Where things start up.
Friday
As announced on the class mailing list, we'll be discussing Erica Goldson's valedictorian speech from 2010. The message to the list is copied below.
Hi all,
I have been trying to get technology in place all week.
This is our class mailing list. You can post to it, too. In fact, I recommend (as we go into our project-oriented work) that you use this list to help coordinate your efforts. We're all on it (peer leaders included), so posting to it is probably the best way to get organized and get questions answered quickly.
For tomorrow, I'd like you to read a valedictorian speech from last year:
http://americaviaerica.blogspot.com/2010/07/coxsackie-athens-valedictorian-speech.html
We read this last year, and used it as a starting point for conversation and discussion around a pair of themes:
1. What was your educational experience like up until this point? Can you relate to the author's experiences? Where do you disagree?
2. Now you're here. What has changed? What do you want to change? What role will you play in making that change happen?
We'll spend tomorrow talking, mostly. And by that, I mean *you* will spend the day talking. The course website is coming online (far too slowly), and will live here all year:
http://www.rockalypse.org/courses/fs101f11/
Cheers,
Matt
Saturday
From 10AM to 6PM are 8 Hour Projects in the Gallery. Go. Watch artists creating in real-time. Spend at least 30 minutes observing one artist.
① What are they doing? That is, what do you see them doing?
② Why are they doing it? That is, based on your observation, can you see a larger whole emerging?
③ Why are they doing it? Based on the work that is emerging, can you infer their goals or motivations?
④ What does the art say to you? Art is often made to communicate a message. What is the artist's work saying to you?
You might come up with other questions for yourself. You might end up talking with the artist(s). (I don't know what the protocol is on that one. Observe, be respectful, see what happens.) We'll reflect on our observations a bit on Monday.
