Tyler’s Class of 2013 participated in Commencement exercises at McGonigle Hall on May 16, 2013.  Dean Robert Stroker handed out diplomas to over 300 newly-minted graduates, and thanked the students’ families, friends and loved ones for helping them make it to this joyous occasion. There were cheers all around as the last (former) student recieved her Bachelor of Arts in Visual Studies.

Student speaker Katie Yuen, BFA Photography, summed it up the Tyler experience and gave all the graduates a task to undertake:

And with that, graduating class of 2013, while I truly wish you the best of luck in your futures, I would like to leave you with this charge: have the courage to face the challenges of the modern world with your fiery passion, have the courage to be so far out of the box that you can’t even see it anymore and have the courage to strive for greatness in every thing you create. It’s not about making a living, it’s about making a life doing what you love. Thank you.

You can see a slide show of the festivities here: https://vimeo.com/66417461. Special thanks to Tyler staff member Suzanne Earnest for taking most of the photos.  Music here provided by Oliphant under a Creative Commons license.

The class, located at Allens Lane Art Center in Mount Airy, has been offered for 57 years.

Armand Mednick, 80, is the class’s co-instructor. He graduated from Tyler in 1958 with a degree in graphics and ceramics. Carol Saylor, 75, graduated in 1976 with a degree in painting.

Saylor was a watercolorist before she started to lose her sight and hearing in her mid-40′s. She is now a sculptor.

When Saylor showed up to Mednick’s class, they immediately connected over Tyler and their love for art.

To read more about their story, visit http://articles.philly.com/2013-05-09/news/39117941_1_art-studio-art-class-carol-saylor

Professor Robert Trempe’s capstone course Architectural Design VI gives students the opportunity to take on a special topic in architectural design.

“The students are expected to learn about new techniques in full-scale architectural manufacturing including the translation of complex computational geometries and physical production employing CNC [Computer Numerical Control] technologies,” Trempe said.

For this studio, students are required to complete two installations, “Patterned Porosity” and “Sequential Conversations.”

For “Patterned Porosity,” students used Styrofoam insulation to design a group installation in the window bay of the corridor between the Tyler Cafe and the Architecture building.

“The installation was meant to adjust condition of light through a sequence of transformative patterns milled into the Styrofoam, one pattern per window bay/student,” Trempe said. “So this installation served (pragmatically) as a method by which students could examine the usage of computational technology towards the articulation of a building facade.”

The second installation, “Sequential Conversations” will consist of character studies inspired by the 2003 Jim Jarmusch film “Coffee and Cigarettes.”

“Each student graphically mapped the movements of the characters in space to determine how their bodies are used in the articulation of a conversation,” Trempe said. “These drawings are now serving as the logic towards a sequence of physical installations that attempt to shape users who sit within each installation to act out moments of the conversation. In this way, students learn about the intimacy of architecture and the fact that small operations can have a massive effect.”

When the students are working on these projects, Trempe meets with them three days a week for three and a half hours per sessions.

“At every meeting graphical work is expected…the graphic is our language, and the best means for us to communicate. I help the students by challenging them to pay attention to their own internal design processes through graphical explorations while enabling them to understand the connections between design process and physical product,” Trempe said.

Having the students complete these projects helps them learn how to design something as a group and to understand the true potential of installations.

“I want the students to learn the power of full-scale constructions and the methods by which they can navigate what I have coined as a ‘computational design pipeline.’ This pipeline is the system by which they employ various computational toolsets as part of a design process. Physical constructions have an immediate and important part in this pipeline as they are moments where a digital process translates to a built form,” Trempe said.

While the students learn a lot from these installations, the audience is also able to see the amount of work that goes into large projects like these.

“I’d love people to realize that architecture can be (and is) an allied art with other disciplines at Tyler and that there are many ways in which out disciplines can ‘cross-pollinate.’ I’d like people to know that the role of an architect is much larger than simply following building code…that architects are passionate in the crafting of space and spatial experience,” Trempe said.

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.

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

A spread from a Rome guide book that Emily Colburn designed and illustrated.

Two GAID graduating MFA students, Emily Colburn and Lydia Nichols, have been awarded a prestigious fellowship from Chronicle Books in San Francisco.

“I applied for this fellowship because working for Chronicle Books would be a dream of mine,” Colburn said. “They create beautiful, contemporary and playful books/products.”

Nichols will be their Children’s Design Fellow, while Colburn will be their Marketing Design Fellow. At first, Colburn applied to be in the Food & Drink department because of her love for food.

“They saw my application and recommended me for the Marketing position, which I’m thrilled about!” Colburn said.

There were only five total fellow positions available this year, so they had to be very competitive.

“I had to submit a printed profile, a statement and a resume,” Colburn said. “I created a book with all my recent graduate work.”

However, all of the work was worth it when she received the email awarding her the fellowship.

“I was overjoyed! I didn’t even finish reading the email before I called my mom, who proceeded to yell and cry,” Colburn said.

For the fellowship positions, both Nichols and Colburn will be traveling to San Francisco for 5 months.

“I’m most looking forward to working for a company I admire and to be surrounded by talented like-minded people,” Colburn said.

Colburn believes that the skills she has gained from being at Tyler have aided her in getting to where she is today.

“These past two years at Tyler have been extraordinary. I have grown vastly in my design abilities and aesthetics,” Colburn said. “Also through working with the other grads, undergrads, and professors, I feel that I have become a better communicator and collaborator.

This opportunity will most likely lead to job offers and book publishing opportunities for Nichols and Colburn.

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.”

The 2013 Diamond Research Scholars have been announced. The program, funded by the Provost’s Office, will give 25 undergraduate students the opportunity to engage in a faculty mentored research/creative project during the summer and fall semester.

Tyler’s Painting and Drawing junior Olivia Menta and Metals/Jewelry/CAD-CAM junior Corinne Bishop will be given this opportunity.

“I’ve actually applied for the scholarship every year that I’ve been at Temple and this was the first time I’ve received it, so getting the acceptance letter was absolutely amazing,” Menta said. “It was difficult to not be able to talk to my Mom (she edits my writing, always and is probably my toughest critic) and directly talk to my mentor, Mark Shetabi, because I’m studying in Rome right now, but somehow we made it all work during the application process.”

During her sophomore year, Menta took a painting and drawing class and knew that it was what she wanted to do. She draws inspiration for her work from everything around her.

“I’ve been watching a ton of slasher films while in Rome, and some of Goddard’s films from the library. I like to listen to Death Grips’ last album, NO LOVE DEEP WEB, when I paint,” Menta said. “My brother bought me “JUST KIDS” the Patti Smith book, and it’s been nice reading that out loud, I had an English teacher who once said books are supposed to be read like that.”

Menta’s Diamond Scholar project will be titled “Human Perspective in Relation to the Universe: An Exploration of the Human Condition.”

“My interests as a painter definitely inspired my idea for the project. I am fascinated how humans throughout history, have dealt with their place in the world and how that affects their behavior,” Menta said. “Think of it like, ‘Have you ever laid in bed at night, and thought to yourself how tiny of a speck you are amongst the great vastness of the universe? How does this impact our response to our lives? Our ability to be alive.’ That idea has played a significant role in my art making.”

For ten weeks during the summer, the recipients will focus on their project. They will then complete their project during the fall semester while registered for an independent study/research course.

“The project is going to include a good amount of interview, probably structured more like a discussion, a lot of writing, and definitely a lot of painting. This is the first time I’ll have a studio to work in during the summer, and I’m already ready to just paint A LOT in there,” Menta said. “Mark will be in Philadelphia so there will definitely be a conversation going on, he’s kind of been a mentor of mine since freshman year. Some professors you just keep on taking.”

For Bishop, her project “Material Lineage” will involve researching and analyzing jewelry collections from the past.

“My project is researching my family lineage and jewelry pieces associated with each respective generation. From the data I collect I plan to make 5 or 6 jewelry pieces, each one creating a modern take on the aesthetics that have been valued in the past by the varying socioeconomic classes and cultures,” Bishop said.

After applying twice for the grant, Menta is excited to get started and thankful that Temple has given her this opportunity.

“Man, this opportunity is so important. Temple has so many great opportunities available,” Menta said. “If you have an idea you’re passionate about…just GO for it. Start writing it out and talking to your friends about it, anything. It’s silly to not even try.”

Other Center for the Arts recipients include:

Nicole Beck, Film and Media Arts & Art History majors, TFMA, Project Title: “Heavenly Machines: Activating Memory in Sacred Space,” Faculty Mentor: Elizabeth Bolman, Art History.

Jay Oatis, Dance major, Boyer, Project Title: “Parasitic Politic: AIDS in New York City, 1980-1985,” Faculty Mentor: Merian Soto, Dance.

Christopher Schelb, Flute Performance major, Boyer, Project Title: “Confronting Silence: Toru Takemitsu and Postmodern Music,” Faculty Mentor: Cynthia Folio, Music Theory.

Andie Taylor, Music Composition major, Boyer, Project Title: “sad boy: Exploring Queer Identity through Music,” Faculty Mentor: Matthew Greenbaum, Music Composition.

Junior Fibers and Materials Studies major Lauren Koch was recently approved to install a piece in The Founder’s Garden. To get her installation approved, Koch went through an extensive application process.

“I filled out an installation control form, which is basically a description of the work, date and time of the installation, and a drawing of the piece itself,” Koch said. “After getting the signature of my professor, Pazia Mannella, I returned it to be reviewed by Tyler’s Assistant Dean, Carmina Cianciulli. Because I chose to install it on Temple’s campus, it also needed to be reviewed by the Director of Student Center Operations, Jason Levy, and the Superintendent of Grounds, Glenn Eck. After their review it was approved!”

Getting an installation approved to be placed on campus can sometimes be difficult, but Koch was unaware of this when she chose The Founder’s Garden as the location for her installation.

“I walk through The Founder’s Garden every day, and I had been admiring the spot where I installed my piece for a week or two. I chose to install my piece there because it is generally quiet and not as hectic as other places on campus. I also really love all of the daffodils in the gardens there and wanted them as a back drop for my piece,” Koch said. “I wasn’t told that it would be tough for it to be approved, but I still wasn’t so sure that it would be because in the control form it states that installations cannot be placed where plants can be harmed. I assured Carmina that I would not step on any daffodils.”

For her piece, Koch was inspired by artist Ted Hallman and his piece “Tree Form.”

“I always work with a specific palette so I chose my colors based on that. I also researched banyan trees, which I feel my piece is reminiscent of,” Koch said. “I was interested in the belief that they represent immortality because of their ever descending roots. I tend to produce my work though repetitive techniques. Having recently learned knitting, I chose this repetitive technique to produce my branch/root forms.”

Two of Tyler’s current GAID students have placed in the 4th annual juried Posterclash competition.

16 poster designs made it into the public vote. On March 29, the winners were chosen.

Sophomore Korina Dabundo won 1st place in the competition, her prize includes an HP Photosmart Estation Printer, one 12 month subscription to Creative Cloud, a Dick Blick gift certificate, and a trophy.

“It was actually a required assignment for my Graphic Design class with Paul Sheriff. I think it was mandatory for another class too, so there ended up being a lot of Tyler posters in the finals,” Dabundo said.

For her design, Dabundo drew inspiration from other artists.

“I had been looking at a lot of Saul Bass’s and Luba Lukova’s posters, which I think probably shows through a lot. I tried to go for the same sort of simple cut out look that they use on their posters, as well as Saul Bass’ hand lettering,” Dabundo said.

Junior Lauren West placed 3rd in the contest, for her prize she also gets a Dick Blick gift certificate and a trophy. West also entered the contest as an assignment for Paul Sheriff’s class.

“AIGA chooses one topic for Posterclash and this year’s was ‘wisdom.’ For me, I see wisdom as something you obtain through experience or adventure (hence the ‘take your brain on an adventure everyday’ concept),” West said.

Having this opportunity as an assignment for their class has been very beneficial for both Dabundo and West.

“Apart from it being a way to potentially get your work out in the public eye, in our case it was useful as a design exercise as well since we got helpful crits in class along the way,” Dabundo said. “Plus they’re good to put on your resume!”

This semester, West has entered three contests already. Something that she normally would not do.

“When entering contests I always do more than asked. That way, you can hope that at least one of your many concepts gets accepted,” West said. “But also, try and enter as many contests as you can. They’re fun, and it builds your portfolio, and heck, if you win you get PRIZES, and everyone likes prizes.”