Finally, school starts Monday. I went in today to sign off some of my benefits paperwork. That’s a nice change in my life. I need my teeth worked on, and probably new glasses. Now I can afford it.
However, I went back to my office, yes, I have my own office, and asked the other photo prof. about a digital camera that was supposed to be available for me to use. He said there are two cameras, he has one and the other is in my office hidden in a filing cabinet. There it was, a Nikon 5700. A pro quality digital camera. I was, wow! I also saw a black book in there. I opened it up and found a laptop I can use too! In my office have access to an 11×17 scanner, transparency scanners, fax/printer/scanner, and 11×17 photo printer. Wow! I feel like I’ve fallen into an amazing environment and situation.
The dept. head supports me and my ideas. Other professors respect me and support me. I do have a reputation in the dept. from when I was completing my batchelors degree which proceeds me. My graduating art caused some stir, not because it was controversial, but because it was edgy and caused a viseral, gut-tightening, reaction. The work was titled: Challenge, Risk, Growth. It was a photographic installation but the work on my website is a watercolor I did of the piece for the catalogue.
Now that I’ve finished my masters, been published, been involved in the art community as a person with ideas, I’ve been embraced as bringing something to the university of value in a non-traditional experiential way. Does that make sense.
There’s all this talk about diversity everywhere that sometimes gets to be just more buzzwords. For my approach to art I’ve always been into interdiscplinary thinking and multimedia production. I hope this opportunity is going to ease my previous years of frustration even though it will be lots of work.
And, then there’s the geology prof. I like so much… He wasn’t in his office when I stopped by today. *wink*