I’ve added a number of people to my friends list so, I thought I’d go back and check this out. I still feel a few names are abnormally low, but what can I do? {{{ hugs all around! }}}
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new job, new toys
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*
not enough nature for one evening…
Many of the people on my friend’s list love wild flowers like I do. But, they can serve a greater purpose than being beautiful. There’s an artist, Mel Chin, that has used so-called weeds to remove toxic metals from a neighborhood park that had been left for dead. I really admired that work. Here’s something related to that coming directly from science.
A Taste for Heavy Metal. Researchers call for model to help us understand plants that hoard heavy metals. Understanding how such ‘hyperaccumulators’ manage metals could help in developing crops to grow on contaminated soils, supplement dietary deficiencies, mop up industrial pollution or even harvest metals from soil.
More nature.com, human nature…
More than six degrees separate us. An e-mail experiment has confirmed the famous ‘six degrees of separation’ of human social networks, but revealed that individuals don’t necessarily benefit from their connectedness.
Nature
I get email newsletters from Nature.com. I got one today that was really fascinating, not only for the science, but for the images. Walking on water.
School is about to commence
School is about to commence, I’ve been busy getting everything ready for the next several weeks so I won’t be bogged down. It will be SO good to have a job again with income! I’ll be able to take care of paying off the plastic, finally. I hope to get a digital camera and finally have the funds to make my long awaited canoe trip. (I know I took a canoe trip in Minnesota but, that wasn’t THE canoe trip I’ve been planning) I’ll again be teaching photography. This should be fun and that will make for a great semester.
However my article came out in the Miami New Times today. I might not be showing art in a gallery, but I’m still trying to make my contributions.
Also, on the Friday the 15th, androkles will be showing the cover images on Miamiartexchange.com
Do I need to vacation or move?
You’re British Columbia. You’re hip and happenin’
but also a nice person who isn’t a snob. Career
is important to you but it isn’t your whole
life. People assume that your life is perfect
and that you have it all, like you were born
with a silver spoon in your mouth. But it’s not
true; you do have your own set of troubles just
like everybody else.
What Canadian Province Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Wonderful drawings!
Has anybody seen the wonderful drawings of mommybabou‘s children? Click the above link and it will take you to the gallery pages… People in Miami love them. Don’t be left out. 🙂
Finally!!
Miamiartexchange.com would like to invite you to our inaugural online exhibition featuring the drawings of Sébastien and Ophelie!
Who: Sébastien and Ophelie, a brother and sister of 8 and 6 years old who use a variety of media. They communicate clearly to us for a reason. Find out why.
When: Friday, 1 August thru 30 August, 2003
Where: Premiere & Open Galleries
In addition to the drawings, books of interest on “Art Brut” and the artist most identified with art brut, Jean Dubuffet, are available.
Our “splash” image “Tide Pool” was taken by artist Pattie Belle Hastings, aka Cyborg Mommy. Pattie Belle is an artist, graphic designer, and author, most recently co-author (along with her husband, Bjorn Akselsen and Sandee Cohen) of, “Adobe Acrobat 5 Master Class.” She is currently visiting Norway and offers this wonderful image.
Please log on Friday all day for our kick off exhibition! Thank you all for your support! Memberships are available, too!
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I would like to add another personal thank you to mommybabou for sharing her children’s wonderful drawings! *smooch*
My postings of late have been few because I’ve been working on the project. My partner wandered back to whatever it was he was doing before becoming my partner which left me twice as much to do. I’ve been working on laying the groundwork for an easier transition in the future. Updates need to be quick and easy as possible. Thanks again for all your support. androkles will have work featured in a couple weeks. 🙂
Univ. job…
I finally went up to the Univ. to find out what’s going on. I was lucky to have run into the other photo prof. since he’s not teaching on the main campus this summer. At any rate, the other prof. and dept. chair, who I saw a bit afterward, both told me they are really happy for me to be teaching on this campus. And, that they support my ideas and have given me the possibility to teach a course of my choice. I have been interested in teaching an interdiscplinary course in photography & writing for a number of years and the chairperson told me she is currently seeking approval for the course to be taught. AND, that course, being interdiscplinary, was one of the main reasons I was offered a contract. They really seem to embrace the idea that education shouldn’t be partitioned off into little domains without a way to integrate an education into a total package. At least that’s the way I think.
Some of my undergrad work was independent study work. All of my master’s work was independent study, self-designed, and perfect for me. It allowed me the opportunity to bring together different part of my creative production that would be very difficult in traditional coursework. I integrated, photography, sculpture, performance, writing, and hypertext into my thesis. Every paper I wrote during the program came back saying that I had exceeded the expectations for master’s level work. Needless to say, I was amazed but very pleased. I knew how to write but my grad work confirmed that I should become more involved with writing, and I have.
I have had multiple successes with grant writing, press releases published in entirity, and a few article published, served as editor for NTU newsletter and Miamiartexchange.com. I feel good about my writing, even though it’s not easy by any means.
Not that death is on my mind, but I feel I have so much more to do during my lifetime and I feel the pressure is on with all the deaths I’ve seen in the past few years among friends and family. I best stop here so that I don’t get sad over recent events. Besides, I have to get to work on my web design…