Positive Space: Conversation In Art Foundations

Colby Jennings, Assistant Professor of Art at Missouri State University, discusses time based media, digital tools, the value of international/study abroad programs & practical strategies for encouraging students to move past fear when making art.

Exploring practical tips on how she uses humor as a tool for creative thinking in the classroom, Heather Szatmary, Professor of Foundation Studies at Savannah College of Art and Design, explains why being comfortable with yourself as an instructor can benefit your curriculum development. We discuss current trends in foundations, projects she is excited about and what she has learned from twenty years of teaching.

Chung-Fan Chang, Assistant Professor of Art at Stockton University, reflects on her art education in Taiwan, the impact of verbal and non verbal communication in critiques with international students/faculty and shares projects she has developed that are informed by mark making, calligraphy and Chinese characters to encourage students to explore the elements and principles of design.

An honest conversation about staying curious with Thomas Albrecht, Assistant Dean in the School of Fine and Performing Arts, and Associate Professor in the Art Department, at the State University of New York at New Paltz. We discuss teaching as a choice & the urgency for real conversations & truthful introspection both in an art foundations classroom & beyond.

A dynamic conversation about inclusion, diversity and otherness with Allison Yasukawa, faculty, School of Critical Studies, California Institute of the Arts. We discuss practical tips for approaching foundations pedagogy with an eye towards embracing risk taking & building a safe learning environment for all students.

Amy Reidel, faculty member at both St. Louis Community College and Saint Louis University and FATE Shout Out Award Winner, discusses happiness, community engagement, privilege and practical tips for projects that encourage critical thinking. Amy Reidel is a St. Louis-based artist who has exhibited work regionally and nationally since getting her BFA from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and her MFA at The University of Tennessee. She has been a resident artist at ACRE (Artists' Cooperative Residency and Exhibitions) based out of Chicago, the David and Julia White Artists’ colony in Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica and at the Luminary Center for the Arts in St. Louis. She has exhibited work at venues including the Contemporary Art Museum-St. Louis, ACRE projects gallery in Chicago, and the Amarillo Museum of Art. Her work can be viewed online in the curated artist registries and viewing programs at White Columns and the Drawing Center in New York City. In 2014 Reidel was awarded an Artists’ Support Grant from the

Victoria Hoyt, Instructor at Metropolitan Community College & FATE Shout Out Award Winner, discusses practical take aways from the FATE conference, strategies for encouraging the habit of observation, self reflection, the value of mid-term evaluations & responding to a wide range of diverse backgrounds in the community college classroom.

FATE Leadership Award Winner, Scott Betz discusses mentorship, creativity and how teaching informs his ability to lead people both inside and outside of the classroom. Currently teaching at Winston Salem State University, Betz has been teaching foundations classes since 1995. Betz served as President of FATE from 2007-2013.

Episode 11: FATE Educator Award Winner, Rae Goodwin discusses "Failing Forward" in her own work and how that influences her teaching and interactions with students in the classroom. Rae Goodwin has worked as an artist-educator for twenty-three years. She began teaching in primary and secondary education in 1994 after earning a BA from the University of Framingham. Goodwin began teaching on the college level at her alma mater, Winthrop University, where she taught as a TA and then a Lecturer. She moved from the Carolinas to the hills of Kentucky in 2007 to take a full-time position at the University of Pikeville. After two years in Pikeville, she left for the horse country of Lexington, where she still works, as the Director of Foundations and Associate Professor of Art Studio. Currently, Goodwin is also the Acting Associate of Undergraduate Studies for the School of Art and Visual Studies at the University of Kentucky. Her mission as an artist-educator has always been to empower individuals through

FATE Educator Award Winner, M. Michelle Illuminato & FATE Shout Out Award Winner, Ralph Pugay discuss rebuilding foundations at Portland State University, community engagement, creating welcoming learning environments & how to encourage students to be present in the creative process. These interviews were conducted at the 2017 FATE Conference in Kansas City.

While in Kanas City for FATE’s 16th Biennial Conference, we had the chance to have a thoughtful discussion about the ongoing choice to live a creative life & the artistic process with Enrique Martinez Celaya, artist, author and FATE’s 2017 keynote speaker. The conversation wanders & explores what it means to be authentic, have artistic success & find happiness in the studio, providing a unique relaxed point of view from this accomplished artist.

Get excited about the upcoming FATE Conference in Kansas City, as we discuss unique programming components, art venues, bars, bbq and all things KC culture with Caleb Taylor, Associate Chair of the Foundations Department at KCAI & the Co-VP for FATE’s 16th Biennial Conference and Alexandra Robinson, Foundations Coordinator & Gallery Director at St. Edward’s University, who happily claims Kansas City as her hometown. We reveal information about the Positive Space "Screen Scream Jamboree" events at the conference, where you can meet the podcast team, pitch us your ideas, add your voice to the podcast during our exclusive FATE conference interviews & make your own screen printed T-shirt with our fabulous podcast logo, or screen directly on the conference tote bag! This episode is jam packed with tips for making your conference experience a memorable one!

Episode 7: We discuss empowerment, mentorship, writing prompts & how to encourage people to play to their strengths, and all things foundations, with FATE President, Stacy Isenbarger, Assistant Professor of Art & Design, Foundations Coordinator at the University of Idaho. Stacy's work can be seen at: http://www.stacyisenbarger.com

Jessica Burke (JB) from Georgia Southern University and Emily Sullivan Smith from the University of Dayton thoughtfully discuss the role of a Foundations Coordinator. In this episode Jessica and Emily discuss just what a Foundations Coordinator is and does. The two also cover the pros and cons of different foundations curriculum and the importance of balancing administrative roles with teaching. Jessica and her work can be found at http://www.jessicaburkeartist.com Emily and Her work can be found at http://www.emilysullivansmith.com/

Thoughts on Positive Space. Last October, we had the opportunity to attend the SECAC conference in Virginia as well as the Mid-America College Art Association conference in Ohio and asked participants at the FATE affiliate sessions to consider what positive space means to them. Special thanks to Lily Kounen and Guen Montgomery for inviting us to gather these thoughtful reflections on positive space.

Carrie Fonder, University of West Florida and Jason Swift, Plymouth State University discuss a multi disciplinary approach to foundations including community engagement, assessing studio projects & art appreciation activities. They also cover time at Vermont Studios, and arm wrestling. In this episode we will also announce the FATE Shout Out award nominees and the three winners!!!

Art professors Jenna Frye and Ellen Mueller have a lively discussion about teaching foundations courses, time management skills and Janet Jackson. Jenna Frye is a self-described maker, teacher, and joker living and working in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. Her creative work and ideas about educating artists have been showcased nationally and at several annual conferences including the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, The Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design and The College Art Association. Frye is a member of the full-time faculty at MICA where she also serves as Coordinator of the Electronic Media and Culture program and founded the college's first dedicated foundation student Maker Space: The Make Cool Stuff Lab. You're likely to find her designing nerdy toys and games for her students to learn with, fiddling with the latest techno-crafts or maybe just playing with blocks. Jenna holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology as well as an MA in Digital Art and an MFA in Sculp

Art professors Chris Ireland and Peter Reichardt have a lively discussion about teaching studio courses online, assessment and the possibilities of utilizing Pokemon in foundations projects.

Art professors Chris Ireland and Peter Reichardt have a lively discussion about teaching studio courses online, assessment and the possibilities of utilizing Pokemon in foundations projects.

FATE board member Valerie Powell interviews Mary Stewart, Professor and author of "Launching the Imagination." Stewart discusses how she came to teach foundations, her teaching strategies and approach to teaching students with little background in art. This podcast is a production of Foundations in Art: Theory and Education (FATE) Mary Stewart's book Launching the Imagination can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/Launching-Imagination-Mary-Stewart/dp/0073379247