get in on it

my uneventful (no classes...) slash eventful (still lots to do...) friday

making work study arrangements.

i was a little on edge going in to student activities today. it was a weird feeling... knowing that i was making the first step towards something huge. seeing people there that i'm sure i will work with & experience so much with... entering a place that will probably become my home. i didn't schedule to work any hours yet, and i'm not exactly sure what i'll be doing. i'll go through a training session next friday... and hopefully i'm getting paid to make copies, organize events, and paint posters. not bad at all.

being an art history nerd.

i made copies of my selected art matters readings at the library. (using that flex card.) it is one of the classes that i am most excited about. so excited that when i went to buy my required reading book ("a short guide to writing about art" by sylvan barnet) i didn't just stop with what my professor wanted, i looked at what the other art matters professors were requiring and bought one of those books too. ("the methodologies of art" by laurie schneider adams.) how much more proof do i need that i am a nerd. on the downside, i didn't realize that each book was $40. on the upside, i'm sure they'll come in handy for an art history minor.

getting in on it.

i took the light rail down to the inner harbor with tara after dinner. i hadn't really explored that area after dark... and it was a whole different feeling. tons of people milling about- shopping at the urban outfitters or watching the way cool street performers. there was a banner down by the water with the slogan from the new baltimore ad campaign on it: "get in on it." (check it out at: http://www.areyouinonit.com/) i think the campaign is genius. and, surprisingly, not everyone does. (not just because they think it evokes references to underground drug dealing.) i think that they represent a minority... but negativity is as contagious as optimism. for whatever reason, that minority has given up hope. they forget about the overall spirit in the city... the energy that is so obvious when walking in inner harbor. i'm still searching and reaching for little snippets of what baltimore is. like i grabbed a copy of "urbanite" today. it's a magazine "for baltimore's curious." there was an interview in it with dr. andres alonso, the new ceo of baltimore's public schools. (i ripped it out right away and stuck it in my cap journal.) alonso is an optimist. refreshing. in the interview he says: "clearly there are parts of the city that have this sense of forward momentum, and you see this in the construction, you see it in the diversity of the businesses and in the richness of the cultural life. then in other parts of the city you see this poverty. my question will be, 'how does this forward momentum encompass the entire city?'" at a fundamental level, he's going through the same process of understanding as i am, before he can take action and start moving forward. according to the article, he'll be meeting back to back with parents, politicians, teachers, etc. for the next month. the editor notes his smile and writes, "parents, for the most part, smile back; they want to believe."

mica korea

i went to my first mica reception today. so cool. the exhibit was part of the mica korea program, and titled simply: "exhibition white." i had seen the exhibit take shape bit by bit throughout orientation weekend in the atrium of brown center. i had no clue what it was all about... but the massive fluorescent light diamonds (the first part installed) were mesmerizing. such great use of the brown center: inside they reflect on the glass in all different directions, and outside (especially at night) you can see them glowing from blocks away.



& today, my emac (electronic media and culture) teacher, mina cheon, ended up being a director of the whole mica korea program. such a cool coincidence. after going over our syllabus we walked over to the exhibit & a girl who was a participating artist met with us. it was so cool to not just be able to have a discussion about a piece, but to hear about the intentions from two people who had totally immersed themselves in the project.

pretty much everything that was part of the exhibit was white. white encompassed a variety of feminist comments on korean culture: white day (korean equivalent of valentine's day), the more westernized approach to weddings with white dresses and white castles, the need to have flawless white skin. the group of around 10 mica artists worked on the project in korea and actually exhibited there in seoul. so everything had to be packaged and reconstructed to show at mica. i was really curious about reactions to the exhibit in korea. was it controversial? but it soon became apparent that the white commentary wasn't necessarily specific to korean culture. which is why i totally love conceptual art. the more you think about it, the boundaries of application disappear.

cap sketchbook

i love it here

i feel like such a dork to keep saying how much i love mica. if ben ever reads this he'll make fun of me. but i really do love it here. the love is currently gushing... but ask me again a few weeks/projects/crits later and the love could be considerably less. (and in such an instance i have my keri smith artist's survival kit on standby. http://www.kerismith.com/ask.html.)

so far i've had two classes- drawing I & the cap elective. yesterday was odd... before the class my mom said that the class wouldn't take the whole time, that the professor would probably just go over a syllabus and basic introductions. i laughed at such a high school expectation and figured that i would be doing some crazy hard still life right off the bat. but, momsie was right. the class didn't even make it to the dinner break. but i love the teacher, fabienne. she's super cute, originally from montreal (right up my ally), and new to mica. i'm kinda glad she's new to the class too... and i liked everything she had to say about class expectations. my first homework assignment is to bring in images of pieces by 2+ artists i like, bring in something i've done (not necessarily an art project, could be an essay, etc.), & write a short paragraph on what drawing is to me. i was excited about the assignment. but then i started wondering if i should be upset that it's not harder. (on top of that, i won't have the class again for two weeks because of labor day.) i guess part of me is still scared to formally get started, especially with something like drawing. i didn't really "draw" at all this summer. i really just need to jump in.



today's class was finding baltimore, part of the community arts partnership program. and i am so glad i chose to take that class. it is exactly what i had hoped it would be. this class actually took every minute (& then some) that was given to us. and i got an email last night telling me that the class moved from the fox building to brown center. so our class room was a super cool , all glass (there actually was a bullet hole in the glass- but that just lent itself to a discussion on the baltimore community), corner room on the third floor overlooking campus. and to get to it i got to walk by the graphic design bulletin boards and see some work. it was seeing that sort of stuff at the open house that inspired me so much. i can't wait until that building and the graphic design department becomes my home. sorry, off on a tangent... we got started right away, creating a self map. i still want to work on mine more (i have some ideas i want to experiment with.) the concept of self mapping is intimidating but really intriguing. sometimes you forget how intricate you are... until someone asks you to put it all down on a sheet of paper.



after class i went on a wild goose chase from building to building, office to office, trying to fill out forms for my work study (which i should have done the first day i was here, and somehow missed taking care of. wonder what else i had on my mind...) i found out that i'm going to be working with student activities. so perfect! and the girl i have as a contact is the one who basically planned orientation, so i've at least seen her around. i also got my first mica sketchbook at the school store. this one is just for cap, so i'm planning on deconstructing the cover & putting some of the many baltimore maps i have to use.

right now: i'm hungry. so i'm going to meyerhoff to eat before it closes...

my first week in b-more

this past week has totally been a whirlwind. even if i had been able to process it all and actually write about it, i had absolutely no down time to mess with this blog. which makes sitting down now and trying to recap everything that much harder. part of why i started this blog was just to document things for myself... for the nerd in me that will look back in a year and wonder what i was thinking/feeling/experiencing. (like the nerd in me that is totally bummed that i lost my agenda at the end of the year and wont be able to reminisce and look at everything that was going on. and the nerd in me that saves all of my to do lists. and takes pictures of them.) so i'll attempt documenting the craziness that was (drum roll please...) orientation at mica. some snapshots:

dorm

i'm sure cathy never thought i would find a place for the bazillion things i toted along with me during move in. or fit the huge ikea desk in. but i got it done. and it works. it feels like a place i can call home. i've have so many things that inspire me. wood stars, pictures (the jc gang, jackie & me in front of panda express...) a map of my new stomping grounds, postcards from the aic, my let go shadow box, avondale leadership postcards, my pantone color chart. i still want to mess around with clothes storage, and i still forget where i put somethings when i unpacked. (if i was a stain stick... where would i be?)

i'll post better pictures later.



writing test

our second day at mica & we were already in classrooms and being tested. this was to see who needed any help writing and who would take the academic writing workshop. which usually ends up being 10% of the freshman class. the question was perfect for the start of a four year art college career:

"given so much pain and suffering in the world and much of it right at our doorstep, is it a sinful waste of time to spend one's life making art?"

it was exactly what donaghy has asked me a few times... will i be someone that becomes so consumed with art that forget there is a world around me? the topic begged for bruce mau quotes and social design preaching. right up my alley. i wonder how many other mica people would agree with me on that mentality. i'm sure i'll find out soon.

jamie washington (guest speaker)

talked about community & diversity. & even though he played the good old "crossing the line" game, he got me thinking. one thing he said stuck with me... "speak your truth in the community." i like that one.



extreme bingo

it starts as a simple bingo game. just add loud music, mud, girls in bras, and guys in girls underwear. a mica tradition. and absolutely crazy.

schedule

monday - drawing I (4 - 10 pm)
tuesday - cap: finding baltimore (9 - 3 pm)
wednesday - electronic media and culture (8:30 - 2 pm)
thursday - elements of visual thinking (8:30 - 12:30) & art matters (1:30 - 4:15 pm)

admissions boasts of hand selecting classes and diligently working to put people in the best possible classes. i believe it... i love this schedule. i got the elective i wanted (the community arts partnership class), and i was able to get it first semester. it will be super helpful to explore the city and make art in response to different sites as i'm getting used to living in big ol' baltimore. even though i'm sure i'll end up painting in my elements class, i get to make the transition from drawing I (first semester) to painting I (second semester). & i also don't have to worry about sculpture right off the bat. but i do get my art history. love it.

washington dc trip

i love dc. and i love the fact that i can take a bus pretty much every other weekend to dc (or new york if the spirit moves me farther north.) it wasn't so long ago that i wanted to go to school in washington dc really bad. but now i can have this amazing & unique baltimore experience and still get my monument/art musuem/american history fix whenever. (and georgetown can suck it.)

i spent a good portion of the day in the east building of the national gallery of art. i miss museums. it felt so good to be back in one and taking notes on whatever pieces pull me in. this museum was more contemporary.

here are some of my discoveries... (pardon the lack of accents... i'm not sure how to get that high tech on blogspot)

marcel duchamp- la mariee mise a vu par ses celibataires, meme (the bride stripped bare by her bachelors, even.) had a collage feel that reminded me of the "look" i go for when scrapbooking.
robert henry- snow in new york. i have a thing for empty white space, and this city scape looked just like a picture i had taken in chicago last summer messed around with the contrast in photoshop.
barnett newman- yellow painting & the name it. love massive pieces like this that just lure you to stand in front of them and become surrounded by color. puts me in the mood to cover the white homosote walls in the apartment with something bold.
robert rauschenberg- canyon. kind of a creepy piece... but gave me a sabrina ward harrison vibe.
ellsworth kelly- color panels for a large wall. a very fitting title. looks like the wall and the space was made just for it.
richard tuttle- no joke. there was a piece just a solid color on canvas, but it was totally my color (teal). and it just happened to be my good friend, dick tuttle.
pablo picasso- guitar. love his classy use random everyday household objects. wallpaper, carpet tacks, nail, wood, string.
henri matisse- lorette with turban, yellow jacket. and not just because i'm jealous that yellow is not my color (geoff.... please reconsider your yellow ban on my skin tone.

& i couldn't believe it when i saw a free hugs guy in front of the lincoln memorial (sean will be so jealous.) i made my roommate, tara, get in the picture with me.



in conclusion

i had a lot of prerequisites for where i would spend the next four years of my life. but i always asked myself where i would feel most alive. i am so glad that i made that a priority... because i feel so alive here at mica. and at least for now (check back when i'm knee deep in assignments) i can't help but smile when i walk down the tree lined streets or listen to a speaker in falvey hall or even just enter the commons to go to my dorm. i'm totally giddy. this right here is what college should feel like...

here i go

come check it out: http://web.mac.com/beckyslogeris

packing my life

...into 5 plastic storage bins. quite the challenge. & i'm not even sure if the bins will all fit in the van to take there. but i'm hoping. i think that i've finished all of the michigan dorm shopping. things like linens & towels & stuff that needed to be washed. (and a really sweet dinosoar pillow to match it all.) i'm going with teal/light turquoise & a lime green for the decor. very fresh & energizing & so very me. (go to http://kuler.adobe.com & search "mica dorm" for the colors. i had to make sure the RGB stayed consistent. of course.)

& all the rest of the shopping will be maryland dorm shopping! thank god there is an ikea in baltimore. i've got my magazine clippings and my shopping list all filled out in anticipation. the new ikea catalog came, & i have to say i was a tad disappointed. they've gotten a little too crazy. but there are still so many good finds.

2 more days... (not counting today)

obsessed with stars

thank you mom for stealing the august issue of redbook from dr. bonk's office in post-wisdom teeth removal trance. because i was able to find some truth & reassurance in this horoscope.

four more days... here's to sitting back and watching the dots connect in my life.

creatives understand

my t-shirt order from veer.com came in today! (i had been anxiously waiting for 5 days!) a black t-shirt that says "creatives understand" in white, and t-shirt like the jpg above that says "baseline." they had been on my wish list for forever... so when i finally got my own credit card-thingy (it's not really... but i like to call it that) & was able to make online purchases with out parental approval, i just had to have them. but i still have my eye on the helvetica notebook & kern jacket...

& coming soon: some more "life art." i've been having way too much fun with the scanner...

paintball with pablo

so much fun. i laughed so hard. like when lisa and i cornered ourselves in behind a barrel because we were being railed at on the sides by this intense red dude, and she sticks her gun out from behind, gets shot, goes to hold the gun up and walk out, and all of her balls come spilling out of her hopper onto us. good thing it was the last round. hilarious.

the best part was shooting sean, the only paintball expert in attendance, right in the face. i guess i underestimate my own paintball skills. (i had a picture, but for whatever reason it's not downloading completely. how convenient.)

battered & reeking of canola oil (or whatever they put in those things these days)... we went back to sean's for an oc marathon. hard core. season one all in one sitting. (jackie even brought her oc board game.) at least that was the plan. we made it until 5 o'clock when sean starting showing signs of spazziness. (especially when we grabbed a calculator and realized that it would take 14.667 more hours to finish the season.) at least we finished two complete disks. if we had more coffee i'm sure we would have made it all the way.

art in the everyday

i had a life art newsletter in my inbox today. & as always, it got me energized. her new idea is called "daily something" (check it out here: http://www.lifeartmedia.com/newsletter22.html)

it sounds a lot like the motivation behind this blog for me. life goes fast, and sometimes you forget to enjoy and document the little things.

i am totally with you on that one, ali. here's to doing something creative everyday.

good times in coldwater/colon

2004

2005

2007

sometimes tradition just hits the spot.

we've been going to visit aunt lill & see the magic festival in colon (the magic capital of the world) since i was 8 months old. a lot has changed since then...but at the same time, it hasn't. yes, we used to stay for a little bit longer (thank you football camp) ...but we still managed to pack a whole lot of tradition into 3 days. traditions like getting ice cream at scoops, eating corn on the cob, shopping at the outlet mall in indiana (i got lots of new fun papers at the scrapbook store. really feeling yellow & green), swimming, tanning (ok... not so much), lighting off fireworks/parachutes, making a bonfire, posing for pictures at the colon sign, stalking lark the clown, sitting on the top row in section f (& getting there obnoxiously early in order to get said top row) ...

in the end, it is just feels really good to depart from the non-stop everyday (& internet connection), and spend time with aunt lill ...i wish we were able to do it more often.

...10 more days

loving you...

is easy cause you're beautiful.

yes. i'm in love. with a computer. actually quite a fulfilling relationship. so glad i was able to pool together all my grad party money to make this investment in my future. ok... so maybe i'm being a little dramatic. but this was a must for any college student/graphic designer/future mover & shaker of the world.

july playlist

stephen... this one's for you.