ArtWeek Day 1 - Screen Printing & Food Night!

ArtWeek started off great despite the opening delay of UMBC. Our screen printing demo was a hit and quickly ran out of many t-shirt sizes. We will be doing another demo again Friday for the closing event.

We also have a paper plane throwing contest going on all week, be sure to check it out!

 

At night we teamed up with seb for Food Night! We had cupcake decorating, candy sushi, and rice characters to make and get those creative juices flowing.

Design of the Week

This week's design comes from Carmella. She created these posters for the Women's Center. Below the images we have attached the project's statement. Please feel free to visit the links to learn more about this important initiative. 



We’re proud to announce that the Women’s Center at UMBC and Women of Color Coalition were recently awarded a $5,000 grant from the American Association of University Women (AAUW). The 2014–15 AAUW Campus Action Project (CAP) grants, sponsored by Pantene’s Shine Strong campaign, fund student led projects that fight stereotypes and biases. In addition to the AAUW CAP grant, we were also awarded a $500 community project grant from BreakingGround to help support this ambitious campaign. 

Our project, called “Telling Our Stories: I’m Not/I Am,” aims to 1) raise awareness and reject stereotypes about women of color, and 2) create space for women of color voices and counter-narratives. Following a series of consciousness-raising discussions over the past year, many of our students saw the need to promote visibility and community-building among WoC in order to stand in solidarity against racist and sexist microaggressions. By launching the project with the “I’m Not” poster campaign, we hope to disrupt the misguided assumption that racialized gender stereotyping is not a problem for our campus community. Click here to see the latest posters from the campaign! 

The second phase of the project consists of creative skill-building workshops which will culminate in a “Telling Our Stories: I Am” showcase. We intend to go beyond challenging the misrepresentation of women of color and actually create a platform dedicated to their authentic self-representation. This event will celebrate the creative self-expression of women of color and empower them to reclaim their own narratives. The showcase will be held on Wednesday, April 29th from 6-8pm in the Commons Sports Zone. 

Be sure to like Women of Color Coalition on Facebook and follow us on Tumblr for more news and updates on the Telling Our Stories project!


Bob Paris Artist Lecture - Thursday

ART, WAR AND THE CLUSTER PROJECT
Hosted by Visual Arts
Thursday, February 19 | 5:30 p.m.
Artist's Talk by BOB PARIS, Associate Professor, School of the Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University.
Public Policy Bldg., Room 105

THE CLUSTER PROJECT:  http://theclusterproject.com/
Bob Paris, director of The Cluster Project, presents a tour of the project's online multimedia works on weapons, war, civilian casualties and pop culture. Created in collaboration with a variety of artists, these videos, animations, illustrations, performances, interventions, and data-flow programming works straddle the line between comic and tragic, surreal and concrete, in an effort to engage with an alienated and entertainment-drenched populace. Paris will discuss the ongoing struggle of creating provocative work about violence in a nation that has been engaged in war, with little pause, for more than 70 years. 


ABOUT THE ARTIST - 
Bob Paris’ electronic art has screened at venues around the world including the Whitney Biennial, the Image Forum Festival in Tokyo and the Rencontres Internationales in Paris and Berlin. He currently directs The Cluster Project, an ongoing web gallery and blog. In 2015 Paris will launch online the Disturbance Cycle, a series of works that resurrect scenes from the TV coverage of the 1992 L.A. riots to explore spectacle, social disaster, and historical amnesia. Paris was educated at the University of California at Berkeley and received a master’s degree at its Graduate School of Journalism. He is currently an associate professor in Kinetic Imaging at VCU’s School of the Arts in Richmond, Virginia, where he teaches socially engaged media and video production.

Mezzanine Exhibition

Here is the information for the current exhibit in the Mezzanine Gallery. commonvision installed this show this morning. The exhibition is in conjunction with the Critical Social Justice "Creating Brave Spaces" program this week.

Critical Social Justice: Creating Brave Spaces Art Gallery

 

Gallery statement

Feminists and activists have often used art to express the tensions they have felt in their struggle for liberation and self-determination in the face of oppressive societal limitations imposed upon their bodies and their minds. The theme of Critical Social Justice 2015 is Creating Brave Spaces and the artists in these pieces have explored these theme in their artwork. Their work explores the possibilities for rejecting expectations, overcoming violence, reimagining strength and a call for solidarity, and decolonizing self-representation.

What does brave space mean to you? How are your creating brave spaces in the classroom, on campus, and in your communities?

 

 

 



 

Katie Chrzanowski Interview

Katie is a graphic and web designer that hails from Catonsville, MD. An alum from UMBC she was a CWIT Scholar and IRC Fellow during her education. She graduated in ‘07 with a BA in Visual Arts with double concentrations in Animation and Interactivity as well as double minored in Computer Science and Art History.

She enjoys spending time with family, friends, pets, and creates artwork in her spare time.

To see more about her projects and activites visit her site, http://www.katiechrz.com

commonvision: You are finishing up your fifth week at commonvision. What is your role and how is it going so far?

Katie Chrzanowski: My role is Multimedia Coordinator/Digital Designer. This means I’ll be working a lot with the iNet team supervising various projects as well as working on some websites for Student Affairs. It’s going great so far. It has been wonderful to be back on campus and work with the students.

cv: Where did you come from before starting at UMBC

KC: After graduation I worked at a small business called SIMmersion in Columbia, MD. I was a Flash Developer/Graphic Designer that helped present e-learning material for simulated conversations. We created simulated conversations of all types including ways to help police officers interrogate people of interest or a doctor to diagnose a medical condition.

I also worked for the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA). I was a Web Developer/Graphic Designer that worked on helping get the entire campus’ web presence into a content management system so that a redesign could be put in place. I also helped lay groundwork for a complete site redesign.

cv: So, what kind of projects were you working on for the Navy? Do you have any secrets about Area 51?

KC: I mostly concentrated on web migration and design of sites for United States Naval Academy. I did get some opportunities to help develop and design campaigns/branding for the USNA Band such as their CD and even a carpet they use! I did some signage for Admissions as well as developed logos and graphics for a project called “A History of the Navy in 100 Objects.”

I wish I knew about Area 51! As a person with cats named Mulder and Scully you know I’d dive into that if they gave me the chance. But they’d probably know I’d go on the History Channel and tell the world.

cv: Just how obsessed are you with Disney?

KC: Pretty obsessed, though I hope not CREEPY obsessed. I like to learn about a lot about the history and trivia, but I haven’t reached stalker status for any of the Disney Legends or workers yet.

Most of my wardrobe and decor is Disney related. That just even escalated when I started working there and now have a discount, hopefully you won’t see me on an episode of Hoarders in the future.

cv: How did you first get started working with Disney?

KC: I started working at Disney through the Disney College Program. I did it sort of backwards and completed the program several years after I graduated college. I was taking a class to brush up some skills at my local community college, which made me eligible for the program and figured, “Why not?” I had always wanted to do it and it was the perfect opportunity.

I loved the program and my role as a PhotoPass Photographer at the Magic Kingdom so much I decided to stay on as a seasonal cast member.

cv: What is your favorite Disney film? 

KC: This is a very unfair question! There are so many that I love. The two that come to mind are “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “101 Dalmatians.” Nightmare is such a brilliant concept and it has such iconic songs and characters. It’s very well done and borders on the charming/creepy very well.

I love animals, so 101 Dalmatians appeals to me. I also really love the look of the film. It was the first to utilize the Xerox technology where the animator’s actual sketches made it onto the cels as opposed to being reinterpreted by inkers. It helped make production go faster and was easier with so many dogs and spots on screen. This gave the film a very sketchy quality which I’m very drawn to (wocka wocka). With that said I find it amusing that I really admire Walt Disney, yet he really hated this look. Also Walt Peregoy’s color background styles give the film a different and modern feel.

That said I could go on for hours about other favorites like Tangled, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty & the Beast, Oliver & Company...

cv: Besides the Disney films and working at commonvision, what other things are you interested  in? (lets talk about the real Katie here, all the nerdy stuff...HAHAHAHA...specifically films, animations, artists,, things that are relevant to iNet and your role is good. But also, all the other things you like as well, music food, things like that)

KC: I’m an avid Pez dispenser collector! I’ve been collecting since I was about 9 or 10. What I thought was going to be a cheap hobby that didn’t take up much room has now spiraled into my collection taking up most of an entire room and vintage pieces that cost quite a bit!

I’m always interested in things any studio is creating, not just Disney. Anything from magazine ads, commercials, shorts, motion pictures I think there are so many creative people out there pushing the boundaries of graphic arts it’s astounding to see what they create.

I love pop music, dancing, and painting/drawing. I’ve also started to get interested in the world of 3D printing which is great because commonvision has a printer so I can explore options while at work!

cv: Can you talk a little bit about your work with the Bald Ballerina group? How did you get connected with them and what kind of projects do they have?

KC: Absolutely. The Bald Ballerina, Maggie Kudirka, is my cousin that was diagnosed less than a year ago with stage 4 breast cancer at the age of 23. This process has allowed me to get closer to my cousin, which has been wonderful.

It started when I wanted to design her something to wear to empower her during her treatments. I’ve seen shirts that say things like “I kick cancer’s ass” and I wanted to design something that was more custom for her. So I first created the “I grand jeté over cancer” design (since that is her favorite move) and placed it on a zip up hoodie for her. She loves it and has worn it to all her treatments. I figured since I don’t have the tools to find a cure for cancer I could at least make something that uplifted her spirits.

She created a Facebook page to update all her friends and family about her status and it kind of snowballed into her now having over 5,000 followers. She is using this platform to help create awareness that even young healthy people can get cancer.

I feel very honored that she trusted me with helping with the design for her cause to help tell her story. Maggie asked me to help create a logo, website, and merchandise to help promote her cause. She is using the funds right now to help offset cancer treatment costs. She hopes to create a fund/nonprofit to help other dancers with cancer to help them with their treatments as well.

So far she has gone to various dance competitions and performances to speak and has conducted interviews in several venues to help spread the word about monthly self exams and about cancer for young people in general.

cv: Is there anything else that you would like to add? 

KC: I truly feel that design and art can help change people’s perspectives on the world and the way they even feel about themselves. We too often see companies or organizations cut funding for art or art education because they deem it as unnecessary. To me art and design can help educate or make user experiences easier and enjoyable. Even designing t-shirts and merchandise can bring a smile to someone’s day or uplift them through that day’s journey and I think that is exceptionally powerful. So to anyone that might ever doubt that art isn’t a worthy profession I would tell them to think again and look around, an artist has definitely influenced your life in one way or another be it your attire, your cell phone, or creating collateral for a humanitarian campaign.

Steal this Idea Contest Winners

Steal this Idea is a design competition organized by ACUI, the Association of College Unions International. Judges from across the US determined winners based on concept, design, editorial content, and effectiveness. First place through honorable mention was awarded. Best of Show will be announced during The Honors at the 2015 annual conference in San Antonio April 8-12, 2015. All of the winners work will be on display t the conference and in the July/August issue of The Bulletin. 

commonvision did pretty well in some of the categories for this national competition! Emma Hagen and Emily Ferguson placed second in the Video and Animation category with their commonvision tour video. Christina Canner placed third in the Print Advertisement category her  Be Your Best Self piece. The commonvision staff received an Honorable Mention for their post card design and Michael Muccioli received an Honorable Mention in the Logo/Brand Identity category. See the winners below! Michael's rebranding included the redesign of this website. 


Michelle Martir Interview

Michelle Martir is the former Multimedia Coordinator for commonvision and iNet. She left us last year to accept a position at ADG Creative. She was kind enough to answer some questions for us about her current role and current and past projects. 

commonvision: When were you working with commonvision and what was your role?

Michelle-Marie Martir: I worked at commonvision as a student designer and animator from 2010-2012, and worked as a full-time Multimedia Coordinator from 2012-2014. I oversaw the branding for the Division of Student Affairs, ArtWeek 2014, and helped run commonvision and iNet.

That’s me on the far right, with a bunch of other commonvision peoples at the time, which was in June 2011.

That’s me on the far right, with a bunch of other commonvision peoples at the time, which was in June 2011.

cv: What skills and experiences did you gain at commonvision that has helped you out in the "real world"?

MM: Oh man, it’s hard to narrow this answer down. I was able to gain a diversified skill set in design, animation, photography, and even event planning. It was really the multifacetedness of the job that allowed me to be flexible not only in the different mediums I work with, but also in how I communicate my designs to others.

Also printers. Dear god, if you are going to do print design, know how to work a printer!

I don’t really have a photo that encompasses everything I learned, so here’s a photo of myself being a derp, a skill that was enhanced while I was at commonvision. I learned screen printing too!

I don’t really have a photo that encompasses everything I learned, so here’s a photo of myself being a derp, a skill that was enhanced while I was at commonvision. I learned screen printing too!

cv: Are there any projects that you are particularly fond of having created while working at commonvision?

MM: I have a couple that are on the complete opposite sides of the fun-serious spectrum. Running ArtWeek 2014 will always have a special place in my heart. I certainly didn’t “create” ArtWeek itself, but I had a blast organizing the event and working with the students that year. It was a lot of work, but it was all worth it. On the other end, I oversaw the design of the summit posters for the Division of Professional Studies. It was incredibly technical, and we had to sift through massive amounts of data. We came up with a style that was cohesive, yet with visualizations that were specific to the data. It certainly wasn’t easy, but I eat up that technical stuff like candy!

Screen printing yet again at ArtWeek 2014. Still a bit of derp left

Screen printing yet again at ArtWeek 2014. Still a bit of derp left

cv: What is your current role and what projects are you working on there?

MM: I’m unfortunately not allowed to talk about a good chunk of my projects, but rest assured that book design, infographic design, and presentation design are all heavy hitters for my current role as a Designer at ADG Creative. As a sidenote, do not underestimate the power of a good slide presentation--it’s well worth your time and energy to really work with your client and create a presentation that is effective and beautiful.

I also still do freelance work every now and then. Recently I worked on a project for the John Maxwell Company doing print and presentation design; and an infographic and brochure for Sylvan Learning.

cv: How would you describe your "style"? And who are some other artists/designers that inspire you?

MM: In terms of design, I like to think I don’t have a style. I don’t like to limit myself, especially when you have potential clients ranging from small start-ups to multi-million dollar corporations. I guess I will always design cleanly, but some designs will certainly be cleaner than others depending on the client. Idealists call it “selling-out,” but I call it pragmatism.

At this point it’s impossible to narrow down the artists and designers that inspire me; it’s so easy to find people and their work online these days. Pretty much anyone that is shamelessly passionate about the work they do and willing to keeping pushing themselves even after work is done: they all inspire me.

cv: So, what is it with the scarves?

MM: You know, I’ve never really thought about that. I’ve just always liked them! I think I like their flexibility: literally and figuratively, ha! They’re an easy, fast way to dress up or dress down an outfit. And frankly, 40+ scarves take up much less room than 40+ dresses. And they’re just cute!




cv: And what is it with Pokemon? What is the age limit to be liking the Pokemon's?

MM: Geez, way to be condescending, Dwayne. :) Yes, the pokemon video game is technically made for 10 year olds, but competitive battling against other players is where it’s at for everyone older. There’s a surprising amount of strategy involved in breeding, raising, and battling pokemon. There are certain tiers of pokemon that are simply better for competitive use than others, and specific pokemon needs to be raised and battled in very specific ways. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s a very easy game to pick up and go into a vegetative state for a while. And it’s just cute!

Now excuse my while I push my glasses further up my nose.

Now excuse my while I push my glasses further up my nose.

cv: What advice would you give the current commonvision student staff and UMBC students that are about graduate and leave the comfortable academic environment?

MM: Be prepared to step well out of your comfort zone, especially at first. Be flexible, but learn your limits. It won’t be easy and you will probably make some big mistakes. It’s how you get up from those mistakes that define you.


If you are some sort of designer or animator and you don’t have an online presence one way or another, you are useless. I know it sounds harsh, but at this point there is no excuse. Even if you don’t do web design, you need to establish yourself in the world outside your front lawn. Setting up a Twitter or LinkedIn  is easy, just make sure you maintain it too.

In the first year of your first relevant, full-time, Imma-Big-Adult-Now job (or even the ones thereafter), you may feel like you aren’t good enough to be there. I’m pretty sure my immediate bosses in the jobs I’ve had, have seen me break down for that reason at least once, even though I’m really doing just fine. Yes feeling that way sucks, but it is actually completely, 100% fine to feel that way. In fact, there are studies out there that show that if you question your abilities a lot, chances are you’re doing just fine because you analyze yourself and your work a lot, and are able to catch mistakes before any client sees them. (For those of you interested in this, look up studies on the impostor syndrome.) And really the feeling will only get worse as you get better jobs, because you will probably be working with evermore talented people. So, don’t beat yourself up too much. Don’t abandon self-criticism either, but take a step back and look at the grander scheme in play every now and then. Because really, you’re probably doing just fine.