This week I wasn’t able to attend my placements. I am nearly finished with my hours as well as with the semester! My last JXTA lesson is coming along but I need to finalize the date, as well as find a solution for unfinished content in the books. Many students bit a little too much off for this project, and as their other, more important projects come in and out, they have varying amounts of time for the project. I think we may have to finish with mock-ups, which is ok!
JXTA - 4 Hours
This week at JXTA I taught my class on bookbinding in 2 styles. We went over a saddle stitch binding first step by step and then went over Japanese stab binding. I was slightly nervous for the second style because I had never taught that binding style before. Despite this, everyone was able to finish both styles, even if they weren’t all the same! Lynda made a comment to me about how important allowing the books and art in general to find it’s own way to completion and not get hung up on something not being perfect. I think this was a great learning moment for me in that regard.
Kulture Klub - 3 hours
There’s one week left until the fashion show! I am very excited to see these outfits come to completion. Next week will be fittings and the walk. I created and organized a folder with each performers song and images to be projected during the walk. People are very excited to perform and show off their creations.
Juxtaposition Arts-
Juxta had their spring break this week, so I spent the free time organizing for the demonstration on bookbinding next week! I collected the materials for the demo and practiced the binds.
Kulture Klub at the Teen Tech Center - 3 hours
This week we continued work on the fashion show, and I assisted people on sewing, cutting, and writing their artist statements. I also spent some time helping continue work on a logo with King. It is almost complete and we ironed out some of the problems with the lines in the vector.
I also helped set up the sewing machine and assisted people sew patches on their garments.
The show is a couple weeks away!
JXTA - 4 hours
This week at Juxta I prepared a lesson plan for the next week, when I will be teaching bookbinding in two styles. I also checked in with students on their progress with their content for their books. Things are coming along really well, and I think they enjoy having a project that’s more personal.
Kulture Klub - 3 hours
This week at the Teen Tech Center we have 2 weeks before the fashion show. Everyone is working hard to finalize their looks, and I was able to help more than I would have expected with little experience working with clothing. Clothes-making always feels so difficult and out of reach but this program has really shown me how all it takes is dedication and willingness to push forward and try. I also assisted Osiris in the studio while they recorded vocals for a track they’re producing. It sounds great, and I think they will play it at the show!
Highpoint - 5 hours
This week I had spring break at MCAD and decided to take some time off from my placements and instead take some important time for myself.
On Saturday morning Highpoint had their triannual Free Ink Day, which I assisted with. Visitors were encouraged to create a mono-print on plexiglass using water-soluble crayons which they printed on damp paper which absorbed the ink. Around 350 prints were made! It was very cool to watch the public get engaged with something that can be inaccessible to most. I remember a parent commenting on how it was difficult to convince their kid to come, but once they started, they didn’t want to stop!
JXTA - 4 hours
This week we’ve continued work on our book-making projects. I assisted with further ideation for the projects as students plan out how to produce their pages for our books. I am very excited about the energy in the group. Some projects had to change for viability. One example of this is a planner that had to be scaled down as binding a book for 200+ pages would not be reasonable within our timeframe. Progress is moving along well, and next week I will bring some examples to talk about!
Kulture Klub - 3 hours
This week I assisted King with creating a logo for his youtube channel. His YouTube is King Nation Squad and he thought it would be cool if he could make a logo with half an earth and half a crown to represent this. together, we pulled Emoji images into photoshop and spliced them together and then traced over them in Illustrator. We almost completely finished in the time, but of course a couple kinks still need to be ironed out.
JXTA - 4 hrs.
This week I began a 5 week session on bookmaking. I have 10 students from the JXTA graphics roster and together we will all make books based on our interests. This week we brainstormed different ideas for their books, and everyone came up with a fantastic idea. One student wants to create an exquisite corpse style book with accompanying text that will be able to change as the books pages flip. I’m really excited about this project! Other students are making a planner, a sketchbook, a collection of mecha-inspired illustrations, and more! I’m excited to help them bring their visions to life.
Teen Tech Center - 3 hrs
This week the planning for the fashion show is well underway. Many people are getting closer to finishing their garments. I helped with the sewing machine and planning how to create a pocket in a sweater where there was none. Together we created a chest pocket that could fit a phone and charger.
JXTA Arts - 4 hours
This week I’ve planned a lesson to begin the following week that will last for 5 weeks. I am teaching the process of creating, organizing, printing. and binding a handmade book with 10 JXTA students. I worked closely with the lead of the Graphics department and my mentor Greta Kolz in order to integrate this into the training for the students. This will utilize their illustrator skills and also show them how to paginate in indesign. The subjects for the books will be decided by the students, and we will suggest a number of options, such as zines, graphic novels, writing compilations, short story, poetry book, etc.
I’m very excited to see how they turn out and what the students choose to do!
Kulture Klub - Cancelled due to Weather
JXTA Arts 4 Hrs
This week saw a couple of deadlines coming up for the JXTA staff. I aided people in their projects as they approached completion of a number of client work and internal work for JXTA. A couple of students are working on a annual report that also takes the form of a graphic novel. i really enjoy how it breathes life into something that would otherwise be mundane. Patrick continues to work on his mural for an upcoming restaurant downtown. The colors look phenomenal, and are applied by a ipad and tablet pen.
Teen Tech Center
This week I was unable to make it to the Tech Center as I was finishing my application to study abroad in Germany in a non profit institution. The program is a group of numerous non-profits and galleries across Germany so the exact place is unknown. I am very hopeful!
Juxtaposition Arts - 4 hours
This week we worked on a number of things, as most students in the graphics department are on different tiers and tasks. One student was creating a proposal for a mural to be completed for a new restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. He was working with themes from traditional Mexican culture, and creating an environment like a cave, although it was very inviting, with fun colors and hidden symbology like sugar skulls and cacti. Another student was working on creating his first logo, and proposing what different usages the logo could be used for. The logo was a bird in the shape of an O, and it had a definite app-like feel to it. Together we brainstormed different applications, and tweaked the logo. I showed him how to use the Live Paint feature in indesign, which helped him select different colors for the logo. He is also color-blind, so I helped him select colors which work when he wasn’t sure. Overall, due to their independent studies, i checked in with all the students to help them along with their goals and work.
Kulture Klub @ the Teen Tech Center - 3 hours
This week we continued with our goal of a fashion show. I helped a drag performer named Andew go through their lookbook and come up with a plan of action for creating an outfit that he really wanted. The group had previously gone shopping for materials and he has acquired some sequin tops that we are going to customize into a bodysuit. I also helped Crystal plan out how she is going to create an intricate ballgown-like dress after going through her lookbook. We measured some crucial lengths for creating a plan, and looked at materials and fabrics. Then I helped Raqi with her pamphlets we created last week in Indesign together as there was some problems printing. It was a great time and I feel like I am more able to help the clients who come in with their work the more I come in and earn their trust.
Kulture Klub @ Teen Tech Center - 4 Hours
This week I had my first day working with the Teen Tech Center at the Central Library in downtown Minneapolis. through Kulture Klub, I have been able to assist Joy Spika and the staff with their goals of organizing a fashion show. The space has multiple computers, sewing machines, vinyl cutters, a heat press, 3D printers, and a music studio. Homeless youth aged 19-23 come to create, learn, and grow. Most projects are independent and people come in for a safe space. Because of this, I have had to rethink my approach for teaching as running a class is not possible. Independently though, I have already been teaching. I worked with the owner of Venus Raquel Beautycare, one of the Tech Center’s students, and we worked together on pamphlets for upcoming events she will be a part of. I helped her learn the basics of indesign, and she caught on very quick!
Overall this was a tremendous first week with the Kulture Klub and the Teen Tech Center and I am excited to return!
This week a fantastic polar vortex shut down the midwestern region of the US, leaving -30 degree temperatures, dangerous roads, and cancelled classes and businesses in it’s wake. Because of this, Juxtaposition was closed this week as they close when MPLS Public Schools close. In spite of this, I have had a surplus of time to plan teaching opportunities for the groups I am involved in. I am thinking of demonstrating some techniques to the Juxta students that incorporate screenprinting in various ways. I would love to incorporate fine art techniques into their design philosophies.
Also, I have coordinated with Kulture Klub and will be working with them on a fashion show run by their students. I don’t have the details as of yet but I am elated to begin help with this project!
JXTA Arts : 7 hours Total
Earlier this month I met with Greta Kotz to discuss Juxtaposition Arts and her position at the Graphics Lab. Greta leads a group of teens to young adults in graphic design projects ranging from graphic novels to art show fliers to business reports. They have a tiered system of training, with the final tier indicating your ability to work independantly on projects commissioned by JXTA. The Graphics Lab is next to the Textiles Lab run by Alex. They are integrated together because of overlap in their practices. I have been meeting with this group of students on mondays and it has been wonderful to understand how JXTA operates.
Highpoint Press: 3.5 hours
Tyler Greene is the head of education at Highpoint, and with him I aided in teaching a class of home-schooled children aged 7-14 about watercolor monotype printing. The process is fairly simple and works well for this age group but also elucidates for them some of the methodology and media of printmaking. It was great to see how Tyler organized the class, holding a full demo first and answering questions. The process was thoughtful of the needs of the group and he had shown a simple way of inverting text for the students. Students draw an image on paper, then using tape, a small plexi plate is placed and held over the image to be drawn again in watercolor. The plate has been prepared with gum Arabic to hold the watercolor. This was a great shadowing experience and I hope to work with Tyler soon.
Kulture Klub: 1.5 hours
Last week I met with Crystal Brinkman and Joy Spika of Kulture Klub. I learned about the organization which has been serving homeless youth in the Minneapolis area for over 25 years. The work that Kulture Klub does is incredible and they serve a very critical population, filling a need for expression, safety, and opportunity. I am very excited to start working with them.
