Selected Presentations & Appearances
Service to the Profession
Service to Duke
University Services ; Over this past year I reviewed 670 regular decision artistic supplements in the Visual Arts and 131 early decision applications.
Major Advisor ; Over this past year I have advised five Visual Arts majors and four students pursing a combined major in Art History and Visual Art
Curriculum Innovations ; Revision of ARTSVIS 200S: Senior Capstone in the Visual Arts As the lone regular rank Visual Arts faculty teaching the during the spring 2011 semester, I oversaw 19 senior projects, four of these projects being Graduation with Distinction students and the remaining 15 being graduating seniors. The breadth of students projects done in this class was enormous, ranging from painting, artist books to animations and creating gaming applications for the iPad. In addition to the curricular changes that I made to the course, I stressed the professional skills that the students would need in an artistic working environment (digital graphic design presentation skills, writing skills, web-design skills and how to professionally document and display their work) through the development of documentation supporting their projects. In order to accommodate the individual needs of the different students outside of my area(s) of expertise, faculty from different visual arts and visual studies areas (Raquel Salvatella and Victoria Szabo) met with students during three class sessions to advise students on their projects. With this course designated as the culminating "art experience" at Duke it offered students the opportunity to created a related body of work throughout the semester, along with supporting materials documenting that project. In addition to their projects done in an area with prior artistic and course experience, students created supporting materials, documenting the project and its progress including a commercially printed catalogue documenting their project that conveyed influences, historical and social references and other influential materials developed in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign and individual WordPress websites displaying different facets of their process, research and project that were linked to our course web site. Students made monthly presentations on the progress of their projects, along with meeting with me weekly on an individual basis. Their semester's work culminated with an exhibition during graduation of their completed Capstone project. Two openings were held for the students, one for their peers and Duke community, with over 450 people attending and a second organized during graduation weekend for students, their families and members of our department. The success of this course has inspired us to teach both the Visual Art and Visual and Media Studies Capstone courses during the same time slot, with aspects of both courses taught together so that students have further interaction with the scope of their different projects. The rubric established from the 2011 Capstone class will continue to be used again due to its high level of success.
Curriculum Innovations ; Immersed in Every Sense, Visiting Artist Series Our new visiting artist series, Immersed in Every Sense, funded by a Visiting Artist Grant from the Vice-Provost for the Arts and the Visiting Artist Fund from the Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies, has given us the opportunity to bring visiting artists at different points in their professional careers into the classroom to present their work and meet with our students. It has connected our students directly to practicing artists from various art centers throughout the country, exposing them to what the artistic world has to offer beyond Duke. This series has benefited classes relating to the specific disciplines of the different artists, along with introducing our beginning students enrolled in ARTSVIS 54: Introduction to Visual Practice to the wide scope of artistic practices and offering our advanced students in ARTSVIS 169S Advanced Visual Practice, the upcoming 200S Capstone in the Visual Arts and the MFA students the chance to meet individually with these artists to discuss their current projects. In addition to classroom/student interactions, students also have the opportunity to attend a lecture by the artist about their work open to the general public. Fall 2011 artists included: Clement Valla, Eduardo Kac, Benj Gerdes, Jennifer Hayashida, Marc Handelman and Meridith Pingree.
Curriculum Innovations ; ARTSVIS 134: Digital Printmaking This new course explores the parallels between the use of layering in the fine art silkscreen process and digital imaging. The technical base for this class was constructed from my own investigation and research of the combination of these digital image making methods with photo-silkscreen, which through my own practice was refined and developed into this course. Students used their digital imaging skills in combination with traditional art making processes to create photo-silkscreens by layering their drawn images and photographs in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Throughout the semester they developed a series of five prints based on a chosen theme combining references to the concepts of time, place, text, context and comparison to further inform the viewer and show the intent of their imagery. Through further development of their images by the addition of color, conceptual references and print states, works created in the class explored the combination of traditional and digital practices with the student's individual aesthetics. This course took full advantage of multiple facilities found in Smith Warehouse, including 228 Media Lab and 125 Printmaking studio, using the updated equipments and revised studio configurations made in Fall 2009.
Other ; Visual Arts representative for the Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies at the Majors Fair.
Other ; Represented the Visual Arts area on two occasions: April 11, 2011 and on April 15, 2011 at the Blue Devil Days for newly admitted students to Duke.
University Services ; Reviewed 550 regular decision and 45 early decision artistic supplements ranking them for admission decisions.
University Services ; Worked on planning committee for Books + Art, Artist Books form the Sallie Bingham Center Exhibition at Perkins Library Gallery from October 12, 2010 to January 9, 2011
Curriculum Innovations ; ARTSVIS 124 Text as Image This new course is designed to investigate the use of text as a vehicle for communication within the poster and book format. It explores the graphic use of typography, the interaction of writing and page design, the history of typography, writing and the printed page, the use of written form as a work of art, book design, binding and how text as a visual element interacts with and becomes the image. Through projects created throughout the semester, students learned about the design and structure of letters, words and text. They become facile in the use of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign and learned to present their work in a professional manner. In addition to work done in the classroom, students created short videos of artist books included in the Book + Art Exhibition at Perkins Library, Duke University and UNC, and participated in events related to the show.
Curriculum Innovations ; ARTSVIS 169S: Mapping Self Identity Using mapping as a structure for applying informational graphics, students addressed different aspects of self-identity while investigating the visual and layering parallels between Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and the printmaking media of silkscreen. Throughout the semester, they explored different aspects of mapping, signage and the integration of this information with themes interrelating personal experiences with this data. Using information gathered from different visual sources, students will created: • multiple digital pieces that were developed into finished digitally printed pieces • using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe In-Design, students designed an artist book, displaying works created throughout the semester documenting their inspirational sources, visual and conceptual development of these works and their research • and two silkscreen prints that explored and mapped their identity through influences, conceptual ideas and visual imagery, fusing digital applications with printmaking. As mapping, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop applications and printmaking all rely on physical and conceptual layering, this motif was ever-present throughout all aspects of the course. This technically and conceptually interdisciplinary course combined various areas of knowledge within the student’s individual scope as they applied and visually merged information gained from course work in other academic disciplines into the practice of making art. Guest lectures included scholars working on data, mapping and design in other areas of the university. Development of this course was supported by a Strategic Initiative Grant, Center for Instructional Technology, Duke University
Curriculum Innovations ; Printmaking Darkroom and Auxiliary Computer Work Stations Through the support of Arts and Sciences Facilities and the Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies, I have developed a new printmaking darkroom and auxiliary computer work stations in my printmaking studio, so that students can focus on creating digitally based prints all within one facility. This well-planned workspace includes: an already present Nu-Arc photo-silkscreen exposure unit, with two newly added older model G5 Apple computers, a 4800 Epson printer (used to print ink-jet transparencies for photo-printmaking, and to accommodate printing overflow from 228 when needed) newly purchased safelights (for photo-sensitive silkscreens) and a heated screen drying unit to dry coated screens in a dark light safe space. The workflow of this area is truly excellent and affords students all of the needed equipment for this process in a most accessible way.
Curriculum Innovations ; Proposal in support of purchasing additional fonts for Media Lab to be used by Digital Imaging and Graphic Design courses. In support of my newly taught ARTSVIS 124 Text as Image and our other graphic design and digital imaging courses, my proposal to purchase Adobe Font Folio 11 was purchased for the Smith Warehouse Media Lab by the Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies.
Other ; Department representative to Majors Fair
Other ; Visual Arts Representative to NC/SC Admissions Open House Arts Panel
Other ; Department representative to Blue Devil days for admitted students to learn about Duke course and departmental offerings. Attended sessions on 4/09/10 and 4/26/19
Other ; Invited to speak at new parent/recruit/coaches session about academics and the Arts at Duke at the Fuqua School of Business
University Services ; I reviewed artistic supplements for Duke Admissions for both the early decision and regular decision deadlines, evaluating 400 portfolios of students submitting artwork as part of their college application.
University Services ; I was the Department representative for 3 Blue Devils Days sessions in April 2008.