panel session H3
GRADUATE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY:
PREPARING FOR THE POST-GRADUATE SPHERE
FRIDAY MARCH 20, 3:30-5:00PM
ART AND ARCHITECTURE BUILDING, MCCARTY AUDITORIUM, ROOM 109
Session Chair: Kristen Bartel, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Email: kristenbartel@gmail.com
Let’s face it- not every sphere is completely navigable and all-known- even the old familiar moon has it’s dark side. The years that come after graduate school are no different. These year present challenges that can halt careers, unknowns that can daunt the most proficient printmakers and opportunities that might pass by completely unnoticed. This panel includes speakers that have found success on the other side of the proverbial MFA. They come from a variety of backgrounds and have engaged with radically different professional and creative spheres. Here, they are willing to share the how-to’s and don’t-do’s- they will help shed a little light on the dark side.
Presenter 1: Kristen Martincic
"Artist Residencies"
The artist residency experience can be a time of productivity or rest, community or isolation, steadiness or great change. Residencies can vary considerably, so being able to adapt to a new environment and situation is key. By removing yourself from the everyday routine and working within a new set of variables, the possibilities for pushing your artwork and process to new places are amplified. My perspectives on both the rewards and challenges that come along with doing an artist residency will be at the heart of this presentation.
Presenter 2: Laura Grossett
"Finding (or building) Your Post-Grad Community"
As an MFA candidate, we are supported by the foundation of our program, but how do you find opportunities after graduation when that infrastructure is no longer available? Maintaining and building connections can get a little trickier (especially if you don't live in a big city). There are resources available to help you stay in touch with the printmaking community and while nothing comes with a blueprint, there are options for gaining studio access. Working as an intern is one method but how do you find a position and what do they have to offer in return? Work- exchanges can open doors but where should you look? Starting your own co- op is a great way to connect a network of printers in your area but where do you begin in laying the foundation for something like that? Our discussion will address interning in professional print studios and galleries, work-exchanges, and building a printmaking co-op from the ground up.
Presenter 3: Bryan Baker, Knoxville, Tennessee and Sarah Shebaro, Brooklyn, New York
"Owning a printshop is a great alternative to having a gym membership."
Letterpress printing is a very physical process; it can be quite a workout to finish a large edition of prints. On top of that we all know how very important, and how time consuming the basic preparations are for any given piece you create. But what about the creation of an actual studio? Buying, moving, storing, repairing, using, and maintaining your own letterpress equipment can really make you sweat. How do you know the best way to spend your time and money? Where does that time and money come from? What do you need to have before opening your doors as a production facility, and how much more do you need to run public classes and offer press-rentals?
Presenter 4: Daniel Maw, Laramie County Community College, Cheyenne, Wyoming
From Adjunct to Deparment Chair
Just how does one land one of those elusive faculty jobs – especially when one is armed only with a recently acquired MFA and a handful of graduate school teaching experiences? What if you can’t find a position in a desirable geography? When should you make the transition from non-tenure track to tenure track? Can you handle a community college teaching load? How does one find time for studio practice while teaching half a dozen classes each semester? Are you ready for committee / administrative work or other service to your institution? Where do you go from here? I’ll discuss navigating those questions, uncertainties, pitfalls, and more in my experiences transitioning from adjunct instructor to tenure track faculty member and Department Chair.
