Nia Easley

A drawing is created whenever an object in motion touches the surface of another, leaving behind evidence of that encounter. Students will generate images by examining a range of traditional and contemporary drawing techniques, with an emphasis on analog processes and material exploration. Whether one's style is gestural and improvisational or systematic and detail-oriented, drawing serves as a device for accessing ideas and expanding conceptual vocabulary.
Printmaking then becomes an extension of the drawing process, adding richness of surface, color, texture, and layering. A priority is placed on examining the physical relationship between drawing and printing, with a focus on direct printing techniques such as monoprinting, screen-printing, and heat transfers, alongside hand-painting and collage. Strong emphasis will be placed on developing a personal, innovative visual language and on challenging conventional notions of scale, site, and material.

Students will develop professional practices including collaborative and independent work situations, via roles as commissioned artist, master printer, or artist-designer. Students will seek real-world clients to complete assignments, foster relationships with graphic designers, small presses, or their artist peers. Contemporary alternative print production and distribution models such as the integration of art, music and publishing prevalent in DIY scenes (1990s and 2000s), to emerging artist multiple/subscription programs and book/print fairs will be also be studied.

This course provides an interdisciplinary forum for in-depth critiques and exploration of students' individual directions within the context of contemporary art. This is a team-taught class and will utilize both instructors for critiques and group activities. Emphasis is on individual studio practice and the development of a more cohesive body of work within a faculty mentorship and peer-to-peer learning structure. Technical and conceptual input will be provided on a tutorial basis. Group discussions, readings, field trips to current exhibitions, and visiting lecturers augment this class. Professional practices will focus on the creation and display of discrete objects and/or installation work for the BFA Exhibition, supported by developing or refining a professional resume and an artist statement. Documentation of individual work for inclusion on the Fiber & Material Studies web page is also required. The print, dye, sewing, and mixed media facilities of the department are available to enrolled students to use. This class is for a minimum of 6 credit hours and is held weekly over a two-day period on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Open to Juniors and Seniors with instructor permission and signature. Course work varies but typically includes the production of major studio projects for critique, student presentations, professional development assignments, documentation of work, and the installation of work in the class display case and an open studio event.

This course provides an interdisciplinary forum for in-depth critiques and exploration of students' individual directions within the context of contemporary art. This is a team-taught class and will utilize both instructors for critiques and group activities. Emphasis is on individual studio practice and the development of a more cohesive body of work within a faculty mentorship and peer-to-peer learning structure. Technical and conceptual input will be provided on a tutorial basis. Group discussions, readings, field trips to current exhibitions, and visiting lecturers augment this class. Professional practices will focus on the creation and display of discrete objects and/or installation work for the BFA Exhibition, supported by developing or refining a professional resume and an artist statement. Documentation of individual work for inclusion on the Fiber & Material Studies web page is also required. The print, dye, sewing, and mixed media facilities of the department are available to enrolled students to use. This class is for a minimum of 6 credit hours and is held weekly over a two-day period on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Open to Juniors and Seniors with instructor permission and signature.

Course work varies but typically includes the production of major studio projects for critique, student presentations, professional development assignments, documentation of work, and the installation of work in the class display case and an open studio event.

This Graduate Seminar will focus on resuscitating marginalized histories through art and design - with an emphasis on the inherently political nature of knowledge production. The course content will be anchored in ideas around community, Black histories in Chicago, minoritization, and the many stories that can be found in a place as explored through creative works by artists and designers. We will consider how artists and designers engage with histories using both existing and new/innovative research and creative methodologies including (for example) data visualization, embodied or performative strategies, oral histories, archives, collections, etc. We will explore the challenges of creatively responding to histories that have been marginalized or even erased by the dominant (white, Eurocentric, classed) mainstream. Students will engage with histories of their choosing, various forms of research, and creative methodologies to further their practice and interests.

We will investigate how archives are used to maintain or challenge the status quo through readings and talks. Some examples include reading Secrecy, Archives, and the Public Interest by Howard Zinn; looking at W.E.B. Du Bois' 'Data Portraits' of turn of the 20th century Black America; online resources including the Tumblr accounts: Medievalpoc and Black Contemporary Art; visiting the Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection, and/or the Cataloging and Metadata Librarian from the Chicago History Museum.

Work to be completed will include readings with written response component; group discussion; creative interpretation of the themes of the class intended to further students' own research and practice including but not limited to written and/or creative projects.