Exposição de Arte: Week 3

One evening a super close Brazilian friend took us to an art reception. The art was wonderful.

I really enjoyed watching Alex and the other Brazilians look at the work. 

It opened a window into Brazilian culture. Alex spent nearly 15 - 20 minutes looking at and thinking about a drawing in the first room. Though he may not have spent that much time looking at all the works, he did spend much more time than Americans. I don't think he ever made to the entire show. 

The idea of time and how we relate to it is very different in North and South American cultures and this certainly could be seen in the way we view our art.

This piece was one of my favorites.

I absolutely loved the experience and the space as well. It was in an old abandoned beer warehouse with walls that seemed to have been built for this specific show. (Though of course it's possible that they were site specific pieces.)

 I hope to return to see the other exhibition. 

I would also like to talk to some of the artists a bit as well.

The Reception: Don’t Act a Fool

For those of you who are not familiar with the etiquette of an art reception here are a few tips.

Artist Statement
There will typically be an artist statement close to the entrance. There are two ways to use this to your advantage.

You can either read it first or you can take a quick look at the work to come up with some thoughts and questions of your own. If you look at the statement first it will give you an idea about the work. It may also give you some terms to use when the person next to you asks you what you think about the work. If you read it at the end you will have the freedom to come up with your own thoughts about the work.

Your thoughts are just as valid about the work as any one elses, including mine...That being said

Don’t Try to Use Fancy Language
When someone asks you about the work, you don’t need to use fancy language to talk about the your opinions. In fact, please don’t. However, being prepared to use a few basic terms may be wise. Color, shape, contrast, line and value (darks and lights) are all great words to keep in mind. They can help you answer questions such as why you like or don’t like the work.

Many art students spend their first semester just learning about basic terms in the context of overall composition and concept, so don’t feel too bad if you are still not sure how to talk about other people’s artwork.

Ask Questions
The terms above are also great for asking questions and engaging the artist. In addition to the basic terms you can always ask the standard Who, What, When, Where, and Why. But don’t forget to consult the artist statement before asking too many questions.

Dress
I have often been asked what people should wear to an art reception and this is a tricky question. In Laramie, dressing up is wearing jeans with your Ugg boots instead of Victoria Secret sweats. That being said you shouldn't feel bad in whatever clothes you wore al day (at least not at my shows), but you should feel free to dress up a bit as well.

The artist and special guests may dress up a bit more (or may dress for the theme of the show). Artists are eccentric (and sometimes have crazy friends) which means the focus will probably not be on you regardless of what you are wearing.

Food
How do you eat food without looking like the person who is just at an event for a free meal and getting out of doing dishes?

First of all, if you follow the tips listed above you will be better off than most people. Also, don’t be the person who just goes for the food. Check out these reasons to go to the reception if you are unconvinced. And finally, there is nothing wrong with grabbing food before (after or in the middle of) looking at the work. You can certainly walk around the space with food and a drink.

Look But Don't Touch
Which brings me to the final rule. Do not touch the work. Sometimes there are exceptions but if you are unsure don’t touch. Be thoughtful before touching. Does the artist want me to interact with the work or is it displayed in a way that interaction is not intended, helpful or needed. Furthermore, hanging work rarely has a need to be touched.

What tips did I miss? Comment below with questions or advice.

The Reception: Why Go?

Why go to an Opening or Closing reception for an art exhibition?

To Learn About The Art
Chances are you do not know a lot about the artwork. You may have seen online pictures and read a bit about the ideas behind the artist and their work online. There is nothing like seeing the work the way the artist intended for it to be seen. Every time I take someone to see my work for the first time they are excited about how different it is to see in real life than it was on FB or my blog. This is true for many famous artists as well. I was never a true Van Gogh fan until seeing him in person.

Dialog
Art doesn’t become significant in a bubble and most art seems to impact the community that it is created in the most. Attending a local art show allows you to be a part of a unique conversation.

One of y major goals with my art is to encourage dialog about culture and life and often times how to bring about change. All of my art exhibitions have had a social theme holding them together.

Meet The Artist
The most important reason to attend an art exhibition is that it provides a chance to meet the artist, ask questions and dialog with others about the work.

If you are unsure about how to talk about art while at an art reception you are in luck as I will be sharing a post on this topic soon. Check out The Reception: Don't Act a Fool.

Networking
If you are an artist attending an exhibition offers an opportunity to network with other creative and art lovers. Oftentimes you can take your sketchbook (with a pencil) and sketch ideas inspired by the exhibition. With the emergence of alternative art spaces this is even more common. Even if sketchbooks are not allowed you can still gain inspiration. Sometimes, I will look at color combinations as well as hanging techniques.

And Finally Food
If none of the art related reasons have convinced you there will often times be appetizers or wine. It always seems as if there is that one person, or in Laramie a specific couple, that goes to every community event serving free food. I will not be offended if you do go just for the food but please don’t make it obvious. Say hello to me and have a nice conversation with others.

I suppose part of the reason I will not be offended is that there is a good chance you will bring a friend and I am certain you will enjoy the and will be glad you attended.

For more reasons to attend one of my openings, check out my past blog post.

I can't wait to see you there!

Graphhics and Art Jobs

I absolutely love it when people are inspired by my videos and/or my art and take the time to comment. Here is a recent comment on Google+ that made me smile.

Check out the comment and video below.

“Watching you and listening to you has rekindled my interesting in art--I've been feeling lost and was starting to doubt whether or not I should continue majoring in graphic design while in college--but you reminded me that there is so much to be done with graphic design and art. I especially love that you mentioned how you liked working with people because I do too!! Thanks and I'll check out AmeriCorps”

Wow, this comment was so kind. I really hope to share valuable lessons that I have learned from my own experience. I am currently editing a series of videos based on my volunteer experiences and what I learned. If there are any other questions out there, please let me know as I would love to create some video responses to your questions.

Join My Art+ Newsletter and $ave

If you are not currently receiving my Felicia Follum Art+ News you are missing out on several opportunities to $save big.  I send an E-news letter about once a month or every other month.  The letters include upcoming events, special deals, announcements and more.

Follow this link to subscribe to Felicia Follum Art+ News or use the QR code.

University of Wyoming Art Faculty

some of the girls at the potluck and student roast an

I wanted to thank my wonderful professors at the University of Wyoming! I have had an amazing experience here and owe much of it to a wonderful department. We just finished the annual potluck for graduating seniors. All of the seniors and faculty have dinner, drinks and a toast. It was wonderful to hear what profs had to say about not only myself but all these other people whom I have spent so much of my past few years with.

Jenny Venn – It was great to hear Jenny speak. She said it best that “we have clashed at times but we really are the same person.” Jenny and I both have a stubborn fighting personality and we will fight for what is right no matter what it takes. I would like to thank Jenny for the time and effort that she puts into her students as well as the faith that she has in us. The graphic design emphasis (or minor) is more work than the graphics major at many other schools and though this causes a ton of stress it also is why the University of Wyoming kicks butt at all the out of state competitions we attend. Thanks Jenny!

Pat Kikut – I have worked with Pat for the past couple years with Student Art League. (He is the advisor for SAL.) Traveling with Pat and getting to know him better has been wonderful. He has become one of my favorite artists (people) in that he is a genuine caring person who is outgoing.  I love that he had a gallery in his back yard, invites students over, and knows so many fascinating artists.  He seems to know everyone (people who are big deals) and it is because is genuinely a great guy. His girlfriend Tracy has been great to get to know as well. Tracy thanks for all the great talks and food.

More of the UW Art seniors

Pat also makes great margaritas for SAL members.

Something Old, Something New...

Photo by Drawing professor, Doug Russell

Having been in the old Fine Arts building for several years, I think I am even more excited about the new Visual Arts building at the University of Wyoming.

Just to show how drastic the need for this building was I will share some facts with you.

1. The old building was built for a department of around 80 students and the student count is currently above 300.
2. The space has been more than doubled and is much safer.
3. The old building, even with 300 students gone is still inadequate and still unsafe.  Here are what some the University of Wyoming student body senators say about the continued renovations for the old Fine Arts building. 
4. Not only was the old building insufficient, but the new building is suitable for considerable growth within the department.  The program has added metal-smithing and photography to the vast array of opportunities including Printmaking, graphic design, painting, sculpture, art history, drawing and ceramics.
5. Students all over the United States study the University of Wyoming Visual Arts building for the architecture classes and the department is helping with recruiting.

We have had several visiting artists comment on the new building.  Brian Dickerson said the new building is the "nicest Fine Arts building he has seen."  You can also read what Jason Urban, author of Pinteresting said about the new building on his blog.  Doug Russell and sculpture blogs have also discussed joys of the new building.

If you are interested in learning more about the University of Wyoming Art Department be sure to check out their website.

In conclusion, I would like to thank everyone who helped to fund this new building.  It truly has been a blessing for my last semester at the University of Wyoming.  As I prepare to walk accros the stage and accept my diploma today, I would certainly recommend the University of Wyoming (UDub) to anyone interested in studying art.

The ArtsVan

A short slideshow from my summer with the ArtsVan.

The ArtsVan travelled to various parks in and around Yakima, Washington, giving art lessons to kids.  Art is something that has almost completely disappeared from the school in Yakima.  Allied Arts also provides art lessons in the schools to help the kids get some exposure. 

Some of the communities that we worked in are heavy with gang violence, poverty, and single parents.  A goal of the van is to help these kids have a positive outlet as well as some positive role models, all while teaching them some basic skills (such as using scissors).

In the future, I would love to go back to Yakima and work with kids who are into gang tags and help them to put their efforts and talents into making artwork.  I will post some of my ideas for projects in the near future.