, tactics depend on a relationship with their host question/problem)
How can community be built around a particular practice (in this case, sound artists who came together to build the sound files that were used for the Zurich version of the sound garden) rather than, in the new-genre public art model, assuming or adopting a particular, but possibly fictitious community to work with?
***
One thing I have been appreciating about being at RISD is the discovery that interrelated conversations are taking place in any number of departments on campus. Our office's challenge is how to be increasingly aware of these intersections and how to connect the people who are asking similar questions of their own practice. To do so requires on our part a willingness to step out of our intellectual and creative comfort areas and into new zones of learning. So note to self: get out more often - it will aid our work on both personal and professional levels.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Nelson Mandela's Leadership Wisdom
Nelson Mandela turned 90 earlier this year; a milestone that has launched a number of initiatives honoring his life, including RISD's own Mandela: Honoring the Legacy.
Our Office has been working together with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Office of International Affairs to create a campus-wide dialog around the qualities that define Mandela’s life and work, connecting these to the creative practice and social awareness of students and faculty.
This summer, Time Magazine published an article by Mandela's biographer, Richard Stengel entitled Mandela: His 8 Lessons of Leadership. The article focuses on the ways in which Mandela was able to enact deep and lasting change in his country through a nuanced leadership style that equally employed symbolism, strategy, and fearlessness (plus five more tactics!) I am struck by how many of these practices are also at play in a strong collaborative creative process.
This initiative hope to invite opportunities for dialogue through a diverse program which includes: a spring symposium entitled History + Memory: Public Encounters through Public Discourse, films, visiting artist talks, academic course offerings, social gatherings, and more. Themes explored include: Freedom, Reconciliation, Collaboration, Human Rights, Dignity, Integrity, Tradition and Diversity.
Our hope is that this year-long focus will bring together the many facets of the RISD and Providence communities to contextualize the values maintained throughout his legacy to the work we do as artists, academics and neighbors, and understand how those values relate to global, contemporary social justice issues.
Stay tuned for the launch of the new website later this month: www.honoringthelegacy.org.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Play Space Collaborate
This month marks the beginning of a new collaboration between RISD, the Learning Community Charter School, and New Urban Arts.
September 26th saw the official opening of the Learning Community’s new play space (you can read more about that here,), after months and months of conversations and committee meetings between students, staff, and parents of TLC. The school selected Laurencia Strauss, a recent RISD graduate from Landscape Architecture department, to synthesize this mass of information into a cohesive design.
Upon receiving an invitation to the opening, I had gotten the idea in my head to make a short experiential video of the kids’ movements and play, but rain and chaos deterred the initial plan. Instead, at the opening I entered into a conversation with Laurencia and Kath Connelly, the school’s Communications and Outreach Coordinator, about how to share the missing pieces of the story of this collaboration to the larger audience of RISD and beyond.
While much has been made of the entrepreneurial spirit of the six fourth-graders who formed the Playground Committee and were responsible for the letter to the CEO of Loews, which resulted in a $110,000 grant, we wanted to highlight the elements of the collaborative process and Laurencia’s own artistic vision which moved the project from seed to completion. The question became how to expand on the idea of a more traditional reporting piece to a video that captures the dynamic learning experience that underwrote this entire project.
To get started, Kath invited Andrew Oesch, one of the New Urban Arts artist mentor fellows, and I to spend an afternoon perched in the second floor stairwell of the Learning Community observing how the different classes were using the new playground. While it felt strangely big-brotheresque whenever a kid would glance up and catch us staring back from the second floor window, this perspective allowed us to witness the overall flow of movement around the playground while still being close enough to catch the nuances of individual group dynamics.
What did we see? Fifth graders, followed by the kindergarteners, explode out onto the playground, most racing straight up the hill. Some made a beeline for the sandbox, and still others just ran a few laps before settling into a game of dodge ball, basketball, or just plain “kick the ball!”
There was a constant shifting of energy – at one point the entire playground clustered en masse in the matter of seconds (was someone hurt? was it a big bug?), only to disperse as quickly once they’d diagnosed the situation. There were also diverse ways in which different age groups used the same spaces. For instance, the kindergarteners piled and sorted leaves on top of the wood stump tables on the stage (girls at one “table” and boys at the other), while the older students used that space for one-on-one conversations (also gender-divided). Older kids had figured out that their jackets made great surfboards for going down the slide faster – kneeling, standing, face-first – while the younger groups proceeded in more orderly fashion.
There really isn’t enough time to go into all of the amazing things we watched transpire, but needless to say Andrew and I were wide-eyed and captivated by the sheer amount of human energy being exerted in a relatively small amount of space!
When Kath joined us, we served as a kind of sounding board for many of the reflections she’s been processing over the last year of this project. As the person who worked most closely with Laurencia, she was particularly attuned to the finer subtleties of the dynamics that played out over the year long collaborative process.
Some of the points she brought up will be great to develop further during the video interviews. These include: the pedagogical overlap with the built environment, the importance of setting up basic parameters in the built environment while also letting go of how the space gets used (both for the designer and the school,) unintended uses of the playground and how the neighborhood has embraced the space as a community park, how Laurencia took abstract concepts that came from the kids and staff and created spaces and objects flexible enough to handle multiple uses, etc.
Kath also introduced us to Ms. Kathy, the third grade teacher whose classroom overlooks the playground. At the beginning of the year, Ms. Kathy quickly recognized that the students’ attention was being drawn to the giant colorful space outside their windows. Her ingenious response was to build into the curriculum a journaling project in which the students wrote about and then investigated their continued wonderings about the new playground. How to employ this new space as a kind of learning lab is one of the exciting new arenas the school will be exploring over the course of the next several months.
The next day, I met up with Laurencia, which helped to build upon the conversations that I’d been having with Andrew, Kath, and Ms. Kathy. There is a shared sense that this video piece can be a way for Laurencia to engage in her own reflection about the process of building the play space. She had been so involved in the day-to-day logistics that only now is she beginning to articulate what actually happened.
Specifically we spoke at length about what makes an artist well suited to collaborative or community-engaged art practices and that delicate dance between personal vision and incorporating multiple perspectives and desires. This led to an interesting conversation about how universities can best support the students on campus who are drawn to a collaborative mode of art making. Which also raises the contrary question of whether a school environment is the most appropriate place to explore/introduce community-based projects at all.
Given the artificial timeframe of semesters and the focus on individual creative vision and a strong commitment to studio practice, is it possible to realize collaborative projects where on-going relationship-building and deep listening are prerequisites to the project’s success?
This I believe is one of the many challenges in building and sustaining university-community relationships in collaborative projects. For this specific project, Kath’s role as mediator will prove to be invaluable. Through her clear articulation of how the school emboldens students to build literary and communication fluency, we are better able to create a platform for new learning opportunities by all parties.
September 26th saw the official opening of the Learning Community’s new play space (you can read more about that here,), after months and months of conversations and committee meetings between students, staff, and parents of TLC. The school selected Laurencia Strauss, a recent RISD graduate from Landscape Architecture department, to synthesize this mass of information into a cohesive design.
Upon receiving an invitation to the opening, I had gotten the idea in my head to make a short experiential video of the kids’ movements and play, but rain and chaos deterred the initial plan. Instead, at the opening I entered into a conversation with Laurencia and Kath Connelly, the school’s Communications and Outreach Coordinator, about how to share the missing pieces of the story of this collaboration to the larger audience of RISD and beyond.
While much has been made of the entrepreneurial spirit of the six fourth-graders who formed the Playground Committee and were responsible for the letter to the CEO of Loews, which resulted in a $110,000 grant, we wanted to highlight the elements of the collaborative process and Laurencia’s own artistic vision which moved the project from seed to completion. The question became how to expand on the idea of a more traditional reporting piece to a video that captures the dynamic learning experience that underwrote this entire project.
To get started, Kath invited Andrew Oesch, one of the New Urban Arts artist mentor fellows, and I to spend an afternoon perched in the second floor stairwell of the Learning Community observing how the different classes were using the new playground. While it felt strangely big-brotheresque whenever a kid would glance up and catch us staring back from the second floor window, this perspective allowed us to witness the overall flow of movement around the playground while still being close enough to catch the nuances of individual group dynamics.
What did we see? Fifth graders, followed by the kindergarteners, explode out onto the playground, most racing straight up the hill. Some made a beeline for the sandbox, and still others just ran a few laps before settling into a game of dodge ball, basketball, or just plain “kick the ball!”
There was a constant shifting of energy – at one point the entire playground clustered en masse in the matter of seconds (was someone hurt? was it a big bug?), only to disperse as quickly once they’d diagnosed the situation. There were also diverse ways in which different age groups used the same spaces. For instance, the kindergarteners piled and sorted leaves on top of the wood stump tables on the stage (girls at one “table” and boys at the other), while the older students used that space for one-on-one conversations (also gender-divided). Older kids had figured out that their jackets made great surfboards for going down the slide faster – kneeling, standing, face-first – while the younger groups proceeded in more orderly fashion.
There really isn’t enough time to go into all of the amazing things we watched transpire, but needless to say Andrew and I were wide-eyed and captivated by the sheer amount of human energy being exerted in a relatively small amount of space!When Kath joined us, we served as a kind of sounding board for many of the reflections she’s been processing over the last year of this project. As the person who worked most closely with Laurencia, she was particularly attuned to the finer subtleties of the dynamics that played out over the year long collaborative process.
Some of the points she brought up will be great to develop further during the video interviews. These include: the pedagogical overlap with the built environment, the importance of setting up basic parameters in the built environment while also letting go of how the space gets used (both for the designer and the school,) unintended uses of the playground and how the neighborhood has embraced the space as a community park, how Laurencia took abstract concepts that came from the kids and staff and created spaces and objects flexible enough to handle multiple uses, etc.
Kath also introduced us to Ms. Kathy, the third grade teacher whose classroom overlooks the playground. At the beginning of the year, Ms. Kathy quickly recognized that the students’ attention was being drawn to the giant colorful space outside their windows. Her ingenious response was to build into the curriculum a journaling project in which the students wrote about and then investigated their continued wonderings about the new playground. How to employ this new space as a kind of learning lab is one of the exciting new arenas the school will be exploring over the course of the next several months.
The next day, I met up with Laurencia, which helped to build upon the conversations that I’d been having with Andrew, Kath, and Ms. Kathy. There is a shared sense that this video piece can be a way for Laurencia to engage in her own reflection about the process of building the play space. She had been so involved in the day-to-day logistics that only now is she beginning to articulate what actually happened.
Specifically we spoke at length about what makes an artist well suited to collaborative or community-engaged art practices and that delicate dance between personal vision and incorporating multiple perspectives and desires. This led to an interesting conversation about how universities can best support the students on campus who are drawn to a collaborative mode of art making. Which also raises the contrary question of whether a school environment is the most appropriate place to explore/introduce community-based projects at all.
Given the artificial timeframe of semesters and the focus on individual creative vision and a strong commitment to studio practice, is it possible to realize collaborative projects where on-going relationship-building and deep listening are prerequisites to the project’s success?
This I believe is one of the many challenges in building and sustaining university-community relationships in collaborative projects. For this specific project, Kath’s role as mediator will prove to be invaluable. Through her clear articulation of how the school emboldens students to build literary and communication fluency, we are better able to create a platform for new learning opportunities by all parties.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Providence Art Windows
Call For Proposals-Due December 12, 2008
Providence Art Windows Seeks Art and Art Installations for the 2009 season
Seeking art and art installation proposals for 10 windows in Downtown Providence for the 2009 season. Site-specific is preferred, pre-existing accepted; 2D or 3D. Some spaces are raw, and others are located within established businesses. Site visits encouraged before proposal is written.
Jury includes Diana Gaston, Associate Curator, Fidelity Investments. First round will begin 03/15/09, and others to be determined. Deadline: postmarked 12/12/08. $100 stipend available. Send 8-10 jpegs on disk, printed 1 page proposal, image list,resume, and SASE to: Rebecca Siemering, PAW Director, 545 Pawtucket Avenue, Box 206, Pawtucket, RI, 02860. No email entries.
(Images must be in standard JPEG (.jpg) format, and should be no more than 800 KB in size. Images should be roughly 600 x 900 pixels. No Power Point presentations accepted. Note that this work is on view to the public 24 hrs a day, so think accordingly when submitting your proposal. Questions? Find out more about the project at http://providenceartwindows.blogspot.com or e-mail rebecca.siemering@gmail.com.
Providence Art Windows exhibits juried art and art installations to fill 10 empty retail spaces in Downtown Providence. Our shows change three times a year and feature local and nationally known arts artists, juried by local residents, downtown artists and professionals. Providence Art Windows adds to the walking experience in the revitalized DownCity area for locals and tourists alike. Providence Art Windows is generously supported by The Providence Foundation, Fidelity Investments, the City of Providence, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and Verizon.
Providence Art Windows Seeks Art and Art Installations for the 2009 season
Seeking art and art installation proposals for 10 windows in Downtown Providence for the 2009 season. Site-specific is preferred, pre-existing accepted; 2D or 3D. Some spaces are raw, and others are located within established businesses. Site visits encouraged before proposal is written.
Jury includes Diana Gaston, Associate Curator, Fidelity Investments. First round will begin 03/15/09, and others to be determined. Deadline: postmarked 12/12/08. $100 stipend available. Send 8-10 jpegs on disk, printed 1 page proposal, image list,resume, and SASE to: Rebecca Siemering, PAW Director, 545 Pawtucket Avenue, Box 206, Pawtucket, RI, 02860. No email entries.
(Images must be in standard JPEG (.jpg) format, and should be no more than 800 KB in size. Images should be roughly 600 x 900 pixels. No Power Point presentations accepted. Note that this work is on view to the public 24 hrs a day, so think accordingly when submitting your proposal. Questions? Find out more about the project at http://providenceartwindows.
Providence Art Windows exhibits juried art and art installations to fill 10 empty retail spaces in Downtown Providence. Our shows change three times a year and feature local and nationally known arts artists, juried by local residents, downtown artists and professionals. Providence Art Windows adds to the walking experience in the revitalized DownCity area for locals and tourists alike. Providence Art Windows is generously supported by The Providence Foundation, Fidelity Investments, the City of Providence, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and Verizon.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Equity Action grants
Equity Action, a fund of The Rhode Island Foundation, is currently accepting applications for its large grants program. Award amounts range from $2,500 - $15,000. To be eligible, you must be a community-based organization that provides services to support individuals and/or families within Rhode Island’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities.
The application deadline is Wednesday, October 15 and awards will be granted in December 2008. Visit us at www.equityaction.org to learn more. This year alone, the Equity Action Fund has awarded more than $44,000 to the community.
For more information, call The Rhode Island Foundation at 401.274.4564.
The application deadline is Wednesday, October 15 and awards will be granted in December 2008. Visit us at www.equityaction.org to learn more. This year alone, the Equity Action Fund has awarded more than $44,000 to the community.
For more information, call The Rhode Island Foundation at 401.274.4564.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
2d Life
RISD 2d Life -- an art supply and materials recycling resource for the RISD community -- is up and ready for business.
job posting
University of Washington, Tacoma: INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS AND SCIENCES
Intermedia/Community-Based Arts Practice
Assistant Professor
Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences (IAS) at the University of Washington Tacoma invites applications for a full-time Assistant Professor in Internet/ Graphic Arts as part of the forming Arts in Community Program. We are seeking an intermedia artist with experience teaching interdisciplinary arts and a community-based arts practice who can teach from a content- and conceptually-focused perspective. Other areas of teaching/research may include video, performance, installation, sound art, murals, cyberarts theory and/or site-specific temporal works. The applicant should have significant community arts experience and a commitment to assist in building local community ties; a key responsibility of this position includes coordinating cultural collaborations with the local community. The successful candidate will hold an MFA and have taught a minimum of two years at the university level. The class load will be 6 courses a year with the expectation of teaching interdisciplinary arts studio courses, both upper and lower division. The candidate should be able to demonstrate creative accomplishments commensurate with rank. All University of Washington Tacoma faculty engage in teaching, research, and service in an interdisciplinary context.
Appointment effective September 16, 2009.
One of three campuses of the University of Washington, UWT is a metropolitan university that currently offers undergraduate and graduate education to students of a wide variety of ages and backgrounds in the South Puget Sound region. In the fall of 2006, the campus admitted its first freshman cohort. The campus is located in both new and historic facilities in downtown Tacoma. For information about UWT, see our website at http://www.tacoma.washington.edu/.
All materials should be submitted electronically to iasearch@u.washington.edu. Your materials should include: a letter delineating your interests and qualifications, a description of research interests and teaching philosophy, a curriculum vitae, a web link containing visual documentation of Intermedia and community-based practice, evidence of teaching effectiveness that may include a class syllabus, and three letters of reference.
Screening of credentials will begin January 5, 2009 and will continue until the position is filled. For additional information, please contact Beverly Naidus, bnaidus@u.washington.edu or by telephone at (253) 692-4623.
The University of Washington is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. The University is building a culturally diverse faculty and staff and strongly encourages applications from women, racial/ethnic minority group members, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. This position is contingent on funding.
Intermedia/Community-Based Arts Practice
Assistant Professor
Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences (IAS) at the University of Washington Tacoma invites applications for a full-time Assistant Professor in Internet/ Graphic Arts as part of the forming Arts in Community Program. We are seeking an intermedia artist with experience teaching interdisciplinary arts and a community-based arts practice who can teach from a content- and conceptually-focused perspective. Other areas of teaching/research may include video, performance, installation, sound art, murals, cyberarts theory and/or site-specific temporal works. The applicant should have significant community arts experience and a commitment to assist in building local community ties; a key responsibility of this position includes coordinating cultural collaborations with the local community. The successful candidate will hold an MFA and have taught a minimum of two years at the university level. The class load will be 6 courses a year with the expectation of teaching interdisciplinary arts studio courses, both upper and lower division. The candidate should be able to demonstrate creative accomplishments commensurate with rank. All University of Washington Tacoma faculty engage in teaching, research, and service in an interdisciplinary context.
Appointment effective September 16, 2009.
One of three campuses of the University of Washington, UWT is a metropolitan university that currently offers undergraduate and graduate education to students of a wide variety of ages and backgrounds in the South Puget Sound region. In the fall of 2006, the campus admitted its first freshman cohort. The campus is located in both new and historic facilities in downtown Tacoma. For information about UWT, see our website at http://www.tacoma.washington.edu/.
All materials should be submitted electronically to iasearch@u.washington.edu. Your materials should include: a letter delineating your interests and qualifications, a description of research interests and teaching philosophy, a curriculum vitae, a web link containing visual documentation of Intermedia and community-based practice, evidence of teaching effectiveness that may include a class syllabus, and three letters of reference.
Screening of credentials will begin January 5, 2009 and will continue until the position is filled. For additional information, please contact Beverly Naidus, bnaidus@u.washington.edu or by telephone at (253) 692-4623.
The University of Washington is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. The University is building a culturally diverse faculty and staff and strongly encourages applications from women, racial/ethnic minority group members, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. This position is contingent on funding.
Friday, October 3, 2008
cool job
Director of Organizational Advancement
Worcester Center for Crafts
25 Sagamore Road
Worcester, MA 01605
508-753-8183
www.worcestercraftcenter.org
Description: Founded in 1856, the Worcester Center for Crafts is one of the oldest non-profit institutions for craft study in the United States. Possessing a 150-year commitment to craft education, the Craft Center is poised to expand and is working strategically to strengthen its financial base, rebuild its human resources, and enhance its programming and audience reach. The organization is seeking a dynamic, entrepreneurial, fundraising professional capable of leading a million-dollar capital campaign (nearly 50% raised to date) to support the organization’s strategic plan and advancement of its mission, “to sustain craft as a vital part of our world.” This key decision-maker will be responsible for soliciting major gifts from individuals and foundations, working with Trustee committees, organizing cultivation events, garnering sponsorships, and supervising the Annual Fund and individual and corporate membership programs. Reports to the Executive Director.
Position Duties:
Direct the organization’s current million-dollar capital campaign (nearly 50% raised to date).
Design, implement and manage all ongoing fundraising activities including annual giving, individual and corporate membership, endowment, sponsorships, major gifts, and special projects/events.
Initiate and manage all strategies and activities of donor/funder identification, cultivation, solicitation and relations.
Develop grant proposals, concept papers and reports for foundations and government agencies.
Prepare and pitch corporate sponsorship packages.
Create new, online opportunities for generating revenue.
Provide day-to-day supervision of the Development Associate, overseeing office support systems, donor/funder research, and gift/pledge activity.
Work with and coach trustee volunteers to meet aggressive fundraising goals.
Initiate and oversee production of all collateral material and communications for the development program.
Qualifications: This is a senior level position requiring 5-10 years of fundraising experience, particularly with major gifts. An arts organization background a real plus. This is a key position, joining an organization with the ambition of leading innovation in craft for the 21st century, while respecting the cultural traditions of a global creative community. The right person will passionately align with the Center’s strategic goals and direct an aggressive fundraising program to support the organization’s growth. History of success with 5 and 6 figure solicitations, donor/funder cultivation and relations, and a demonstrated ability to prioritize and coordinate multiple projects. Experienced in analyzing and summarizing complex financial documents and adept at creating and managing database systems (knowledge of Sage50 software advantageous). Superior oral and written communication skills a must to effectively convey the Craft Center’s mission, programs and priorities to a wide variety of audiences.
Apply by: October 31, 2008
Salary: Competitive Salary & Benefits
Worcester Center for Crafts
25 Sagamore Road
Worcester, MA 01605
508-753-8183
www.worcestercraftcenter.org
Description: Founded in 1856, the Worcester Center for Crafts is one of the oldest non-profit institutions for craft study in the United States. Possessing a 150-year commitment to craft education, the Craft Center is poised to expand and is working strategically to strengthen its financial base, rebuild its human resources, and enhance its programming and audience reach. The organization is seeking a dynamic, entrepreneurial, fundraising professional capable of leading a million-dollar capital campaign (nearly 50% raised to date) to support the organization’s strategic plan and advancement of its mission, “to sustain craft as a vital part of our world.” This key decision-maker will be responsible for soliciting major gifts from individuals and foundations, working with Trustee committees, organizing cultivation events, garnering sponsorships, and supervising the Annual Fund and individual and corporate membership programs. Reports to the Executive Director.
Position Duties:
Direct the organization’s current million-dollar capital campaign (nearly 50% raised to date).
Design, implement and manage all ongoing fundraising activities including annual giving, individual and corporate membership, endowment, sponsorships, major gifts, and special projects/events.
Initiate and manage all strategies and activities of donor/funder identification, cultivation, solicitation and relations.
Develop grant proposals, concept papers and reports for foundations and government agencies.
Prepare and pitch corporate sponsorship packages.
Create new, online opportunities for generating revenue.
Provide day-to-day supervision of the Development Associate, overseeing office support systems, donor/funder research, and gift/pledge activity.
Work with and coach trustee volunteers to meet aggressive fundraising goals.
Initiate and oversee production of all collateral material and communications for the development program.
Qualifications: This is a senior level position requiring 5-10 years of fundraising experience, particularly with major gifts. An arts organization background a real plus. This is a key position, joining an organization with the ambition of leading innovation in craft for the 21st century, while respecting the cultural traditions of a global creative community. The right person will passionately align with the Center’s strategic goals and direct an aggressive fundraising program to support the organization’s growth. History of success with 5 and 6 figure solicitations, donor/funder cultivation and relations, and a demonstrated ability to prioritize and coordinate multiple projects. Experienced in analyzing and summarizing complex financial documents and adept at creating and managing database systems (knowledge of Sage50 software advantageous). Superior oral and written communication skills a must to effectively convey the Craft Center’s mission, programs and priorities to a wide variety of audiences.
Apply by: October 31, 2008
Salary: Competitive Salary & Benefits
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