Dana Mulranen Designs Poster to Raise Awareness

A poster, designed by Dana Mulranen (BFA GAID ’13), that raises awareness to the dangers of horse racing is now being displayed on PETA’s website.

“This project was initially an entry for the One Club Young Ones Competition last year. The task was to create a poster campaign for PETA about the horrors of the thoroughbred horseracing industry,” Mulranen said. “In May 2012, I was awarded a Bronze Pencil for my poster series at the awards ceremony in New York City and shortly after, the Senior Vice President of PETA reached out to me and asked if they could use my horseracing poster series for their company.”

PETA currently has the ad posted on their website and plans to use it in print as well. A mobile billboard with the poster was shown at the Kentucky Derby and there will be more printed publications of it before Preakness.

“Overall, I want the message to relay the serious problems caused by the horseracing industry. When I was envisioning the design for these posters, I was thinking of what could grab the viewer’s attention to make them stop and react to the poster and the issue at hand,” Mulranen said. “By isolating just the faces of the horses, I wanted to force the viewer to look at these beautiful animals and feel compassion for them and to take action against these wrongdoings.”

Mulranen’s poster was also a winning entry for the latest issue of Creative Quarterly. Receiving this kind of recognition is very exciting for Mulranen.

“The project was a fresh campaign for PETA and was also good press for myself,” Mulranen said. “Being a young designer, it’s great to get a chance to have my name known and recognized.”

Temple Contemporary Receives Pew Grant

Temple Contemporary has received a Pew Grant for $160,000. For Director of Exhibitions & Public Programs, Robert Blackson, this is a very important step for Temple Contemporary.

“This is the first time Tyler School of Art has received an implementation grant from Pew…and such a large amount of support will build our competitive capacity to apply for other large grants in the future,” Blackson said.

To apply for the grant, Temple Contemporary had to go through a very thorough and lengthy process.

“It begins in October by submitting a Letter of Intent. The purpose of this letter is to describe the project and how much money the project is likely to cost. This letter is peer-reviewed by a panel of experts and based on this decision you may be asked in December to submit a full application. If you are asked to submit a full application it is due in February,” Blackson said. “Thankfully, Temple Contemporary was asked to submit a full application and by the time we were done it was over 300 pages long.”

This grant will help support Temple Contemporary’s mission and allow for more collaboration with the community.

“Temple Contemporary’s mission is to creatively re-imagine the social function of art through questions of local relevance and international significance. With Pew’s support we can apply our mission in collaboration with a range of publics, artists, and scholars that would have previously been out of our reach due to funding limitations,” Blackson said.

The project, “A Funeral for a Home,” is one of the projects that will benefit from Pew’s support. It will arrange a funeral for a row home that is about to be pulled down in North Philadelphia.

“This project has obvious resonance with our local community, but thanks to Pew’s support we can also draw connections to the housing market collapse, the depopulation of post-industrial cities like Philadelphia, and artists from around the country who are building creative solutions for urban revitalization,” Blackson said.

Mark Shetabi, Assistant Professor, Has Upcoming Exhibition

Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing at Tyler, Mark Shetabi, has an upcoming exhibition in New York City.

The Grand Tour will be Shetabi’s fourth solo show presented by the Jeff Bailey Gallery. It will feature new sculptures and paintings that explore ideas about travel, transition and escape.

Many of the pieces depict places or technology of the past that have now become obsolete.

The sculptures that serve as points of departure, Campers, and the painting Girl on a Bicycle feature styles that could be old or new.

The exhibit also features the sculpture Arcade and the painting Caspian Sea Hyatt. Both portray a certain technology or style from another time that are now outdated

Shetabi depicted objects and images in a way that invites further consideration. By using painting and sculpture, he creates a permanent place that resists the eventual disappearance of the things from the past.

The exhibition will open on Friday, May 10 and run until June 22.

For more information, visit http://baileygallery.com/exhibition_01.cfm?exh=948

Tinicum High School Students Display Art

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The Tinicum Art and Science High School currently has an exhibition in the Underground Gallery at Tyler.

The exhibition, Thick and Sassy, was installed by Barbara Bjerring and her high school students. It will remain in the Underground Gallery until April 29.

“The entire Thick and Sassy exhibition was based on one lesson plan targeted to help the students find individual themes based on their personal concerns that would drive art making. We talk a lot about contemporary art, pop culture, and visual literacy in reference to symbolism,” Bjerring said. “After the students found themes that interested them, we worked pretty hard to realize symbolism that they felt truly fit with what they were trying to express.”

The students found that they were able to fit more symbols into their pieces by working in three dimensions.

“Quite a few of the students were apprehensive to work this way, even from the start when we were looking for themes. They pushed back a lot which created a lot of procrastination and then hurried work just before the show went up,” Bjerring said. “Now that they’ve seen their work hanging in an organized, clean environment, they are proud of their efforts. Many of the students can see themselves as artists. They also see a need to change their work ethics away from procrastination and to relax and trust the process.”

Bjerring is currently student teaching at Tinicum for her art education certification candidacy.

“I never saw myself as a teacher and ten years ago if you told me I would be teaching I would seriously doubt that idea. Then at some point after I gave birth to my son, I suddenly felt that being in my studio, focusing on myself and my personal expression was a bit selfish. I thought that I was not really putting myself fully out into the world and living as big as I could,” Bjerring said. “Now that I am teaching, I see the rewards of having these wonderful relationships with the students. Helping them is so much more rewarding than I could have imagined before.”

To open up her students to art, Bjerring teaches them that art is not solely about craftmanship, but also about having an idea.

“Many of the students are terrified to create because they don’t want to be judged on their drawing or painting skills. I point out to them their beautiful ideas and feelings; all the wonderful accomplishments they’ve acquired,” Bjerring said. “I love contemporary art so I’m able to show them how others have made art about being alive and just living. The students are able to see how being an artist is and has always been open to them. I hope they feel invited and welcomed into the art world.”

A mix of Bjerring’s students’ paintings, drawings, prints, a book, and sculptures will also be shown at The Art of Student Teaching exhibition, along with works from students under the direction of 26 other Tyler student teachers, in the Stella Elkins Tyler Gallery from May 1-5.

“My art has always been message heavy and still is but now I think about the message an object conjures and how that can intensify the message in the art,” Bjerring said. “My go to artistic inspirations are the likes of Barbara Kruger, David Wojnarowicz, Banksy, Tracy Emin, Marcel Duchamp, Grayson Perry, Ai Wei Wei, and about a million other amazing artists and their generosity. I’m immensely inspired by my students.”

Top International Street Artist is Tyler Alum

Chalk artist Tracy Lee Stum has kept busy since her time at Tyler. She is one of the top 3D interactive street painters, and her work is widely recognized.

She was recently commissioned by 20th Century Fox to create an interactive 3D street painting for the March 12 home entertainment release of Life of Pi.

“I was approached by Fox,” Stum said. “Usually the client first researches street artists. If they find several they like they contact us. Based on proposals, experience and quotes, they then select the artist they wish to work with. After the work is contracted I discuss the project with the client and start designing the project art.”

Her drawing for the promotion of the film featured a key scene where a giant whale appears and jumps over Pi and Richard Parker. For Stum, a lot goes into creating the final 3D design.

“The creative process involves planning an appropriate image for a given location. Anamorphic projection techniques and my grids are used to create the proper perspective needed for any image. I use photography to establish the proper viewing angle and sometimes use animation programs to create viewing grids that help layout the design,” Stum said. “Establishing a believable image in the correct place, from the proper angle, is the biggest challenge. You’ve got to assess your location to understand what sort of image would be optimal.”

Originally from Chambersburg, Stum studied at Tyler School of Art and then continued her education at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy.

“My studies at Tyler provided a very strong foundation in critical thinking and process approaches to art making. While many artists in my genre may be strong in technique, however, strong conceptualization skills may be lacking. Tyler’s program really helped shape my way of approaching how I work, and that has proven to be extremely valuable to my own growth and development as a visual artist,” Stum said.

Stum began street painting in 1998, she uses mostly chalk and sometimes paint in her designs.

“My strongest creative asset is my imagination,” Stum said. “I ‘download’ all sorts of data from the world and my experiences here, which runs through my bran and eventually comes out as intuitive impulses. I listen to those flashes of insight and go with an idea that fits best with my project. It’s a very free organic process that I never question.”

It is also notable that in 2006 Stum set a Guinness World Record for the largest street painting by an individual.

“It’s not something I think about too much! It’s cool to know that work was recognized and I am grateful for that,” Stum said. “Guinness has a specific procedure in recognizing records so it does require applications, verification, etc. I’m working on setting a new record in another category later this year with a larger team of artists. That should be exciting!”

Victory for Tyler: Victory for All 2013

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38 artists have been selected for the biennial Victory for Tyler juried exhibition, sponsored by Victory Brewing. The exhibition was juried by Paulina Pobocha, Assistant Curator in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art.

Artists include Dennis Ahearn, Jonathan Allmaier, Michael Ambron, Jay Bilinsky, Joseph Borelli, Jenny Buffington, Justin Bursk, Paula Cahill, Rebekah Callaghan, Josh Cole, Mike Cole, John Costanza, John Crowe, Emity Davidson, Delaney DeMott, Lyla Duey, Chad Cortez Everett, Steven Ford, Rachael Gorchov, Brian Grow, Laura Havlish, Susan Hennelly, EJ Herczyk, Cheryl Agulnick Hochberg, Adele Kubel, John T. Lange, Carla Lombardi, James Maiello, Ryan McCartney, Anne-Marie McIntyre, JJ Miyaoka-Pakola, Michael Radyk, Tim Rusterholz, Catherine E. Saksa-Mydlowski, Susan Still Scott, Andrew Souders, Pamela Vander Zwan, and Yoichiro Yoda.

The exhibition will take place from March 27 until April 13 at the Crane Arts Center, Ice Box Project Space located at 1400 North American Street in Philadelphia. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from noon until 6 p.m.

The opening reception will be held on Saturday, April 6 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. To RSVP to this event, contact Molly Clark Davis (molly.clarkdavis@temple.edu).

The St. Claire Opens New Avenues for Art Communication

A group of recent college graduates, including Tyler’s Matt Kalasky (Sculpture MFA ’11), have joined together to create The St. Claire, a Philadelphia-based arts organization that works to create new avenues of art communication in order to analyze the interactions of a community.

In their press release, The St. Claire states, “Our primary goal is to get our art community excited to read and write about art. Artists use creativity everyday to communicate in their work. We want to harness that same creative communication and apply it to journalistic inquiry within Philadelphia. Our long-term goal is to foster an environment where art journalism and art production exchange freely and productively grow in tandem.”

To promote this communication, The St. Claire has been working on projects in the Philadelphia area.

Their project Local Instruction allows visitors to become a part of the art. They are encouraged to perform and record a lesson to teach other viewers, or they can just watch the collection of tutorials others have recorded. In doing so, the visitors become both teachers and pupils in the community.

The group is also hosting the Show and Share Lecture Series, where Philadelphia artists, curators, writers, and other cultural producers share their knowledge of the practice of art with the community.

Having a strong sense community is important to Kalasky. The time he spent as a part of Tyler’s community has greatly benefited him in the development of The St. Claire.

“My time at Tyler taught me a lot about initiative and self-reliance. As a grad student I developed the skills needed to complete projects from start to finish, independent of infrastructure or availability of resources,” Kalasky said. “As an alumni, I have relied heavily on my Tyler peers and friends in order to make a ground-up enterprise such as The St. Claire a reality.”

Local Instruction is open every Wednesday through Saturday from 2-5 p.m. in The Moore Galleries’ Window on Race Project Space. The Show and Share Lecture Series takes place every Thursday at 6p.m. in The Moore Galleries’ Hub Space.

To learn more about The St. Claire and to view some of their tutorials, visit http://the-st-claire.com/

Spam Carving Contest Brings Fat Tuesday to Tyler

Janice Marin stands next to her first prize creation for the Spam Carving Contest “C’est ne pas une SPAM.”

In celebration of Fat Tuesday, Tyler held a Spam Carving Contest open to all Temple students.

The six students who signed up for the contest were given two cans of Spam, toothpicks, a plastic knife and a spoon to use in their sculpting. The contestants had thirty minutes to come up with their best ideas to present to the judges.

Contestants were then judged on their concept, title, puns, and artistic merit.  Tyler Admissions staff Nicole Hall and Grace Ahn, along with Art Librarian Jill Luedke, judged the competition.

First place went to Janice Marin, who entitled her piece “C’est ne pas une SPAM.” Second place went to Molly Einhorn for her creation “Spunky Spam Monkey,” and third place went to Alexis Kandra for “Funny Bunny, Spam Version.”

Other participants included Mihir Patel who presented his piece “Spamera Porn,” Nicole Beek with “Alien Meat,” and Katie Driggs who modeled her sculpture after the “Column of Augustus” with tourists.

Tyler Student Eunice Yu Wins First Place In Photo Contest

“At the Marketplace,” Kerala, India, 2012.

After spending a summer in India, Eunice Yu (BFA Photography ’13) submitted three of her photographs to Temple’s Education Abroad office for their annual photo contest.

Her photo “At the Marketplace” was chosen as the first place winner for the Education Abroad International Photo Contest, in the Artistic Vision category.

“This image shows people in their natural environment, doing their everyday tasks,” Yu said. “To me, there is so much beauty in something that is ordinary for one person yet extraordinary for another.”

After being unable to travel to India the summer of her junior year, Yu had the opportunity to go to Kerala, India with a friend for three weeks this past summer.

“What excites me the most is that winning the photo contest allows others to witness the beauty of India through my image. I want to expose the splendor of the place to those who have not seen or experienced it,” Yu said.

When Yu took the photo, it was her first time visiting this particular market.

“I was walking around with my friend, soaking in the atmosphere – the noise and bustling in one place, the quiet and calm in another, the food, the objects, the people. With camera in hand, I could not resist the colors that were shouting with radiance,” Yu said. “There was magic in the way that the light bulb almost floats in the image, and the vibrant, rich colors everywhere – the food, the wall, the clothes.”

Yu credits Tyler’s Photography Department for her success.

“They’ve helped me step out of my comfort zone,” Yu said. “Every photography class and professor I had helped me build the skills and knowledge necessary for me to create images that reflect my perspective of the world.”

Yu’s photo was then displayed as part of the photo exhibition at the Global Temple Conference in the Howard Gittis Student Center South.

Tyler Alum Participates In Holiday Shopping Fete

Tyler alum Gina Johnson will be a part of the Holiday Shopping Fete this year in Oldwick.

The event will be held at Elaine Anderocci Interior on Saturday, December 1 from noon to 5 p.m. There will also be a raffle to raise funds for the Red Cross Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Fund.

“For the past year, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Le Fash horse show shirt designer, Arianna Anderocci Vastino. My jewelry has appeared in her photo shoots and we have traveled to horse shows up and down the East Coast. We wanted to offer an enjoyable and relaxing holiday-shopping experience where our customers can speak directly with us, the designers,” Johnson said.

Gina Johnson Designs features original, handcrafted jewelry with an equestrian touch.

“After selling my jewelry at a local horse show and receiving a great response, I decided to pursue my dream of having my own business,” Johnson said. “I have come a long way since then, having been surrounded by people who have encouraged or challenged me along the way.”

When Johnson began making jewelry, she wanted to find a way to connect her love for horses with her interest in art.

“Over the past nineteen years, I have developed a strong friendship with my horse, Cody. As Cody and I grow older, I find myself trying to hold on to the time we have shared,” Johnson said. “While at Tyler, I started to develop a very unique line of jewelry by incorporating horsehair into my designs.”

Johnson’s pieces are crafted with sterling silver and 14K gold jewelry to showcase her client’s horse hair.

“The overall appearance of my work embraces an equestrian fashion that is timeless. I draw inspiration from riding equipment and shapes found in the local environment as well as the way my jewelry moves and fits on its wearer. Most of my ideas come from those things around me, which then grow and transform into something else,” Johnson said.

Each designer will contribute one of their original designs to the raffle.

“I will be raffling off a pair of Leg Up earrings, simple, yet elegant, sterling silver stirrup earrings from my Ardfuar Farm Collection,” Johnson said. “I think it is important to give back to those who were less fortunate in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Every little bit helps. Sometimes we can’t be completely prepared for these kinds of occurrences, but it is nice to know people are out there to help.”

The event will be held at 44 Main St. in Oldwick.

For more about Gina Johnson Designs, visit http://ginajohnsondesigns.com/