VISUAL CULTURE BLOG!

VISUAL CULTURE ART EDUCATION BLOG! YESSS!!!! 

http://visualcultureae.blogspot.com/

TEESHIRTS! Interesting reference for practical aspects of inquiring into visual culture in the classroom.
 
http://visualcultureae.com/index.php?title=Visual_Image_T-Shirts
Main page: http://visualcultureae.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

Rescuing art from visual culture

This article mad me mad. Actually it made me more interested in incorporating visual culture studies into my thesis work. Interesting to know multiple viewpoints though.

http://www.aristos.org/aris-04/rescuing.htm

Art beyond site; Tactile experiences in museums

This is a pretty interesting website to click around on. It is focused on ways to make art more accessible to everyone, and has examples of institutions that incorporate tactile and interactive tools that can be used in the process of  making meaning out of art for people with visual impairment. There are step by step descriptions of projects to do, online training resources, and much more! The website design could use some work, but overall it's pretty easy to navigate.

http://www.artbeyondsight.org/handbook/acs-touchtools.shtml

OOH! also, just clicked on this link and it is about technology- Accessible Web designs!
http://www.artbeyondsight.org/handbook/acs-accessibleweb.shtml

What's possible? Art Education for the blind

I found this video on youtube. I got interested in thinking about how people who are visually impaired experience art, in a museum setting and in education, when we were doing the digtal interactive project. So I did a search, and I came up with this video. It's kinda long, but pretty interesting. New perspectives about what art education can involve never hurt:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaXy7KSEthM

Representing Cultures through Art and Design

This one rocks too. Less lesson plan, more art and culture. All contemporary ideas.
Creative Roots!
http://www.creativeroots.org/.....
also http://creativeroots.org/?p=9757

Spudnik Press

I noticed one of the featured artists on the  "Bad at Sports" website last week was Angee Lennard. She's a SAIC grad, who started a cooperative community Print Shop called Spudnik Press.   Last semester when I was doing the interview project for John's Class, I was in contact with her trying to set something up, but unfortunately, due to scheduling and stuff, we never quite were able to make it happen. Regardless, I am still really interested in this place and their activities, but I think you guys might be too! Check out this website;

http://www.spudnikpress.com/
If anyone ever wants to go, lets do it! Could be really fun. :)

Cool lesson plans

Hey guys, I found this site when I was looking for "artists that work with stereotypes". It's really neat, tons of lesson plan ideas and ....dum dum dum duuuuuum......curriculum stuff. I really think it's a good resource for us educators.

http://intersectingart.umn.edu/?home
Check it out:)

Digital Interactive Project

Group Museum Interactive (Emily, Rayshawn, and Devan)

Rationale
    We wanted to approach our understanding of an interactive art museum through the consideration of two specific populations: those who do not enjoy going to the museum because of a lack of understanding of the art and the hearing and visually impaired.  Each one of our group participants could think of a family member who hates going to art museums, citing such reasons as: 'I just don't get it' or 'This is boring.' We would argue that the one of the reasons for these types of feelings is the museums inability to relate art to the viewers lives. The museum assumes that museum goers will find interest in a painting just because its hangs on the wall. 
     But what have others thought about the painting? Does this painting hold special meaning for someone otherwise not associated with the museum/art world? Are there specific images in the painting that affect museum goers in multiple ways? Where do the visually and hearing impaired fit into the museum?  
     A museum goer who can see but not hear has their own unique challenges: what are the people around you saying about the painting? While a visually impaired museum has their own set of challenges: How to best experience the painting, without violating museum rules like touching the art work? These are the questions we have attempted to address in our proposal.


Description
     In the middle of each gallery exhibition, will be a circular room surrounded by glass windows. It is important that even though a person is inside of the room, they are still able to view the works of art in the exhibition space. The room will be soundproof so that sound cannot escape out while keeping sound in so as not to disturb the outside gallery space. Inside the room will be between 5-15 stations. Each of these stations will be in direct sight of a set of works inside the gallery. Each station would consist of: an interactive touch screen, headphones, interactive Braille machines, touchable versions of the works of art, and keyboards. 
    Once a museum goer is in front of a station, he or she will be able to: learn about the artist, learn how the particular piece of art was constructed, touch/feel the piece of art, listen (or read Braille) to what other museum goers think/feel about the piece, listen(or read Braille) to any personal experiences other museum goers might associate with the piece, record (or type) their own responses to the piece, use the interactive touch screen to learn/hear about specific particularities about the piece, and cross reference similar artist/artistic styles.





Design/Layout/Floor plan for Museum's Space
      (Coming soon) 



The Station... in our Imagination 
     I found some pictures that showcase the kind of transformation of the museum's physical space that we were interested in achieving with this project.  I like the idea of trying something totally new in the museum setting.  Not just new technology, but new arrangements and physical spaces for interacting with exhibits.  Here are some of the images that best represent a new way of approaching digital interaction in museums:

Try to ignore the cave-like ambiance and imagine what might happen if this station was raised even just a few feet above the regular viewing area....

Digital Interaction inside the structure

Digital Interaction inside the structure

Digital Interaction inside the structure

Conclusion
     It is our hopes that this interactive room will provide a connection between the art works and the lives/experiences of the museum goer. The interactive stations provide for opportunities to not only learn about works of art from an academic standpoint, but also how art works affect the lives of others. In addition, the interactive room provides a space for contemplation as well as personal interaction. The rooms also give the visually and hearing impaired additional ways to have experiences with the art works.

Sweetness the dog

I would just like to say, My dog pooed while I walked her on the leash tonite... YAY!  I feel like a Pedegogue for Dogs! Major breakthroughs over here in the South West Suburbs. Believe it!

Her name is Sweetness, second week together:) Hope this post isn't too trite! :) She looks like she's growling, but.....it's cause I am drying her feet off with a towel. And she is sassy.

House on The Rock

Hey guys! I was thinking about this place I visited over winter break after our discussions on Tuesday about our digital interactive project. Its called "house on the Rock", and it's a little north of Madison Wisconsin. It was awesome; this guy built the world largest carousel, none of the animals on it are horses...all wierd monster creatures. He also made these amazing music machines....they were instruments that were robotacized (if that a word) to play music by themselves with the push of a button. He basically was a businessman that began to collect things, and he built this house into this massive cliff/rock in which to put it all. I think you guys should look at the following to links; the space he created definitely takes a stab at  reframing the idea about what a museum, and possibly an art collection, can look like in kind of an extreme way. Never mind the stuff about the resort and what not...just the history part and the photo gallery gives you kind of an idea....
http://www.houseontherock.com/HOTR_AttractionMain.htm
http://www.houseontherock.com/HOTR_Attraction_PhotoGalleryShow.htm