Got globalism? We want to hear from you.
Over the course of the coming academic year (2009-2010), ArtLab, an interdisciplinary project initiated by the School of Art at Northern Illinois University, invites you to investigate the impact of globalization on the production and perception of cultural meaning. How do we define tradition? What or where is the local? Is globalization an identity thief or benefactor?
ArtLab's year of programming will begin with Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary Wood Sculptures from the Puuc Region of Yucatan, Mexico, an exhibition in the School of Art's Jack Olson Gallery, August 31-September 25, 2009. Co-curated by School of Art professor Jeff Kowalski and NIU alumna Mary Katherine Scott, the exhibition, accompanying catalogue, and scholarly symposium (Saturday, September 19, 2009), will explore the effects of international tourism on the commodification of local Maya culture.
Next up is "Thinking Globally," a day-long celebration of the diversity of colleagues at NIU working with issues related to globalism and culture. Keynote address, "Is it Written in the Stars? Transforming our Precarious Destinies," by cultural critic and activist Brian Holmes. Presentations by NIU faculty including anthropologist Katharine Wiegele, art educator Kryssi Staikidis, art historians Sarah Evans and Sinclair Bell, fiber artist Christine LoFaso, geographer Richard Greene, historian E. Taylor Atkins, marketing specialist Peter Magnusson, musician Gregory Beyer, Sociologist Abu Bah, and Spanish language and literature specialist Linda Saborio.
Friday, October 23rd, 9:30am-4:30pm, in the Pollock Ballroom of Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center, 231 Annie Glidden Road. Lunch will be provided.
See schedule for more information.
The ARTLab Salon series, co-organized by School of Art faculty Sarah Evans, Art History, and Nina Rizzo, Studio Art, will meet selected Friday afternoons, 3:00-5:00pm in the School of Art’s Jack Olson Gallery, AB 200. Open to interested students, faculty, and guests, the Salon will provide a forum for ongoing, interdisciplinary investigation of the annual theme. Participants propose readings and material for screening, or present their own research and artistry for discussion. Materials will be available electronically in advance whenever possible. See Fall 2009 Salon schedule for more information.
Spring 2010 highlights include ART 680: ARTLab Seminar, a team-taught graduate seminar that will extend ARTLab’s commitment to critique and collaboration into the pedagogical setting, and HOME, a functional “global village” made of locally collected, recycled materials. Inspired by temporary structures from nomadic, indigenous, and homeless peoples, the sculptural installation that is HOME will be coordinated by Guerra de la Paz, or “War of the Peace,” the Cuban-born, Miami-based artist-team of Alain Guerra and NIU alumnus Neraldo de la Paz (www.guerradelapaz.com). Known for their use of discarded clothing to create lyrical yet sobering commentary on consumption, the environment, and social conflict, Guerra de la Paz will be in residence at NIU and working with ART 680 students between February 15-27, 2010. HOME will be on view in the Jack Olson Gallery, AB 200, starting February 19, 2010. Opening reception: Thursday, February 25, 2010.
ArtLab is mobile. It comes to life in the studio, the classroom, the public forum, in print, and in the gallery.
ArtLab. Be the experiment.
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About ArtLab
ArtLab is an extension of Northern Illinois University’s School of Art with a focus on the collaborative: working across disciplines to investigate contemporary currents in—and intersections between—art and culture. As an active think-tank or incubator, ArtLab builds research, dialogue, programming, and pedagogy around a yearly theme, working towards public presentation of collective research across the NIU campus and in conjunction with partner institutions.
By identifying and addressing salient issues collectively, ArtLab works to stimulate new thinking, reexamine convention, and circulate fresh ideas.
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