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Prospective Students- Imagine Yourself Here! Space is Limited- Sign Up Today!

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Imagine Yourself Here: An SFA Experience for Prospective Students is Monday, October 10, 2016

Imagine Yourself in UConn's Art +Art History Department!

Monday, October 10, 2016
10:00am
School of Fine Arts
Storrs Campus

The UConn School of Fine Arts offers professional arts training in Art & Art History, Dramatic Arts, Music, and Digital Media. As an SFA student, you'll have the opportunity to study with outstanding arts faculty in small, vibrant classes.Try us on for size in this special preview, Monday, October 10th!

In Studio Art, professor John O'Donnell will take you through a fun, exciting workshop (you'll make 'zines), you'll meet other interested arts students, and get a good look at our program, facilities, and classrooms. Space is limited, so sign up today!

Graphic Design Program Takes Home 17 Awards From This Year’s CADC Design Show

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At the 41st Annual Connecticut Art Directors Club Design Show UConn Graphic Design & Design Center Studio received an unprecedented 17 total awards in the categories of Digital, Motion, Animation, Poster, Book and Identity Design.

Here is a list of the all the awards our students and faculty received as well as links to the work.

 

JUDGE'S AWARDS

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/judges_awards.html

UCONN GRAPHIC DESIGN

HELLO? / ANIMATION / MOTION 

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/gold.html#piece-31

DESIGN CENTER STUDIO

KING LEAR / POSTER

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/gold.html#piece-25

FOR IT FELT LIKE POWER / POSTER

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/silver.html#piece-59

GOLD AWARDS / DESIGN CENTER STUDIO

BFA Exhibition / Identity Design

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/gold.html#piece-24

category: Student Print / Published
firm: Design Center Studio / UConn
client: UConn Art & Art History Department
creative director: Edvin Yegir
art director: Edvin Yegir
designer: Renald Louissaint, Joshua Gluck, Raeanne Nuzzo
printer: Various
paper stock: Various
The poster series in this entry represents but one component of the multi-platform design system [print, digital, motion] that was conceived for the 2016 BFA exhibition announcing and promoting this yearly exhibition.

King Lear / Poster Design

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/gold.html#piece-25

category: Student Print / Published
firm: Design Center Studio
client: William Benton Museum of Art
creative director: Edvin Yegir
designer: Franklin Canales
I wanted to create a more simple illustration that would capture the tragedy of the story. I use the skull of the fallen king as the main focus point of the poster wearing a three point crown that represents his three daughters who drove him mad.

EXCELLENCE AWARDS / DESIGN CENTER STUDIO

Neighborways / Identity Design

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/excellence.html#piece-73

category: Student Print / Published
firm: Design Center Studio / UConn
client: NEIGHBORWAYS DESIGN
creative director: Edvin Yegir
art director: Edvin Yegir
designer: Carlos Dominguez, Kellie Pcolar, Sarah Williams
illustrator: Carlos Dominguez, Kellie Pcolar, Sarah Williams
Neighborways partners with communities to transform residential streets into low volume, low speed zones that are safe for children, pedestrians & cyclists. We were asked to design a modular mark & stencil system that could be developed over time.

 

GOLD AWARDS / UCONN GRAPHIC DESIGN

Hello? / Animation / Motion Design

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/gold.html#piece-31

category: Student Online & Interactive / Published
firm: Canales, Franklin
client: University of Connecticut
designer: Franklin Canales
The animation is about using parts of the 1983 stamp to create a simple but emotional narrative depicting the form of communication. It relates to the stamp’s design in how it celebrates the year of telecommunication.

 
Expo '70 / Animation / Motion Design
 

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/gold.html#piece-32

category: Student Online & Interactive / Unpublished
firm: University of Connecticut Graphic Design
client: University of Connecticut, ART3132 Graphic Design: Motion Graphics
creative director: Mark Zurolo
designer: Ke Ding
Response to the brief Static-Kinetic. Deconstruct, then design and animate a narrative reveal for a two-dimensional stamp.

 

SILVER AWARDS / UCONN GRAPHIC DESIGN

Morning/Night / Animation / Motion Design

 
 
 

SILVER AWARDS / DESIGN CENTER STUDIO

Long River Review [LRR] 2016 / Journal Design

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/silver.html#piece-55

category: Student Print / Published
firm: Design Center Studio / UConn
client: UConn Creative Writing Program
creative director: Edvin Yegir
art director: Edvin Yegir
designer: Franklin Canales, Vanessa Hopkins, Hunter Kelley, Nicole McDonald, Raeanne Nuzzo, Brigid Reale, Samantha Weiss
copywriter: Various
printer: GHP Media
paper stock: Finch & GPA
LRR is a joint creative effort between the UConn Graphic Design and the UConn Creative Writing Programs. It features literary and art works by graduate and undergraduate students and is produced by an exclusively undergraduate staff.

Are We All Here? / Catalog Design

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/silver.html#piece-56

category: Student Print / Published
firm: Design Center Studio / UConn
client: MFA Program / Art & Art History Department / UConn
creative director: Edvin Yegir
art director: Edvin Yegir
designer: Franklin Canales, Vanessa Hopkins, Nicole McDonald
copywriter: Various
printer: GHP Media
paper stock: Finch
Are We All Here? catalog was designed for the MFA Exhibition 2016 at UConn. The design is but one component of a larger identity system that was established for the exhibition alongside other deliverables in both print & digital platform.

First Year Writing Program / Identity Design

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/silver.html#piece-57

category: Student Print / Published
firm: Design Center Studio / UConn
client: Department of English / UConn
creative director: Edvin Yegir
art director: Edvin Yegir
designer: Renald Louissaint, Olivia Narciso, Bruno Perosino
illustrator: Renald Louissaint, Olivia Narciso, Bruno Perosino
The visual identity presentation, as outlined in this document, established a very concise verbalization and visualization of the concept representing a new mark for the FIRST YEAR WRITING Program at UConn.

MFA Art Auction Benefit / Poster Design

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/silver.html#piece-58

category: Student Print / Published
firm: Design Center Studio / UConn
client: MFA Program / Art & Art History Department / UConn
creative director: Edvin Yegir
art director: Edvin Yegir
designer: Kellie Pcolar, Jacob Rochester, Samantha Weiss
copywriter: Various
printer: DPC
paper stock: Cougar
The poster series along with other related collateral [both print & digital] were designed to promote a yearly auction that benefits the incoming MFA graduating class. All art auctioned was donated by student & faculty.

For It Felt Like Power / Poster Design

http://www.cadc.org/awards/2016/silver.html#piece-59

category: Student Print / Published
firm: Design Center Studio / UConn
client: Counterproof Press
creative director: Edvin Yegir
art director: Edvin Yegir
designer: Renald Louissaint, Sydney Roper
copywriter: Carl Phillips / Poet
illustrator: Renald Louissaint, Sydney Roper
printer: Wallace Stevens Poetry Program & Counterproof Press
Each year, the Wallace Stevens Poetry Program is gifted with a new unpublished poem by a visiting poet which is designed & published by the Counterproof Press in a limited edition of 100 commemorating the event and the series.

 

UConn MFA in Studio Art: New York Thesis Exhibition

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The UConn Department of Art and Art History is proud to announce the UConn MFA in Studio Art New York Thesis Exhibition at Sideshow Gallery in Brooklyn. The show includes works by Amanda Bulger, Don Burton, Kacie K. Davis, Neil Orians and Kamar Thomas. Works are in sculpture, installation, ceramics, painting, drawing, film and video art.

Exhibition Dates
June 4 - June 21, 2016

Opening Reception
Saturday, June 4th
4-7 pm

Sideshow Gallery
319 Bedford Ave.
Brooklyn, New York 11211

Here are the graduates being featured in the show :

Art Programs & Degrees

Don Burton

Art Programs & Degrees

Kacie Davis

Art Programs & Degrees

Neil Orians

Art Programs & Degrees

Kamar Thomas

UConn Today Features the MFA Exhibition: Are We All Here?

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Amanda Bulgar, Disc 1, Archival Inkjet Print, 2016
Amanda Bulgar, Disc 1, Archival Inkjet Print, 2016

 

The 2016 Masters of Fine Arts Exhibition: Are We All Here? opened on April 9th featuring work from our current Graduate students in The Department of Art and Art History. UConn Today wrote a piece about the show highlighting Sculptor Amanda Bulger and Painter Kamar Thomas, and exploring the differing inspiration behind their work. The article also mentions video work by Don Burton, installation pieces from Neil Daigle-Orians, and drawings by Kacie Davis.

To see the article in its’ entirety go to UConn Today.

2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition Opening Reception – 4/14/16

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The day is almost here! The 2016 BFA Exhibition begins tomorrow with an opening reception from 6pm-8pm in Artspace Windham Gallery at 480 Main St, Willimantic, Connecticut 06226. 

There will be work on display from our graduating seniors in Sculpture/Ceramics, Photography/Video, Painting/Drawing, Illustration/Animation, Graphic Design, and Printmaking, as well as food donated by local restaurants, and great music. Come out and support our Seniors, and enjoy projects that they have been working on all year.

See the Facebook Page for all of the details!

Here’s a look at our seniors setting up their work.

Master of Fine Arts Exhibition 2016 – April 9th-May 8th

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This year’s Master of Fine Arts Exhibition is here! The exhibition will be in the William Benton Museum of Art at the University of Connecticut from April 9th – May 8th.

There is an opening reception on Wednesday April 20th from 5pm-7pm.

The exhibition features Amanda Bulger, Don Burton, Kacie Davis Kamar Thomas, and Neil Orians.

Meet our grads here!

UConn Alum, Matthew Jensen, receives Guggenheim Fellowship

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UConn MFA Alum, Matthew Jensen, has just received a Guggenheim Fellowship for his work in multiple disciplines, which include photography and sculpture. Here is what the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation had to say about his work:

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Artist Matthew Jensen’s multi-disciplinary practice combines walking, collecting and rigorous site-specific explorations of landscapes. His projects strive to connect people to places by expanding the traditions of landscape photography to include a range of mediums and actions. Each body of work develops from time spent in publicly accessible landscapes or by examining the way different technologies transform this experience. 

Jensen received his MFA from UConn in 2008. Since then he has become a MacDowell Fellow, participated in residencies at the Queens Museum, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Wave Hill, and Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. He has had exhibitions in The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and has been featured in The New Yorker.

Click here for more information on his Guggenheim Fellowship. To see more of his work, visit his website at jensen-projects.com

Alum Nicole Horsman Featured in The 40th Anniversary Atlanta Film Festival

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2015 Graduate of the School of Fine Arts, with a concentration in Illustration, Nicole Horsman has been featured in the 40th Anniversary Atlanta Film Festival. She screened her stop-motion animation “Klaus” on April 6th. “Klaus” began as her Senior Project work, completed for the April 2015 BFA Exhibition. “Klaus” was featured in a showcase entitled “Touch of the Puppet Head” which featured live puppetry performances alongside several films.

To see “Klaus” and more of her work go to nicolehorsman.com

Congratulations Nicole!

Art History Major, Brandon Smalec Receives National Science Foundation Fellowship

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Our very own Brendan Smalec was one of ten UConn students and alumni to receive a fellowship from the National Science Foundation. UConn Today writes this about the award,

Regarded as one of the premier awards in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines, the NSF awarded 2,000 fellowships this year to support students in the early stages of their research-based master’s or doctoral careers. The fellows will receive an annual stipend of $34,000 for three years and $12,000 support for tuition and fees. The awardees also qualify for international research and professional development opportunities. The total value of the fellowship exceeds $138,000.
For this highly competitive award, applicants must submit research proposals, which are reviewed by expert scientists in their field. NSF fellowship recipients, as well as honorable mentions, represent the most promising young scientists in the nation, and the awards are seen as “investments that will help propel this country’s future innovations and economic growth,” according to a statement released by the agency.

Brendan’s research consists of examining cancer susceptibility and progression in a non-traditional mammalian model, specifically, the Peromyscus leucopus, or white-footed mouse. Working with an inbred line of P. leucopus found to be highly susceptible to developing an adenocarcinoma (cancer from a glandular origin) of the Harderian gland, the project seeks to determine what genetic signatures are present in the inbred mice line that predispose them to developing this cancer, and also what makes it so highly metastatic, since metastasis is usually the cause of death in most cancer-related fatalities.

Along with a BA and MA in Biology, Brendan is also receiving a second degree in Art History from the UConn School of Fine Arts.

See the full story in UConn Today

Professor Deborah Dancy Interviewed by ArtPulse Magazine

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Recently, Professor and painter, Deborah Dancy, sat down with Jeff Edwards of ArtPulse Magazine to discuss the numerous bodies of work featured on her website, deborahdancy.com.

Edwards writes:
“Although her art is thoroughly abstract, Deborah Dancy’s paintings, drawings, and works in other mediums are
intimately bound to the world of concrete objects and the ephemeral perceptions and feelings of everyday life. On her website (deborahdancy.com), she comments on her fascination with “the poetic terrain of the incomplete, the fragment, the ruin and residue of ‘almost was,’ and ‘might become’” that she’s encountered in the zone between abstraction and representation. In the following interview, Dancy talks about how this notion has influenced her art artmaking; the wide and ever-expanding array of thoughts, impressions, and situations that have shaped her artistic practice over time; the interaction of different mediums in her creative process; and ways in which the commonplace and the near-at-hand have often had a profound influence on her most abstract work.”

To read the article in its entirety click here: Art Pulse No. 24 | Vol. 7 | 2015.

Election Day Printmaking Workshop for High School Educators

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Fresh experiences (and the opportunity to explore letterpress) as well as techniques and projects to take back to the high-school studio (including programs with little or no printmaking equipment)!

Participants will create letterpress prints using wood and metal type on the Vandercook proof press. Polymer plate letterpress will be introduced. We will also explore the use of PVC foam board to make plates that can be used to create both relief and intaglio prints.

“Printmaking Studio” will include: morning instructional workshop, 10:00 am-12:30 pm; lunch 12:30-1:30 pm; and optional afternoon studio time, 1:30- 3:30 pm.

The maximum size for this workshop is 12 people. Participants will work directly with UConn Printmakers Laurie Sloan and John O’Donnell.

Tuesday, November 3rd. Register through the Department of Art & Art History, 860-486-3930 or art@uconn.edu. The cost, including materials and lunch, is $25.00.

A boxed lunch will be provided. Please let us know in advance if you have any dietary needs.

Erin Wiersma, Visiting Artist – 10/29/15 at 3:30 p.m.

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Visiting Artist Presentation:  Erin Wiersma

Thursday, October 29, 2015, at 3:30 p.m.

Arena Gallery, Art Building, Storrs Campus

 

 

Erin Wiersma is an artist, born in Somerville, New Jersey. She received her Master of Fine Arts from University of Connecticut, Bachelor of Art degree from Messiah College, and studied at Instituto Lodovico in Orvieto, Italy.

Wiersma’s work explores the intangible aspects of the human presence using her own being as a point of reference. Through her drawings she seeks to discover a confluence of the spiritual and material.

Wiersma has exhibited throughout the US, including recent exhibitions at Mallin Gallery at Kansas City Artist Coalition, Kansas City, MO, Soho20 Gallery, NY, NY, Sarah A. Coyne Gallery at Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art in Novato, CA and Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery at Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC. Wiersma’s drawing practice is included in publications including OnVerge – CUE Foundation, Art21Online Magazine and Two Coats of Paint. Currently Wiersma’s work is being represented in Brooklyn, NY at A.I.R. Gallery and she lives in Manhattan, Kansas.

Wiersma is an Assistant Professor of Art at Kansas State University. Images of her work are at www.erinwiersma.com.

Please contact Professor Judith Thorpe at judith.thorpe@uconn.edu with any questions.

 

 

Our Best Advice for Building a Career in Art History

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Prospective and current students often have questions about building a career in the arts and the choices they should make as undergraduates:

Should I apply for internships?
Is a Minor important?
How do I find that first job in the arts?
How do I format a resumé?

To help answer these questions, the Art History faculty have put together a new guide to entry level art history. It provides insights and guidance specific to UConn Art History students about resources both on- and off-campus.

Education Abroad Expands Creative Vision and Enhances Professional Readiness

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Higher education has embraced rigorous education abroad programs to encourage students to think like global citizens. The Institute of International Education notes that international experience is one of the most important components of a 21st century education.

Globalization is changing the way the world works, and employers are increasingly looking for workers who have international skills and experience. Alum Shane Milano (BFA Studio Art: Communication Design ’12), a designer at national ad agency Hill Holiday, notes that during job interviews prospective employers asked many questions both about his internships and also about his study abroad experiences. Art history students aiming to build careers in museums and non-profits need global experience to complement their studies.

Our Study Abroad programs are faculty-led and provide classroom and experiential learning opportunities that are directly integrated with our curriculum. The semester-long program in Florence, Italy, focuses on observational drawing, painting, and photography, and uses the city and its art traditions for inspiration.  The semester-long program at Central St. Martins, London, takes students to a leading European art school to study design, typography, and book arts alongside their English counterparts. Art History students often participate in UConn’s Florence and Paris programs, both of which offer specialized art history courses. Learn more by visiting UConn Education Abroad.

Arts Internships: Laying the Foundation for a Career in the Arts

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Internships are an excellent way to gain an inside view of the student’s chosen field, learn about different career paths, and start to build a network of professional connections. Internships can also provide valuable work-related experiences that give students a head start when they are ready to launch their careers.

Most AAH students undertake at least one internship, and many do two or more. Sometimes internships are taken during the academic year for credit, or they can be undertaken during the summer as independent professional-development experiences.

Students should consult their faculty advisors and the UConn Center for Career Services about internship opportunities. Career Services can provide assistance with resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn and other social media and networking tools, and interviewing skills.

These are some places that AAH students have interned:

Lego Winterhouse Studio ESPN The Magazine
Artefact The Taunton Press Curbstone Press
Real Art Ways Wadsworth Atheneum Florence Griswold Museum
Conde Nast Milestone Graphics Threads Magazine
Frick Collection Denver Art Museum Once + Future (NYC)
Hartford Courant Studio of Barbara McClintock, Illustrator Studio of David Johnson, Illustrator
9 West Center for Contemporary Printmaking

Careers in the Arts: Where Are AAH Alumni Now?

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One of the persistent myths about arts education is that graduates will not be able to build satisfying careers or enjoy job security, benefits, and financial success.  The Strategic National Arts Alumni Project has interviewed over 90,000 arts alumni and gathered data about occupations, income, student debt, professional satisfaction and more. It’s a useful resource for all arts students and their families.

But what kinds of professional careers are our alumni pursuing? Many different ones! An arts degree is like a fan – there’s not one path forward, but many paths forward, based on the student’s interests, talents, and choices.

Here are some of the different professional titles held by our BFA Studio Art alumni:

Graphic designer Medical illustrator Cinematographer Graphic Novelist
Web designer Photojournalist Animator Art conservator
Stop-motion animator Advertising director Brand identity director Display designer
Jewelry designer Studio art professor User interface designer Editorial illustrator
 Art teacher Ceramicist Web developer Photography editor
Textile designer Fashion designer Interior designer Cartoonist
Art therapist Exhibition designer Architect Marketing director

And these are professional titles held by our BA Art History alumni:

Gallery director Museum curator Museum educator Archivist
Fundraiser Research librarian Museum registrar Gallery manager
Arts administrator Public programs director Art history professor High school teacher
Journalist Auction house specialist Visual resources librarian Art appraiser

These are some of the companies and institutions where our BFA and BA alumni work or have worked:

Pixar Metropolitan Museum of Art The New Yorker Magazine
Google Creative Labs Philadelphia Museum of Art Yale University Press
Ideo Real Art Ways Sol Lewitt Studio
Wolff-Olins Mystic Seaport Museum Hill Holiday
Crispin, Porter, & Bogusky Princeton Architectural Press Ogilvy & Mather
Coach Stoopid Buddies Studios Alice + Olivia
Twitter Lego Anthropologie

Contemporary Art Galleries Recognized as Top Ten Place to View Contemporary Art

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The Culture Trip, an influential website, has named the Department’s Contemporary Art Galleries as one of the Top Ten places to view Contemporary Art in Connecticut.  The article notes that CAG focuses on “forefronting the biggest trends in contemporary art and exploring interdisciplinary crossover. Architecture, design, photography, performance, music, film, video and fine art all rub shoulders within and on its walls, and series of artists talks and art criticism also provide debate and discussion.” CAG is in good company on this list, which also cites the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, the New Britain Museum of American Art, and Real Art Ways.

Donate to the Gus Mazzocca Visiting Artist Program

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The Art & Art History Department is pleased to announce the creation of The Gus Mazzocca Visiting Artist Program.

During his distinguished forty-two year career at UConn, Professor Emeritus Gus Mazzocca was a leader in promoting and developing artists’ residencies at arts schools and universities.

DOUBLE THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT!

Tom and Carol Dillon, in honoring Gus, are putting forth a dollar-for-dollar challenge up to $10,000 to match new donations to The Gus Mazzocca Visiting Artist Program Program Endowment.

Join the Art & Art History Department in nurturing new art and educating the next generation of artists by making your gift today!

Please contribute your gift online through the UConn Foundation.

If you have questions, please call the Department of Art and Art History at 860.486.3016.