In coursework

I'm currently taking Senior Studio which is a 6 credit course and my final project as a fine arts major. In preparation for this course, students have to assemble a portfolio, project proposal, and a request for studio space which is then run through a panel of faculty. Accepted students start their project next term. Studio courses last 3 hours and meet twice a week. Students are expected to put in an additional 6 hours of work outside of class.

   My final project is a 5 minute animation about my grandparents. I painted my background and then reassembled it in Photoshop so that the background, middleground, and foreground could all be edited and moved on a different layer. I created a model of my environment to make my paintings more believable. I animated people frame-by-frame using a technique called rotoscoping. Rotoscoping is drawing on top of video footage to create more believable movements. I edited all my materials in a program called Aftereffects. Overall this project took knowledge and skills from my background in painting, animation, film, and narrative.

   For the end of the term I’m expected to pass in an artist statement, an artist bio, a job letter that I’ve applied for, an exhibition application, a web page with my work, a business proposal to Boston’s ICA, a process binder containing proof of my work, and finally my project. We've also visted galleries in Boston as a class, such as the Harvard Fogg, Newbury Street, and First Night. Throughout the term we have critiques with visiting artists and art historians from the university. I’ve had one midterm critique with the art department faculty where I’ve explained and defended my work. I will have a final critique with the faculty and a visiting artist. My work will show in Comley Lane Theater May 6th for the rest of the school to see. My peers will also hang their work in the Mahoney Gallery.

During my internship, which I discussed in Diversity and Cultural Awareness, I taught stop motion animation workshops to 2 groups of students in Medellin, Colombia. I taught a class of 12 grade schoolers and a class of 40 high school girls. I had to create a lesson plan and a list of materials. At the end of my stay, the Colombo Americano, the bilingual school I worked through, had a gallery viewing of the children’s work. This experience required prior knowledge about teaching, managing a large group of children, animation, art, and people skills.