The week before Spring Break

This is the week of Spring Break so there is a quiet intensity to the studios. People are working on their thesis projects and preparing for second semester reviews, but we are not meeting officially this week.

Last week was one of the busiest we have had this year. It started on Monday with critiques of three first year students.

On Tuesday Liz Cohen, an artist from Phoenix, joined us for a couple of days of critiques and a lecture. Liz is working on a project called Body Work and the Trabantimino, which you can check out in person at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art in a show called Car Culture. You can also find more information on the internet at her My Space page or on You Tube. Her visit started with individual meetings with each of the fiber students. Wednesday afternoon she joined a group critique with students in the Photography Department and in the evening the two departments came together for a dinner in Liz's honor. Thursday afternoon she lectured on the issues of gender, subculture, and politics in her work. It was very exciting to have her join us in the department and share her insights.

Friday brought another round of critiques to finish the first year group. It is very clear that everyone in the department is working hard and thinking deeply about their work. Everyday when I walk through the studios I see the evidence of their commitment to their work and it is very exciting to be able to share those developments with them.