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New Emphasis Proposal: on Program Change Request form

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I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND:

This emphasis would increase the department’s capacity to represent established practices in contemporary art exploring digital, temporal, interactive, and presentational practices, and the theoretical discourse specific to such practices within a studio context.

(For description of contemporary artists whose work is representative of the practices served by such a program, see Appendix A
For a preliminary bibliography of theoretical texts relevant to this program, see Appendix B.
For a description of other institutional venues recognizing such practices, see Appendix C.)

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II. DESCRIPTION

This new area reflects 2 major shifts in the visual arts: the use of digital media and the presentation of work in varied contexts. These shifts come with special technical challenges and distinct conceptual, theoretical and historical considerations. To teach these effectively requires specific physical and technical requirements and specialized knowledge on the part of faculty.

The strategy is to add these capacities to the department in a way that reflects the importance of concentrated work in these areas, while not proposing a new emphasis for each technology. This plan gains efficiency by combining several practices into one emphasis area. The areas share a special consideration of the context of presentation and the frequent requirement of working collaboratively with other people.

Many New Media artists, educators, and theorists are currently shifting their focus from technology as an end in itself to the social, cultural, organizational and collaborative aspects of using new media in context. Instead of using expensive, highly specialized technology to do esoteric work, the focus is on structuring cultural exchange using inexpensive or freely accessible technology that can be distributed widely. There is recognition that organizing programs by distinct technologies (video, audio, web) works against the integrative and social nature of real situations outside of education.

Consequently, the emphasis would focus on:

1. Incorporation of new technology: Much contemporary visual work (art and design) uses digital media practices as primary means of making and sites of presentation. As networked digital distribution systems such as the Web expand in scope and enable new devices to receive and replay content, new contexts arise for visual art. Mobile wireless computing and new devices such as ipods, mobile phones, and other net devices create new contexts for visual culture. As this content and mobility combine with global positioning systems new uses emerge for virtual and actual space. These technologies make possible the annotation of any space with historic, cultural, or imaginative content. This opens any space as locations for a visually annotated experience. The increasing quality and decreasing cost of printed image, the ubiquity of screens and projection technology make possible new public forms of presentation. The proposed emphasis incorporates technology in general areas demarcated by experiential form and use, not by particular "technology". This is a long-term strategy intended to withstand the particulars of technological change and integrate to the experiential forms and uses existent in other curricular areas. The program is also structured to interface with other University disciplines who use digital technology specifically Communications and Computer Science. Courses in the emphasis that address digital studio technologies focus on introducing these technologies as used in the context of visual art. The program would rely on the technical expertise offered in curricula in other areas. Courses include Image Studio, Time Studio, and Interactive Studio.

2. Expanded Contexts of Studio Practice: Increasingly art and design exists in contexts that are other than those of the traditional studio or professional practice. The Museum and Gallery are no longer the sole sites of the presentation of visual art. Also the separation of roles is increasingly blurred between the creation of art by studio artists and the institution of art by gallerists and curators. Artists become curators or organize and institute the creation and presentation of art in varied contexts. New media (dvd, web, cd, ipod, mobile phone) make possible new, inexpensive, self-organized contexts for the presentation of visual work. Courses in this area include the Civic Studio (and other situated projects), Curatorial Studio, Interactive Studio, and Space Studio.

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III. JUSTIFICATION/NEED

The new emphasis would provide institutional validation of experimental and interdisciplinary practices as they are broadly manifested in the contemporary art world. While many of these practices are already occurring within the department, an emphasis area devoted to them would formally highlight our departmental commitment to them.

The department (faculty/ curriculum/ building) is an important representation of what comprises the visual arts; for students, the University, and the community. Including these areas in regular curriculum and regular faculty at the proposed levels is reflective of current practice in the visual arts and culture. It acrues appropriate resources for the department to do its work for students, the University, and the community.

  1. The emphasis would assure regular offerings of courses that incorporate digital technologies into studio practice. This relieves the pressure on other areas to include these new areas in the technical instruction in their emphasis areas. This would benefit students in any emphasis by offering these courses on a consistent basis. A regular schedule also would allow patterns of enrollment from other departments such as communications and computer science. These technologies easily combine with other disciplines and as such would connect and inter-relate our other emphasis areas.
  2. As an emphasis these areas can be institutionally supported and developed with proper space, faculty, and organization.
  3. New faculty with these capabilities would add greatly to our aggregate faculty knowledge-base and contribute to more informed interdisciplinary work in the department.
  4. Each of the studios in this area extend in specific ways to other majors in the University. The emphasis would naturally connect with other departments contributing to the development of more interdisciplinary exchange.
  5. The technical and organizational skills addressed in these courses provide readily transferable practical skills to those in the emphasis as well as those who take the courses as studio electives. Possible futures include work or further study in studio, criticism, curatorial, education, technology, arts administration.

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IV. EXPLANATION OF COMPARABLE AREAS (LOCALLY, REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY)

At present, there are no other programs in West Michigan with which this emphasis would compete.

The following list includes comparable programs at nationally recognized institutions:

A.Alfred University School of Art has added an Academic Division called: Expanded Media that is comprised of: Video Arts, Print Media, Sonic Arts, Design, Digital Interactive Arts
Alfred also has an MFA program in Electronic Integrated Art

B.The School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Undergraduate Programs include several that correspond to the areas proposed in the new emphasis.
Additionally, the School also has a new BA program in Visual and Critical Studies This new area consists of a combination of academic and studio courses. It includes courses in Curating and exhibition design including: Exhibition Prosthetics. It also offers sevearl courses that address similar things as Civic Studio: Art of Crossing the Street, Visualized Communities, and Extreme Arts Administration. Courses in Criticism are offered in the Department of Art History, Theory and Criticism.

C. Virginia Commonwealth has several areas of study that correspond to the proposed new emphasis;
Kinetic Imaging: Video, Animation, Sound
Sculpture and Extended Media
Communication Arts which is separate from Communication Design

D.Carnegie Mellon's curriculum groups their advanced studios into 3 areas:
They also have a curricular component called Art in Context

E. University of Michigan's new curriculum emphasizes both media and concepts. It uses a 2-year foundation program that covers a range of foundations-like courses in traditional and new media (these serve also as introductions to specific disciplines) and a set of concept-based courses. In the third and fourth year program, students don't declare an "emphasis" but develop a plan for 8 upper level studio courses. The student's program culminates in an integrative project that is the culmination of study in a public presentation.

F. University of Buffalo's new visual studies BFA concentration

G. MIT Center for Advanced Visual Studies The Center for Advanced Visual Studies was founded in 1967 by Gyorgy Kepes as one of the first venues where artists and scientists could meet and exchange ideas.

H. Ohio State University has an Art and Technology concentration that incorporates digital imaging, multimedia, holography, interactive robotic sculpture , electronics, 3D computer animation, installation and sound.

The Index of Majors from the AICAD (Association of Independent Schools of Art and Design) gives an idea of related programs being offered at a range of schools. The new emphasis proposal would integrate content from the following recognized areas:

While technology is not the sole area addressed by the proposal, here is a listing of programs that address technology and art. The degree to which technology is part or all of the unit varies.
educational programs in technology/art

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V. PROGRAM GOALS

Rooted in the strong visual skills of our foundation program and organized as a complement to our existing discipline-specific emphases and art history curricula, this area brings together practical, technical, and conceptual skills in preparation for engaged practice with the broad world of visual culture. The addition of these courses would aim to provide readily transferable practical skills to those in the emphasis as well as those who take the courses as studio electives. Possible futures include teaching, work, or further study in studio, criticism, curatorial, or arts administration.

The new emphasis will benefit the department by structuring regular offerings of courses that represent important and distinct areas of studio production. Students will be able to get an appropriate introduction to these areas and use them in combination with what they learn in other studios. Also, by including these new media and practices in the department the context of consideration for the other discipline areas is broadened and strengthened and the department as a whole presents a more comprehensive representation of the practice of visual art.

Additionally, the resources and knowledge in these areas will be informally available to students and the department as a whole. Having faculty in structured roles of responsibility for keeping abreast of the technical and conceptual considerations keeps these things current in the studios and departmental discourse.

The proposed new emphasis establishes a structure that would facilitate increased interdisciplinary exachange within the department and many possible affiliations across campus and in the community.

There is great interest within the University in working across disciplinary structures. These affiliations are difficult to establish and organizationally challenging to maintain.

The proposed emphasis is structured to provide a new model of affiliation. The curricular program is maximizes flexibility and regularizes a process of advising. With up to 9 studio electives, students can customize courses of studio investigations in various areas. This might be concentrated in painting and prints, or involve taking every intro studios and a few intermediate studios. What also becomes possible is structuring access to courses in other areas like video, computer science or non-profit management. These are possible as individual learning plans or could evolve into established agreements with other areas. So establishing an affiliation with Communications is structured. If a student takes Time studio and becomes interested in a deeper engagement with more complex video editing, then they could take several courses in Film and Video. Such an affiliation with Communications would be established right away.

Many more points of contact exist with the Communications department: still and moving image, sound, media theory and criticism, film theory and criticism, and communication theory.

Additional areas of affiliation for the New Emphasis area include:


These connections could develop singly in individual learning plans or in programatic affiliations. For areas in which coursework would not qualify as studio electives, such programitic affiliations could be organized with a BA/BS degree.

Community affiliations are already established through the Civic Studio. Various community entities are engaged in temporary and ongoing affiliations. In each of the other studios "context of presentation" is foregrounded. This encourages the initiation of other community engagements including curating projects in the curatorial studio or the installation of sited images in Image Studio. Students spend time considering these issues as part of making art, learn skills in orchestrating projects, and benefit from structured practice.
Possible affiliations could be formed with the Community Media Center, UICA, the Grand Rapids Art Museum among others.

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VI. SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS

Courses in the Emphasis:


Each of these primary courses would be offered concurrently at multiple levels 200,300,400.

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BFA Program

(Each student establishes a learning plan with their advisor that projects the intended combination of emphasis studios and studio electives. If plan calls for significant incorporation of other studios, faculty from that area will be consulted. The plan is written and kept on file in department student file. Student and faculty sign-off on changed or continued plan each semester.)

studio courses (after foundations)credits
5-8 emphasis courses (at least 4 different courses, max 3 times any one course) 15-24
6-9 studio electives (at least 6 studio electives outside the emphasis) 18-27
Additional emphasis requirements
1Senior Seminar 401 3
1Issues in Art (capstone) 495 3
1Senior Project B.F.A. 498 6
total 54


VII. PATTERN OF COURSEWORK
Students may begin work in the emphasis upon completion of the Foundations Program. In the semester prior to beginning the emphasis, the student meets with a faculty advisor to create a learning plan that projects the intended combination of studios within the emphasis and studio electives. Throughout the course of study value is placed on both broad experience with a diversity of art media and practice as well as time for focussed deep engagement with an area.
Each semester the student and faculty advisor meet to discuss and revise the learning plan. Whether or not changes are made each signs the plan.

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VIII. IMPACT ON FACULTY AND FACILITIES
There is some concern that because the areas encompassed by the proposed new emphasis are broad and not specific in established image or object making practices that there will be an increase in the indirect and formal burden on other studio areas; both in terms of studio resources and faculty time.

This can be addressed by a general policy of being respectful of how we informally shift loads to various areas. All faculty should advise students to engage various studio technologies through enrolling in formal courses in those areas. Students should be guided to understand the distinction and meanings inherent in various materials, media, and processes. Casual use of media is different from deep practice. Such problems can also be minimized by faculty communicating about their students with other faculty. Further, the new emphasis adopts a more formalized advising system that requires student and advisor to concur regularly on a learning plan. When such plans involve studio work in other studio areas, faculty in those areas will be included in advising a course of study.

Faculty needs:
We would only need to convert one visitor position to tenure-track: the visitor position held by Kevin Hamilton and then Krista Connerly. Teaching in this area would overlap with teaching Foundations: CPS. This faculty and Paul would each teach 2 CPS's per semester and one each of the emphasis studio offerings along with other faculty interested and able to teach in this area.

Facilities:
The emphasis could be fully accomodated in an existing studio space; CAC 1718 which is used primarily for Art 153 Creative Problem Solving. The program would works off-campus frequently. Relationships are already established with the appropriate University staff in Facilities and the University Councils office regarding such arrangements.

Techonolgoy:
These courses are designed to encompass the technology in each area as it evolves and as it is available. The approach would be not to invest in huge amounts of resources for technology that quickly becomes obsolete, but to focus on the forms being made by using technology as it becomes relatively inexpensive and accessible. Majors in this area would be recommended to purchase their own computers.

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IX. LIBRARY SUPPORT

The current books in the collection are adequate in all of the areas in the emphasis. Periodical access is appropriate. These fields are under theoretical development. Keeping up with this literature is well within the existing library budget of the Department of Art and Design.

The only significant library resource lacking is a small collection of works from the history of video. Compilation copies of an adequate collection would cost aproximately $2,500. These are available through the Video Data Bank in Chicago.

X. TIMETABLE (tba)

XI. BUDGET (tba)

XII. SUPPORT MATERIALS

NEW COURSE PROPOSALS
A. image studio
B
c

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Appendix A

Artists • Projects

Here is a short list of well-known artists whose work entails new media/expanded practice.
Mariko Mori- digital image, video, installation w/technology and video
Ólafur Elíasson- interactive technology/light
Paul Pfeiffer - video, installation w/technology
Ann Hamilton - technology in installation, video
Elliot Earls- digital imaging, performance, video, sound, web, interactive technology
Bill Viola - digital image, video, video installation
Matthew Barney - digital image, video, technology, installation

The 2004 Whitney Biennial exhibit is available online with links to artist's works and assigned "mediums". Of the 108 artists selected for the exhibition 66 of them have designated mediums that would be addressed in the proposed new emphasis. To review these artists go to the 2004 Whitney Biennial site. Once the site has loaded click on "Explore Biennial Art and Artists", then click on "organize artists by medium". From here you can select various media or themes and view the artists projects. Areas addressed in the new emphasis include: installation, video, performance, digital art, conceptual ideas, net art, and sound.

Creative Capital is an organization that regularly gives grants to contemporary American artists. Creative Capital was started in response to the ending of the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships to Individual Artists. Follow this link to an index of Creative Capital Grantees.Of the 158 projects that Creative Capital has supported in it's 6 years of giving grants to american artists, 42 of the projects are in areas that would be addressed in the proposed new emphasis.

Online Projects
Many Museums and Cultural organizations are extending their curatorial and organizational projects to include the web as a context of presentation. These include:
Artist Web Projects is curated by the DIA Center.
Rhizome is the online project of The New Museum of Contemporary Art. The site includes Artbase an uncurated online archive of new media art containing more than 1500 works. They also present Rhizome exhibitions which are shows comprised of works from the ArtBase selected by invited net artists, curators, and writers.
AdaWeb is a project of the Walker Art Center.

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Appendix B

Preliminary Bibliography
A good introduction to the history of "New Media" is Lev Manovich's New Media from Borges to HTML. This essay is published in the New Media Reader by MIT Press. Manovich is author of the book The Language of New Media.

Art in Technological Times is a project of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art which presents online projects on their e-space site.

Multimedia- From Wagner to Virtual Reality uses multimedia to introduce multimedia and its historic and cultural context.

New Media Encylopedia has numerous sample clips of important early works using video in/as art. Follow the link, then click on the word encyclopedia. The New Media Encyclopedia site is produced by the Centre Georges Pompidou, Musée national d'art moderne, Paris, the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, the Centre pour l'image contemporaine Saint-Gervais Genève, Geneva, and the Centre national des arts plastiques (Fonds national d'art contemporain), Paris

New Media in Late 20th Century Art by Michael Rush

Relational Aesthetics by Nicholas Bourriaud
Theory in Art Since 1985 edited by Zoya Kocur and Simon Leung
Practices of Looking by Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright
Sweet Dreams: Contemporary Art and Complicity by Johanna Drucker
The Interventionists: Users' Manual for the Creative Disruption of Everyday Life by Nato Thompson
Conversation Pieces: Community and Communication in Modern Art by Grant H. Kester
One Place after Another : Site-Specific Art and Locational Identity by Miwon Kwon

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Appendix C

New Institutional Forms

Here are a sampling of projects and programs that engage New Media and Expanded Practice in clear and special ways.
Public Art and New Artistic Strategies, Bauhaus University, Weimar
In their studies, students focus on art projects that go beyond the protective space of the museum and gallery. The points of departure are the different strategies and interventions of artists working in public space today. Urban configurations, parks and gardens, landscapes and new media are all included within the definition of public space. The definition also includes works which are communicated through radio, television or the internet.
The goal of the course of study is to prepare the students to deal with the particular situation of art in association with and in the public realm, and to enable effective artistic interventions in public space.

"Creative Time presents the most innovative art in the public realm. From our base in New York, we work with artists who ignite the imagination and explore ideas that shape society. We initiate a dynamic conversation among artists, sites, and audiences, in projects that enliven public spaces with free and powerful expression." - Creative Time Mission
Creative Time has no fixed space so every project takes on unique consideration of context of presentation. Projects engage public space using various forms of Extended Practice. Of particular interest in New Media are the projects The 59th Minute, projects shown on the large screen in times square, and Art in the Anchorage which included numerous media exhibitions, performances, and sound works in the Granite base of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany
As a cultural institution, the Center for Art and Media (ZKM) in Karlsruhe holds a unique position in the world. It responds to the rapid developments in information technology and today's changing social structures. Its work combines production and research, exhibitions and events, coordination and documentation.

Fused Space
International Competition for New Technology In/As Public Space. Kevin Hamilton was one of the finalists for this competition.

Missing File (/emphasis/uploads/02%2002%20Cranbrook%20Calling%20-%20In%20from%20the%20Outs.m4v) Video Podcast (36mb download)
Faculty member Elliott Earls discusses a set of collaborative design/video/performance projects the studio produced in teams and took the Venice to share with students at Fabrica. (Podcasts are shot/recorded using easily accessible technology and made available for free on servers on the web. Most podcasts are audio only. This one has audio and video. On Macintosh view in Itunes).

Ars Electronica
More than two decades of work with international media art and cutting edge technologies and the discussion of their influences on life, work and society offer a rich basis for the transfer of knowledge and skills. Up-to-date courses at the Ars Electronica Center in Linz, Upper Austria, are complemented by the Symposiums as parts of the annual Festival and the ever growing resources of the Online Archives.

Soft Cinema: Ambient Narrative
Soft Cinema project mines the creative possibilities at the intersection of software culture, cinema, and architecture. Its manifestations include films, dynamic visualizations, computer-driven installations, architectural designs, print catalogs, and DVDs. In parallel, the project investigates how the new representational techniques of soft(ware) cinema can be deployed to address the new dimensions of our time, such as the rise of mega-cities, the "new" Europe, and the effects of information technologies on subjectivity.

Vectors, Journal of Culture and Technology
Vectors maps the multiple contours of daily life in an unevenly digital era, crystallizing around themes that highlight the social, political, and cultural stakes of our increasingly technologically-mediated existence. As such, the journal will speak both implicitly and explicitly to key debates across varied disciplines, including issues of globalization, mobility, power, and access. Operating at the intersection of culture, creativity, and technology, the journal focuses on the myriad ways technology shapes, transforms, reconfigures, and/or impedes social relations, both in the past and in the present.

A recent Conference Share, Share Widely addressed these perspectives in the organization of "new media education". The conference web site documents various issues and serves as an orientation to the field. the Interviews section serves as a quick overview of issues and leaders in the field. The links section is a useful connection to additional resources. Much of the current discourse is consistent with the way the new emphasis is organized; around cultural practice, while incorporating training in technology.


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