STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 1

SupportingArt and Design

Education—WHY NOW?

EM

ERGENCE

1 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

“You’ve got to be resourceful and you need to be a creative

thinker, because what we’re doing today keeps changing.”

Craig Kallman, Atlantic Records Group

“Design thinking harnesses the power of teams to work on a

wide range of complex problems in health care, education,

global poverty, government—you name it.” Tim Brown, IDEO

Many people see artists as shamans, dreamers, outsiders, and rebels. In reality, the artist is a builder, an engineer, a

research analyst, a human relations expert, a project manager, a communications specialist,

and a salesman. Combined with the imagination of an inventor and the courage of an explorer.

Not a bad set of talents for any business challenged to innovate in a world of volatility,

uncertainty, and change.

Steven J. Tepper, Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy

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II N M A N Y W A Y S , T H I S I S O U R M O M E N T . The larger world is

embracing the values and expertise that artists and designers

offer. Professional outcomes for our students are increasing.

Demands for our skills are multiplying.

The mission of the Stamps School of Art & Design is simple and

profound—to prepare students to think in new ways, to educate them

to become concerned world citizens, and to equip them with the skills

for life-long accomplishment. This commitment requires rigorous

training in the key principles of art and design, collaboration across

disciplines and across continents, and teaching by a faculty who model

the creative thinkers and problems solvers our students will become.

Preparing a new generation to take on this role is no longer only a

desired option—it is a mandate. Global warming, world health issues

and our nation’s position in a global marketplace make a creative

education essential.

As the entire University begins the five-year Victors for Michigan

campaign in support of our educational mission, we want to share

with you our plans and progress in the three key areas of our

campaign—student scholarships and global education, innovative

teaching and learning, and creative work and inquiry.

It’s About Time!

Flexible thinking, curiosity, unconventional

problem solving, risk-taking — these are

the basics of an art and design education.

And whether you graduated in the 1940s or

just last year, these are the abilities

that help to define your future.

SupportingCreative Choices

Stamps students make a courageous commitment when

they come here. Embracing creative practice is embracing

a way of life. Unlike other fields of study, there is no

single road map for this generation of problem-solvers,

idea-generators, and game-changers.

The financial burdens of a college education have become

real barriers to success during college and afterwards.

Scholarships are often the tipping point for students in

deciding to come to Stamps rather than another school.

In order to attract and retain the best students, we have

made scholarships our highest priority.

•   S C H O L A R S H I P S   •

3 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

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RREADING THE LETTERS

from scholarship

students may be one of

the overlooked jobs of a

dean, but it’s something Stamps Dean

Guna Nadarajan takes very seriously.

“It’s heartbreaking, really, the stories

some students tell,” says Guna. He

was so moved by the stories he was

reading that he asked that the letters

be delivered to him in the morning so

he could read them first thing in the

day, to remind him why he’s doing

what he’s doing. “Education is not

just any job. There’s a real human

dimension to all we do. And as I make

decisions, meet with faculty, and

strategize for the sake of the school,

I like to keep the students and their

needs at the forefront.”

Guna and his wife, Irina

Aristarkhova, a faculty member

in the Stamps School, Women’s

Studies and History of Art, made a

decision to do something about those

needs this past January. Working

with Mary Alice Bankert in Stamps’

development office, Guna and Irina

set up an endowment for need-based

scholarships. “We both come from

humble backgrounds. Irina got some

scholarships, but I didn’t have any.

We both felt that this was something

we had to do—to give back and have

an impact on this problem,” he says.

“Merit scholarships are important and

necessary, but we wanted to make it

more possible for people from diverse

socio-economic backgrounds to be

able to study here. It’s a value for us

personally and also a value for our

institution.”

Guna and Irina are pleased to make

a gift now, at a time when their

scholarship endowment is eligible for

the Michigan Matching Initiative

for Student Support (for more

information see page 10) created by

the University. “We are giving what

we can,” Guna confirms, “and it’s

being multiplied by the University’s

matching initiative. I have realized

how much every dollar counts. It’s a

cliché, but it’s true.”

Leading The Way

Education is not just any job. There’s a real human dimension to all we do.

LLEVESTER WILLIAMS WAS THE MOST TALENTED PERSON

in his high school art classes. But, as an orphan raised

by his grandmother, he never dreamed he would

ever be able to go to college. Shipman and Gates

Scholarships helped support his entire college career at Stamps.

“The scholarships make me feel that donors support my

interests, my passion, and my school. I’m grateful that they gave

some of their money for my education. Michigan has opened my

mind and gotten me involved using my gifts as an artist in the

community. I worked with the Trotter Multicultural Center, and

with an organization that supports incoming black students.”

Levester, who graduated in 2013, is now in an MFA program at VCUart.

Levester Williams

Artworks by Levester Williams (BFA ‘13)

TTHANKS TO SUPPORT FROM SUSI AND REID WAGSTAFF,

Jordana Schrager has been able to combine her

drawing skills with her entrepreneurial interests to

grow her highly successful custom sneaker business.

“Scholarship support was so important if I wanted to come to

a school like U-M. And only a university like this one has the

resources and courses I need. Students, faculty advisors and

alumni have all given me great advice and feedback about my

business dreams. Media marketing and business courses were also

incredibly helpful. I’m so grateful.”

JordanaSchrager

Shoe designs by Jordana Schrager (BFA ‘16)

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CreatingGlobal Citizens

As artists and designers, we know that both our

reach and our responsibility have become global. In

response, the School continues to institute new ways

that students, faculty and alumni can experience,

participate in, and contribute to a larger geography.

Stamps has made international study a requirement

for all students. The Stamps International Initiative

continues to establish new exchange programs with

educational institutions from Australia to Norway,

and from to Japan to Chile, offering students

and faculty the life- and art-altering benefits of

moving beyond the limits of any one culture.

•   I N T E R N A T I O N A L   S T U D Y   •

7 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

Indonesia

Cassidy Wasko Working as an artist seems more accessible now. We met people who

just loved what they did, whether it was operating a gallery or creating

the work for it themselves. The love present in the scene we saw was

undeniable and truly inspiring. Beyond just being a source of visual

inspiration, it made me fear life after graduation a whole lot less.

Tanzania

Rachel Hefferan The ways in which my experience will come through in my

art are probably through my new view of the world and of

myself as part of that world. Spending time in a different culture

left me with a lot to think about as far as what it means to be

beautiful, happy, successful, content and so much more.

Czech Republic

Callie Stewart I learned to pay close attention to everything that was happening

in both the moment and what might happen in the future. Prague

was already so beautiful that it was not about finding the “pretty”

shot, but rather, the powerful moment. I am influenced by the current

moment, but also patient to what may evolve in the art I create.

Italy

Lynn Chen There are a million different reasons to study abroad. You learn things about

another culture and language that you can’t pick up from watching movies or going to

a class. You get the chance to eat new foods, meet new people, see amazing places.

You’ll pick up a lot of social and problem-solving skills while you’re trying to figure

out the public transportation system or ordering dinner at a local hole-in-the-wall.

Japan

Elise Beckman Staying at the Seinenryo Center for disabilities, having

the opportunity to interact with the people who live

and work there, was such a deeply human experience

for me. It taught me so much about gratitude, about a

generosity of spirit and a beauty that is beyond words.

Italy

Valerie DiMilia The best way to experience any culture is to immerse

yourself as much as possible, meet new people and

understand their way of life which will be different from

yours. You learn what makes people unique and different

and incorporate what you learn into your design process.

→ International Study: Changing Students Lives

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Jing WangRemembersA Daughter

TTHE NEW CANDY R. WEI PRIZE FOR INTERNATIONAL

Studies in Art and Design will provide financial

awards to five Stamps Students each year in

recognition of exemplary work influenced by their

international experience.

This new gift significantly builds on the generous support

Professor Wang has already provided to the Stamps School.

Following the death of her daughter Candy in 2001, she

established the Candy R. Wei International Travel Fund. Each

year, this endowed fund supports the international experiences

of eight to ten Stamps students.

“It was Candy’s dream to travel abroad to study art so the fund

is a natural way to remember her and to help students fulfill

their dreams of international study,” said Professor Wang about

establishing the first fund.

As with all Stamps endowed funds, Professor Wang receives

letters of appreciation from students, which she treasures.

Some students even send artworks that reflect their

“My study abroad experience

changed my life” is a sentiment

often repeated by students who

study internationally. Their

experiences inform the way they

see the world. Professor Jing Wang,

mother of Candy R. Wei and

Professor of Chinese Media and

Cultural Studies at MIT, knows that

this experience also changes the

creative work that students make.

Photo: Professor Jing Wang (second from right)

with three of the many students who have benefitted

from the Candy R. Wei International Travel Fund.

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Michigan Matching Initiativefor Student Support The University of Michigan is offering a $25 million Michigan

Matching Initiative for Student Support at the Ann Arbor

campus. Gifts between $100,000 and $1 million will be

matched at a 1:4 ratio (that is, the University will contribute

$1 for every qualifying $4 donated).

Gifts must meet the following criteria:

→ Direct student support for scholarships or fellowships

(including undergraduate scholarships, graduate

fellowships, and student activities such as study abroad,

internships, and student research projects).

→ Gifts applied to new or existing endowments.

→ Size of gift between $100,000 and $1 million

paid over five years.

For more information contact

Mary Alice Bankert at mbankert@umich.edu

adventures abroad.

To create this new award, Professor

Wang took advantage of the Michigan

Matching Initiative for Student

Support. In addition, Professor

Wang added to an already established

planned gift that will provide support

for the Candy R. Wei International

Travel Fund and for the Candy R. Wei

Prize in perpetuity.

As a mother who lost a daughter at

age 21, Professor Wang is comforted

by the impact her contributions are

making on students’ international

experience. “I feel Candy’s spirit is alive

and going strong.”

Candy Wei / selections / Magazines Candy Wei / selections / Magazines

Candy Wei / selections / Magazines Candy Wei / selections / Magazines

Artwork by Candy R. Wei

A permanent exhibition case at

the Stamps School showcases the

work of Professor Wang’s daughter,

Candy R. Wei. Candy’s creative

interests spanned drawing and

painting, printmaking, photography,

digital art, sculpture, graphic design,

poetry, and short story writing.

Candy’s work is also accessible on

the web at www.candywei.org.

I feel Candy’s spirit is alive and going strong.

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 10

•   T E A C H I N G   &   L E A R N I N G   •

BuildingInnovation

Into Teaching & Learning

Stamps recognizes its role in training the next

generation of creative change agents. Engaged

and experiential learning means connecting

our creative work with communities around

the world, giving our students the skills and

experiences they need to make a difference.

While foundational skills in art and design

remain essential, our students will also need

access to the latest technologies; studios and

classrooms that encourage the intermingling of

media and disciplines; and outstanding faculty,

who are prepared to stretch boundaries, in

their own work and in their teaching.

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MMANAGING DIABETES IS NOT EASY.

It requires constant blood sugar

monitoring, an insulin shot four to six

times a day and strict eating habits. It’s

hard enough for adults to maintain the regimen, but getting

young people to be disciplined about this kind of daily work

is a job for, well, a video game.

Dr. Joyce Lee, associate professor in the Department of

Pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School,

treats adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes and is co-director

of Mott Mobile Technology for Enhancing Child Health

(M2TECH), which is dedicated to developing mobile apps

that will help teens take better care of their health. “We

realized it was important to come up with new ways to

motivate young people in their own care, because we want

them to avoid diabetes-related complications,” says Dr.

Lee. “And we realized we needed collaborators. We have the

medical expertise, but what was missing was the creativity,

the wonder, that artists and designers bring to a problem.”

Dr. Lee approached the Stamps School of Art & Design to

seek out collaborators. There she discovered Matt Kenyon,

a faculty member who specializes in code-based art and

design and teaches popular classes in video game art and

the new realm of creative apps. CONTINUED →

Helping Kids Manage

Diabetes with Video Games

A new collaboration at U-M

matches young video game designers

from professor Matt Kenyon’s

gaming course with medical experts

at the University hospital in order to

explore non-traditional, even fun,

approaches to a serious problem.

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 12

Matt joined the Stamps faculty in

2011 to enhance the School’s program

in new media, as part of a university-

wide “cluster-hire” in computational

media designed to strengthen the

University’s research in this growing

area. Matt and Dr. Lee received a Third

Century Initiative grant to help launch

their collaboration.

The team decided to see what would

happen if they gave the problem of

diabetes management to students

in Matt’s video game class. “These

students are digital natives,” says

Matt. “They grew up playing these

games and are capable of rapid

innovations.” Students spent the first

part of the class learning the basics

of game art: programming, graphics,

interaction design and critical theory.

They ended the semester with the

diabetes assignment, using Stencyl, an

intuitive design platform which allows

designers to quickly and easily create

games and apps without using code.

Dr. Lee provided the class with a

Diabetes For Designers primer and

visited the class to look at early pro-

totypes and guide the process. The

semester culminated with a party

and game contest judged by Dr. Lee,

Matt, and most importantly, 16-year-

old Josh Luurtsema, who plays games

and has diabetes.

Diagnosed with diabetes when he

was just ten, Josh can’t remember a

time when he didn’t have to check his

blood sugar level and inject himself

with insulin every time he wanted to

eat something.

While, for Josh, the daily regime is

now more of “an annoyance” than

anything else, he thinks the idea of

the video game is invaluable for kids

who have been just diagnosed. He was

eager to see what the students came

up with. “[At the judging party], I

found multiple games that were fun,

but the ones that also had an ultimate

functionality to them were incredible.

I can’t tell you how important these

types of game could be for young kids

just diagnosed. I saw some games that

could really thrive if they were released

into the market.”

Stamps student Sam Oliver, won

first place for his game “Pixipal,” in

which children teach themselves how

to manage Type 1 Diabetes by caring for

a digital pet. Oliver describes himself

as a reformed video game addict,

“I designed my game with my old

addictions in mind. I set out to leverage

the compulsive qualities that games can

inspire, but to positive ends.”

In Pixipal, the child must feed and

play with the pet to keep it happy, and

is rewarded for his or her efforts with

items and upgrades. In turn the pet

“takes care” of the child, refusing to

play until the child checks his or her

blood glucose levels.

For Dr. Lee and Matt, this is just the

beginning. “We’re now going to hire

some of these students to develop

the prototypes further,” says Dr. Lee.

Next semester, Matt will continue

the collaboration with students in

his app class. “For students who

grew up playing games, it’s really

empowering to become a maker and

an essential part of a problem-solving

team, whether it’s a healthcare

issue, or other research areas here at

the University.” Matt says. “It’s an

incredible opportunity and we’re just

getting started.”

To help students, designers, and

developers learn more about diabetes

in order to create better solutions,

Dr. Lee created Diabetes: A Guide for

Designers, a primer on the disease. And

to help facilitate more of these kinds

of collaborations, Matt and Dr. Lee

recently set up Health Design Cupid,

a “matchmaking” site for medical

professionals and designers.

I set out to leverage the compulsive qualities that games can inspire, but to positive ends.

Photos by Sarah Nesbitt13 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

T THEY ARE ALL PRODUCTS DEVELOPED IN

the cross-disciplinary Integrated Product

Development course (IPD). IPD brings

together students from the Stamps School

of Art & Design, the College of Engineering, and the Ross

School of Business to design a consumer product and

develop a supporting business plan and a website.

Now, drawn to IPD’s unique educational experience, the

Proctor & Gamble Fund has given IPD a $10,000 grant for the

fall 2014 semester.

“P&G is proud to support the Integrated Product

Development Course at the University of Michigan. We

recognize that this course prepares students for careers

in business by creating a learning environment that

encourages and enhances innovation and creativity,” said

Brian Sasson, P&G Fund/P&G Corporate Contributions

Manager. “This is an important investment that we hope

benefits students for years to come.”

IPD often marks the first time that students from Stamps,

Engineering, and Ross work together. The blended teams

mimic the real-world experience of collaboration with

partners who have separate skills sets and expertise. This

type of learning experience is at the core of the Stamps

School’s goal to become the model for art and design

education by expanding teaching and learning opportunities

that foster collaboration.

Feedback from alumni about their experience in the IPD

course confirms its importance by offering knowledge that

can be transferred to any business, whether in a studio,

laboratory or office.

“IPD gave me confidence in my creative abilities and

working with a team. It empowered me as a designer and

problem-solver. I worked on the creative side and project

management for my IPD team, and now I work as a design

and development project manager. I’d say IPD definitely

helped me prepare and work towards a goal in my early

career,” said Clio Goldsmith, BFA 2009. “I attribute this

to the fact that during IPD I gained an understanding of

how the product development process works and where I

wanted to fit into this process.”

Taught by Ross School Professor Bill Lovejoy and Stamps

School Assistant Professor John Marshall, IPD has attracted

national media attention in Businessweek, CNN, The New York

Times, and the Wall Street Journal, among others.

Make it WorkProctor & Gamble Fund SupportsInnovative Product Design Course

What do a portable urban garden, stacking storage cubes, a disaster relief shelter, and a one-handed kitchen have in common?

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 14

MMARC AND ILENE STEGLITZ HAVE LIVES

immersed in creative work. Marc is

Senior Deputy Director and COO of the

Guggenheim Museum and Ilene is a

practicing artist. So it was no surprise that in searching for

ways to support Stamps, they found a particularly creative

way to promote the education of the next generation of

innovative thinkers, problem solvers and makers. In 2005,

Marc and Ilene, members of the School’s Dean’s Advisory

Council, championed an unusual experiment at Stamps—a

fledgling TV and online venue for the School called PLAY

Gallery. The project provided an outlet for time-based

work outside the traditional gallery system, on PBS and

online, while providing valuable work experience for young

animators and producers involved in the PLAY production

office. While on the airwaves, the program went on to win

four EMMY awards and numerous other EMMY nominations

for the school and students.

As PLAY evolved beyond the arena of time-based work,

the Steglitzs remained actively engaged with the project

and its core mission—to provide visibility for the work of

our students, alumni and faculty. PLAY now includes Penny

Stamps lectures, a student image gallery with both still

and time-based work, stories about alumni and students,

interviews with visiting artists, feeds from all our social

media networks and more. Prospective undergraduate and

graduate students cite it as one of the primary ways they

come to know Stamps, its community, its culture, and its

educational opportunities.

Recently, the Steglitzs have officially coalesced their

yearly pledges of support by funding the Ilene and Marc

Steglitz Fund over the next five years. The fund will

help the School build on our efforts to showcase the

radical, thought-provoking work of our students, faculty

and alumni, and provide professional development

opportunities for our aspiring artists and designers.

We thank Ilene and Marc for their vision and their

commitment to expanding the impact that creative work

and ideas can have on the world.

Highlighting OurCreative Community Donors support PLAY: a website for creative work by and about the Stamps School Faculty, Students, and Alumni.

15 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

Creative Careers

Mike CampauBack in the early 90s when Mike Campau (BFA ‘96) was

in school at Stamps, Photoshop was an obscure software

program that came free with your order of Barneyscan.

Campau came to Stamps to study scientific illustration

but he soon found he was spending his spare time

soaking up everything he possibly could about the newly

emerging field of digital imagery and manipulation.

www.playgallery.org/stories/campau

Living a Creative LifeA Sampling of Stories From PLAY

Focus on Faculty

Jim CogswellFor an artist, scale matters. The size of a painter’s

canvas can be as small as a postage stamp or as

big as the wall of a room. But Stamps professor

Jim Cogswell’s work for the C.S. Mott Children’s

Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital

may be the first time that a painter has been asked

to use an eight-story window façade as a canvas.

www.playgallery.org/stories/hospital

Stories From Abroad

MFA Students Report Peter Leix: Iceland I spent the last two days I had in

Iceland at Jökulsárlón, which is a lagoon where 1,000

year old glaciers meet their final demise. I found

this place visually arresting and stayed and shot 10+

hours of video each day. It was emotional to see the

direct consequences of global climate change.

Read about other MFA experiences here:

www.playgallery.org/stories/mfa_international

Find more stories at www.playgallery.org/stories/main

Student Stories

Sam Oliver “Since coming to Stamps, I have designed a game for the medical

school, developed sets for student productions, ‘performed’

a life drawing class at the Ross Business School, shown in the

Engineering Design Expo, traveled around the country coding

with Michigan Hackers, built Javanese musical instruments,

and learned to weld, slip-cast, and pour bronze. Sure, some

other art schools have open majors, but I don't think any other

schools could have provided such a wealth of experience.”

www.playgallery.org/stories/oliver

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 16

Expandingthe Role of

Creative Work & Inquiry

Research engagements lie at the heart of the University… and at the

center of art and design practice. While artists and designers have

always understood the powerful role that research plays in their

work, the model of the artist/scholar is gaining more visibility.

As it becomes increasingly clear that our skills in visual thinking

and new forms of critical inquiry are essential to solving global

challenges, artists and designers are now being recognized as

researchers who work and innovate alongside colleagues in other

fields. Stamps is continually working to expand these research

initiatives, collaborating with areas as diverse as nanotechnology

and business on projects that create new avenues to understanding.

As with all university-based research, the reach and influence

of art and design’s creative outcomes depend on the ways in

which we disseminate our work, including exhibitions, public

lectures, and workshops. Stamps is also actively investigating

new ways to share our research outcomes, including funding

support for a research center, symposia and publications.

•   R E S E A R C H   •

17 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

R RE:TOOL-KIT FOR DETROIT, A NEW PUBLICATION

and online resource created by Stamps faculty

John Marshall and Seth Ellis and the Taubman

College of Architecture and Urban Planning,

sets out to answer the question: Can you really get ANYTHING

made in Detroit?

The answer, it turns out, is yes, but not without some good

people skills. “When we asked the people featured in this

project how to go about getting something made in Detroit, the

most common response was ‘ask someone,’ says Seth. “Word

of mouth, knocking on doors, physical conversations and

personal networks: these are the things that make up Detroit’s

manufacturing culture, historically and currently.”

Through over 50 hours of personal interviews, this group

of four researchers with backgrounds in design and data

collection—(Heidi Beebe), mapping and web design (Seth Ellis),

design/fabrication (John Marshall and Julia McMorrough)—

have assembled both a much needed resource on two fronts.

CONTINUED →

Mapping Detroit's

Post-Industrial

Present

Photos courtesy Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning

You often hear that you can get anything made in Detroit. We wanted to find out what and where.

photo left: John Marshall  right: Seth Ellis

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 18

As a reference, the handbook and

online site bring visibility to the

vibrant making scene in Detroit,

suggesting various networks of

people and fabrication shops in this

city and beyond.

As a research document containing

both data and personal stories, it is a

fascinating portrait of a post-industrial

city of makers, caught between an old

paradigm of mass manufacturing and

an emerging economy of handmade,

designer enterprises.

The book profiles people like

Veronika Scoot, a 22-year-old

designer and entrepreneur who

employs homeless women to sew

and manufacture a convertible coat/

sleeping bag for people on the streets.

It also highlights Charles Baer of

Eutectic Engineering, a casting shop

that once had 120 people on staff to

do runs of 100,000 parts for the auto

industry but now performs much

smaller runs, between 100 t0 500, with

a staff of 12.

Converting Detroit’s know-how

into a viable 21st industry has been

the subject of many news articles and

stories, so has the influx of young

artists and designers who flood the

city drawn by the low rents and DIY

culture. The Re-tool Kit Detroit

researchers suggest: they are the

same story.

Detroit — and by that we mean heavy manufacturing — is not ‘coming back’ anytime soon. The world has moved beyond that model of production. The potential for the present is for Detroiters to remake their city in the image of the values its citizens hold dear. Then Detroit will be known not just for industrial collapse but for being the world’s first 21st Century city.John Marshall, Stamps School of Art & Design

I could be back in New York, but I would be a sketch monkey for somebody else for a very long time before I could ever get an opportunity to do something like this again. Detroit is the only place where I could, as a 22 year-old, do a business on my own... I can’t think of doing it in any other city. Veronika Scoot, participant in“Re-Tool Kit for Detroit”

19 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

For the past decade, Stamps faculty Ed West

has been engaged in a transnational research

project on mixed-race identity. As a fine art

photographer, much of Ed’s focus has been on

the creation of a series of portraits of mixed/

multi-ethnic people. But his research also

led him to significant work in other areas of

study, including history, sociology, critical

race theory and anthropology. Here he talks

about his project So Called, and the scope of

the academic research that underpins it.

MMY WORK HAS ALWAYS CONCERNED

itself with periods of transition or

transformation, and my current work

involves the imagining and imaging of

the browning/creolization of the world’s population. It is

said that to know something you must stand in its presence.

And, in many ways, all of this study—whether in text or

image—has been an attempt to stand in the presence of the

histories and geographies of multi-ethnic people.

I’ve completed a series of portraits of the people who live

in mixed race communities in Havana, Cuba; Cape Town,

South Africa; and Honolulu, Hawaii. I chose these particular

locations because I wanted “communities,” places where

the majority of the population was multi ethnic. One of the

charges that is frequently leveled against people of mixed

race is that they are neither one thing nor another, neither this

nor that. These portraits confirm that people of mixed race are

this AND that, and this and that across a global landscape.

The title of the project, So Called, also addresses how

individuals and communities are defined. It refers to

the liminal state that is mixedness, and alludes to both

who names and how naming shapes communities and

understandings of group identity. Which leads me to the

other major, non-photographic, area of my work that centers

on naming. Half blood, half breed, half caste, half and half,

halfrican, hapa, hybrid—all names for people of mixed

race. Naming is that moment of definition, when categories

are solidified. The name given imposes its power on those

named. As V.S. Naipaul observed “Twenty million Africans

made the middle passage, and scarcely an African name

remains in the New World.” This research involved the work

of philosophers, historians, anthropologists, theorists, and

political activists. The project’s name So Called highlights the

contested place of naming in studying the mixing of races.

This is truly an advocacy project. To date the project

has resulted in an exhibition and an artist’s book, and I’m

hoping to use both to reach mixed race audiences around the

country and around the world. CONTINUED →

So CalledEdward West

Photos by Edward West

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 20

Above is an example of one of the outcomes of

the naming research. This graphic is a detail of

an A-Z lexicon poster. The words in caps are the

global racial designations for people of mixed race.

The individual names that sit on top are the names

of well known mixed race individuals.

I BELIEVE THAT PHOTOGRAPHS

have the power to displace

us from our usual ways of seeing

and provoke us into reflection and

conversation about the meaning of race.

Clearly the mixing of the races

globally occurred almost from the first

moment that distinct populations

came in contact with each other.

When one says mixed race in

America and encounters the literature,

one encounters the principle

binary of black and white, and the

power formation of dominance and

subordination. Color is meant to be

telling in the American story.

As black Americans, most of our

ancestors came to these shores not as

“Africans,” but as Ibo, Yoruba, Hausa,

Kongo, Bambara, Mende, Mandinga,

etc. And some of our ancestors—and

this we cannot deny—came as Spanish,

Portuguese, French, Dutch, Irish,

English, Italian, etc. And more than a

few of us... have some Asian and Native

American roots.*

The history of the names that tell

black americans who we are or where

we come from has been largely erased.

The name given imposes its

power on those named. Naming is

that moment of definition, when

categories are solidified. The people

in these photographs aren’t named,

their ethnicity isn’t named. I’ve

intentionally not named them.

So Called is about the problematizing

of that naming process. It’s a project

not only about our history, but about

who we will be moving forward.

*From ColorLines “So, what are you?” –Robin Kelley

From a recent public presentation by Ed West on naming

Photos by Edward West21 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

Molly Lester Beeware is an active outdoor game that takes on the

complex idea of the disappearance of bees, and condenses

it for ages six to eight. It's structure is derived from well-

known games, such as freeze tag and capture the flag, and

extensive cognitive games like The World Peace Game. This

kit describes the interaction between bees, conglomerate

farmers, and our environment. It is my goal to educate

and impose a sense of responsibility, while constructing a

simulation that is enjoyable and interactive.

Nina Pagalos Much of face-to-face communication is conveyed

through the body rather than the spoken word. These

photographs focus on the ways that parts of the body

can be “read,” while the audio piece provides the

accompanying narration. Both the images and the audio

are intended to provide a fuller storytelling experience.

Allison Knoll This project uses creative work and social experiments

to critically examine my own, as well as my peers’,

dependency on social media. As part of my research and

process I deleted my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and

Snapchat accounts. I created Organic Communicators

to help people move through a 12-step process towards

technological freedom and self discovery.

Creative research is built into the Stamps School’s curriculum, demonstrated through this sampling of undergraduate senior thesis projects.

Leah Backo This piece explores both the positive and the negative

mental states that result from being alone. It is an attempt to

understand how we think, and how we process information

when we are alone. The layering and tangling of different

media alludes to the complexity of the mind and of our

thought processes. Three separate pieces visualize: the

negative thought process, the positive and negative

interwoven together, and positive thought process.

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 22

•   A N N U A L   G I V I N G   •

Every gift countsAnnual Giving at

the Stamps School Last year alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff gave

more than 500 annual gifts to the School. This support has

helped us enrich our programs as we strive to become the

model of 21st century art and design education.

ANNUAL GIFTS ARE CRITICAL IN MEETING THE STAMPS SCHOOL’S DAILY NEEDS.

They serve as a crucial bridge between tuition revenue and the true cost of a Stamps

education. Participation in annual giving helps increase the School’s presence throughout

Michigan, the nation, and internationally. Every gift is important and makes an impact.

WHEN YOU GIVE to the Stamps School you can designate how your gift is used:

Opportunity FundThe Stamps School Opportunity

Fund is the best way to support

the most pressing needs of the

School. Funds are used to seed

new programs, fund special student

projects, internship opportunities,

and support minor renovations. Each

year funds are marked for student

enrichment opportunities that

include guest lecturers and artists in

studio-related classes.

International Initiatives FundThe International Initiatives Fund

helps defray the cost of international

travel for Stamps students. The

Stamps School is the only unit at

the University that requires students

to participate in an international

experience. In 2013, over 100

students received international

scholarships. Scholarships are

awarded in increments of $500

(for a non-University of Michigan

experience), $1,000 (for an “other”

University of Michigan experience),

and $2,000 (for a Stamps School

experience). Scholarships of $250

are also awarded for first-time

travelers to apply for their passports.

Alumni and Friends Scholarship FundThe Alumni and Friends Scholarship

Fund provides an opportunity

for donors to have an immediate

impact on student support. Entering

students who have demonstrated

exceptional academic performance

in high school or exceptional creative

potential as evidenced by their

portfolios can apply for scholarships

from the Alumni and Friends

Scholarship Fund.

23 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

PPAUL HOOGESTEGER (B.DES.‘51) DOESN’T SHY

away from commitment. Married for 62 years to

his wife, Joan, he’s been a faithful donor to the

School for even longer.

For the past 64 years Paul has contributed $100 each

year to the Stamps School’s Opportunity Fund. “When I

graduated I decided to pledge some small amount, but to

continue every year. Thanks to good health, I’m 88, It’s

grown to a reasonable sum.”

Paul says he always knew he wanted to

study industrial design. But it wasn’t until

after Navy service in WWII that he was able

to come to U-M. When he arrived he was

an enthusiastic and dedicated student.

“My first year I was taking 44 hours of

class a week. I loved my experience at the

art school because all the different art and

design principals were under the same

roof, and they all shared their work and

experiences.” He looks back on his time in

Ann Arbor fondly and feels that Michigan gave him the skills

he needed to move into a design career.

And it has been a very successful career. Just a few years

after graduation Paul was hired by a small 100-person R&D

firm in Davenport, Iowa. The company provided industrial

design support for companies throughout the Midwest, giving

Paul the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects. “I

worked on everything from Dairy Queen machines to gasoline

pumps for gas stations.” After seven years Paul and his family

moved to Rochester N.Y. where he created and managed a

corporate-wide industrial design service at Bausch & Lomb.

The projects varied greatly: work stations for analysis of aerial

photographs, contact lens cases and sterilizers, telescopes

for nature lovers and sports enthusiasts, devices for chemical

labs—and more.

He also had an opportunity to hire a young industrial

designer named Allen Samuels (long before Samuels came to

Stamps as a faculty member and then dean). The two worked

together on projects for many years, and

much of the optometry equipment that is

still produced by Bausch and Lomb was

designed by Paul, Allen, or both.

Allen Samuels remembers, “Paul and I

got along from the moment we met. He

was a thoughtful, intelligent, talented and

creative designer and man. Always soft

spoken, funny and able to provide sound

advice and direction to a young designer

who had a great deal to learn. Under

Paul’s leadership I designed a line of academic microscopes

that were produced and used for years. I often see these

scopes in museums and schools including the Stamps School

of Art and Design.”

Now retired for over 25 years, Paul and Joan still live in

Rochester in a retirement home. Paul continues to draw, and

he now makes mosaics and has helped to start an art group in

his community. He also continues to contribute each year to

the Stamps Opportunity Fund.

I worked on everything from

Dairy Queen machines to

gasoline pumps for gas stations.

When I graduated I decided to pledge some small amount, but to continue every year. Thanks to good health, I’m 88, it’s grown to a reasonable sum.

Paul Hoogesteger Long Time Supporter

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 24

LaunchThe 2014 Senior Show

LLAUNCH FEATURED CULMINATING

projects by the School’s graduating

seniors produced during their year-

long Integrative Project course,

including film, installation, traditional and new

media. Encompassing all of the School’s exhibition

venues, the show also featured offsite exhibitions,

events, performances and film screenings at the

Michigan Theater and Stamps Auditorium.

25 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

Photos by Nicholas Williams (BFA ‘17)

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 26

MFAThesis Exhibitions2014

Ann BartgesHolding Still

Working with the School of Music, Theater

and Dance, Holding Still uses video projection

and live performance to explore relationships

among memory, photography, time,

representation and self and image.

Mia CinelliReconstructing Recollection

Sociology and anthropology underpin

this series of sculptural representations of

memories highlighting the discrepancies

between perceived and actual recollections.

Peter LeixFlint 2014

Building on work with Screen Arts and

Cultures, Peter’s feature length documentary

film explores life in Flint, Michigan through

an intertwined series of portraits of people

in a collapsed environment.

Molly Dierkshome/Body

The sculptures in home/Body deal with the

mother-daughter bond, gendered role-play,

and self and body, drawing on personal

experiences, memory, and feminist theory.

Katie St. ClairWayside

Katie's collages and temporal installations

reveal the hidden nature of our closest

experiences. She worked with the School of

Natural Resources and Creative Writing.

Parisa GhaderiOnly an Inch Away

Using research in American Culture, Social

Work and Public Health, Parisa uses video and

audio installation, prints and cinemagraphs, to

speak about holding onto memories of people

when they leave, momentarily or forever.27 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

Photo by Nicholas Williams (BFA ‘17)

BBETWEEN MARCH 10

AND APRIL 8 2014, nine

graduating MFA candidates

presented their work in

exhibitions, installations and film

screenings in Ann Arbor and Detroit.

From the kaleidescopic intricacies

of a queer pop-up shop and gallery,

to an evocation of the memories of

place and time held within an historic

Detroit building...from 14-foot high

paintings, to subverted domestic

objects, Stamps MFA candidates

demonstrated the depth and range of

their conceptual and visual vocabularies,

and the benefits of linking with the the

rich resources of a research university.

CONTINUED →

John GutoskeyShaman Johnny’s

Pop-Up Shop & Gallery

LGBTQ studies, women’s studies and art

history inform this project, featuring artist

and healer “Shaman Johnny.”

Rolando PalacioUna Vida Linda

Anthropology and American Culture inform

these photographic portraits of Southwest

Detroit, aka Mexican Town. The images

reflect “the way we speak to each other and

the shared histories of our journey.”

Juliet HinelyPer Mr. Handy

Per Mr. Handy is a site-specific audio-walk

and performance installation in the Jam

Handy Building, now abandoned but once

a prolific movie studio in Detroit’s heyday.

Juliet’s research included work with Dance,

Urban Planning, and Museum Studies, as

well as an audio documentary course at

Duke Center for Documentary Studies.

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 28

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29 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 30

C C O L L E A G U E S C O M M E N D H I M A S “ A W A R M

and caring humanist who regards each student

and colleague as special and encourages each to

be a better human being, artist, and citizen.”

Professor Sadashi Inuzuka has been a valued teacher and

colleague at Stamps since 1996. On June 1 he will retire. During

his time at the school, Inuzuka has developed an international

presence with sculptures and installations that integrate

ceramics and digital media to explore the relationship

between humans and the natural world.

As an educator he has been a pioneer in the design and

implementation of community engagement courses. He

has provided life-changing experiences for students and

served as a model for his colleagues in understanding art and

design as powerful modes for social change, with particular

attention to the role of creative processes in the lives of

differently-abled individuals. His seminars and workshops

on “The Many Ways of Seeing and Touching the Spirit”

have paired U-M students with visually impaired or blind

youth and adults to create ceramic pieces. His course on

“Considering the Future of the Great Lakes” encouraged

students to use art to explore environmental issues.

Through each of these experiences, students developed new

communication skills, a better understanding of the role of

creative work in changing peoples’ lives, and an appreciation

of alternate modes of perception.

Professor Inuzuka joined the School of Art & Design faculty

following distinguished service on the faculty at the Emily

Carr College of Art and Design (British Columbia, Canada)

and the University College of the Fraser Valley (British Co-

lumbia, Canada). At the University of Michigan, Professor

Inuzuka has been the recipient of a Thurnau professorship,

the highest award conferred for undergraduate teaching.

He has also received a fellowship from the Institute for the

Humanities and the Michigan Arts Award. Nationally and

internationally, he has been acknowledged through grants

from the Pew Charitable Trust, the Pollock-Krasner Founda-

tion and the Puffin Foundation.

When he retires Professor Inuzuka hopes to continue to

educate a new generation to the wonders and challenges

of our natural world. “I am hoping to open an artist-in-

residence/artist’s retreat in British Columbia. I have planned

for the past several years to move to Cortes Island where I

have some land. The island is very connected to the natural

environment and has a well established community with

ties to the arts, environmentalism and holistic practices.

Cortes is in a beautiful spot in the world and unique for

many reasons. I have thought that maybe this would be of

interest to students looking for an alternative international

experience, one that would offer studies in environmental

stewardship, organic farming, exploration of ecologically

sensitive areas, kayaking, sailing and so on.”

•   R E T I R E M E N T   •

His students recognize him as

“an artist with a social conscience”

and a teacher who “knows how to

coax the finest from his students

and support creative young minds.”

Sadashi Inuzuka Retires

31 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

HHIS INNOVATIONS CHANGED GLASSMAKING

and inspired artists like Dale Chiluly and

Robert Fritz. Interestingly, his story, like

many we’re hearing now from current

students, also confirms the catalytic, sometimes life-changing,

impacts of bringing art together with other disciplines.

As a boy, Harvey literally grew up in his father’s labs at the

Corning Glassworks in New York. His father wanted him to

become a scientist. Instead, Harvey would eventually use the

scientific skills he learned to start one of the most influential art

movements of the 20th century. Harvey did try the science route

at first, enrolling in Michigan as a physics major in 1939. But

he soon transferred to the then School of Art and Architecture

to study industrial design and ceramics. He experimented with

glass, but it would be some years before he focused on it.

After graduation he married Bess Tamura (BSDes ‘48), teaming

up with art and design graduates, Bill Lewis (BSDes ‘48) and Ahde

Lahti (BDes ‘65, MFA ‘68), to open a small design company. He also

began teaching ceramics in the evenings, starting a co-op that still

exists today—the Ann Arbor Potters Guild. With only a little money

coming in from either venture, Harvey went back to school for his

MFA so he could teach and continue his ceramic practice. In 1951,

he was hired by the University of Wisconsin to teach ceramics. But

a trip to Italy and touring the small glass factories there inspired

him to think again about small-scale glass making. Once he came

home, he started experimenting with glass in earnest.

At that time, creative glassmaking required an artist, a factory

and glassmakers. But Harvey wanted a simpler process. He

searched across the world to find the tools and information he

needed to melt glass beads in a backyard furnace and then to make

the work by himself. His friend Dominick Labino, an aspiring artist

and research scientist at the Johns-Manville Corporation, designed

a small brick furnace for him to use and by 1962 Harvey was

heading the first American academic program in hot glass. Widely

considered to have been the first college-level course offered

in the United States in glassblowing, Harvey’s classes included

Dale Chilhuly, Marvin Lipofky and Robert Fritz. With their help,

word spread about Harvey’s techniques and similar programs and

organizations began to appear across the globe.

Harvey called his glass pieces “frozen movement” and

the techniques he developed were revolutionary — freeing

glassblowing from the cumbersome processes of factory

production to make molten glass almost as easy to work with

as clay. Harvey achieved equal renown as an artist. His own

work is in the collections of major museums across the globe,

including the first pieces of modern glasswork acquired by

the Metropolitan Museum of Art: “Amber Crested Form” and

“Amber Twist,” both purchased in 1977.

Harvey is survived by his two daughters, Carol and Maurine;

two sons, Thomas and John; eight grandchildren; and four

great-grandchildren. His wife of 62 years, Bess Tamura

Littleton, died in 2009.

•   I N   M E M O R I A M   •

Harvey K. Littleton (BSDes ‘47), the father of the American Studio Glass Movement, passed away on December 13, 2013, at the age of 91.

RememberingHarvey K.Littleton

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 32

Alumni Updates

Share Your News With Us Onlineand be featured in Emergence and on our website.

Have you had recent exhibitions that you’d like to

mention? A new job? An entrepreneurial venture?

We’ll now be using online submissions as the primary

way to gather alumni news for our alumni updates in

Emergence. When you submit online you get double the

coverage—your news is seen by everyone who receives

Emergence AND by everyone who visits our website.

It's a great way to stay in touch and to share news and

images about you and your creative work.

→ To submit, use the following link:

stamps.umich.edu/news/submit → Don't forget to include an image

of your work. And please make sure

that the images you send are about

1 - 5 MB in size.

→ And, as always, if you have

any problems submitting online,

don’t hesitate to email

katewest@umich.edu.

To Submit News ↓

33 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

1 9 50 s

Anneli ArmsBSDes 1958Anneli Arms exhibited Animalia:

Creatures in Print at itmarksthepost (508

West 26th Street, studio 7f / New York,

NY 10001) from April 5 to May 8.

www.itmarksthespot.com

Bill BarrettBS 1958, MSDes 1959, MFA 1960Bill Barrett’s LEXEME VII, a cast bronze

model from the LEXEME Series, will

be exhibited in the grand opening and

dedication period of the 9/11 Memorial

Museum Dedication, May 15 through

20th, 2014 in New York.

“I have lived in Tribeca for over 40

years and was devastated by the events

of 9/11. I began working on the Lexeme

Series shortly after the Twin Towers

were destroyed. As a way to process

what happened, I went to work in my

studio. What emerged was an image

of two geometric shapes (the Twin

Towers), enveloped in organic, energetic

forms—forms that suggested renewal

and continuation rather than finality. For

the next eight years, I continued working

on this idea. As the series progressed,

the two tower-like shapes became more

abstract, moving away from one another

and branching out into new, independent

forms. The later Lexeme works were

abstract and almost unrecognizable from

the earlier pieces, and gave way to my

current body of work, the DNA Series,

which includes large oil paintings.

While these abstract paintings may

appear unrelated to the Lexeme Series

they have, in fact, evolved from it. This

evolution represents the human spirit’s

power of renewal. The series tells the

story of humanity’s relationship to

the towers: humans brought them

into being, and humans will continue

to create, even after their destruction.

Exhibiting my sculpture provides a way

for me to generate positive energy to the

area and to help renew our community.”

Please visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum

and arrange a visit to Bill’s Tribeca

studio, nearby.

www.911memorial.org/museum

www.billbarrettsculpture.com

1 9 60 s

Stephanie Lovell BS 1960, MS 1965Sew Nanie Sew US is open for business!

After several months of gathering

together some interesting patterns

and fabric, a few items are posted for

sale. I’ve been sewing for myself first

as a young teen, then for my children,

then as a profession running a factory

in Connecticut. Now I’m retired and

have discovered quilting, now that’s a

big puzzle! I love putting together bags

and totes and quilts with color that

compliment each other.

www.etsy.com/shop/SewNanieSewUS

Frank Ettenberg BSDes 1966The first Santa Fe Armory Show (mounted

in a former local regimental armoury)

took place in 1977. It was the flagship

exhibition by and for the burgeoning art

community and was primarily guided and

fed by diverse artists who came together

briefly to organize and exhibit collectively,

outside the province of the better

organized, simultaneously running Santa

Fe Art Festival. Frank Ettenberg, a MA/

Painting graduate in 1966, arrived in Santa

Fe after finishing graduate work at the

Department of Art at UNM/Albuquerque

in 1971, and was on the steering

committee that conceived of and brought

off the funding for this special local event.

The reprise of the original exhibition is at

the CCA, 1050 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe,

NM from April 11th to May 30th.

www.frankettenberg.com

Steven ColeBFA 1969Do you remember the Ozone

Homecoming Parade? That was in

1972. It replaced the traditional U of M

Homecoming Parade which was cancelled

that year. I won first prize for a float, in

my costume composed of plastic flowers,

American flags, beer cans, and other bits

of American culture. CONTINUED →

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 34

I strolled around in this costume at

the Ann Arbor Art Fair, too, during the

early seventies, as well as doing other

performance art at the Ann Arbor Film

Festival. In 2012, the 50th anniversary

of the Festival arrived. After a long

hiatus in my performing career, I felt

inspired to get involved with this event

by a revival of my costuming skills. The

result is this outfit, in which I attended

the Festival, and which has prompted

some to call me Tie Guy. Wearing this,

I have returned to the Ann Arbor Street

Art Fair to again stroll around and to

enjoy sharing with my audience this

playful departure from the ordinary.

www.youtube.com/

watch?v=Eumbyl0nLv8

Sara HarwinBFA 1969When Sara Harwin’s exhibit, Illuminated

Letters: Threads of Connection, opened at

the Oregon Jewish Museum on February

5, 2014, it was the culmination of the

nearly seven-year project, built on a

foundation of Jewish experience. Sara

created the exhibit “to be a visual entry

point to Judaism.” The project presents

18 core concepts of Judaism through

an artistic lens. A Judaic artist whose

ceremonial and ritual artwork is used

in synagogues and homes across the

country and around the world, Sara

knows the impact art can have on

understanding and emotions.

“This project is something I am

presenting to the Jewish world at large

in the hope that people will find it

useful and inspirational and a way of

connecting,” she says. “I want to bring

people to a deeper understanding and

engagement in Judaism.”

www.ojm.org/experience/exhibits

1 9 70 s

Susan HenselBFA 1972Susan Hensel installed, Raising the Roof

on Home, an architectural sized room

divider in the new offices of Habitat for

Humanity of the Twin Cities. The artwork

was funded through a partnership grant

with the State Arts Board of Minnesota.

The program partners were the Textile

Center of Minnesota and Habitat

for Humanity. The goal of the grant

was to bring arts programming to

underserved populations. Clients of

Habitat for Humanity earned work

hours working on the fabric that was

used to build the artwork.

Susan Hensel was also recently

awarded the Jerome Foundation

Project Grant through the Textile

center of Minnesota. For this grant,

to be completed by Fall of 2014, Susan

will develop digitized embroidery and

clothing with the goal of re-visiting old

technologies using modern techniques.

susanhenselprojects.com

Beverly BrandtBFA 1973The Craftsman and The Critic: Defining

Usefulness and Beauty in Arts and Crafts-

Era Boston (University of Massachusetts

Press, 2009), written by Alumna

Beverly K. Brandt, has been selected as

on of the “50 Must Have/ Must Read”

books on architecture and design by

Canada’s International Federation of

Interior Architects/ Designers. The

organization is celebrating its 50th

anniversary and solicited contributions

to this list in honor of that occasion.

A short description states: “This book

places emphasis upon the Arts & Crafts

Movement, stresses trans-disciplinary

collaboration, an important concept

in today’s practice and education

while relating the quest for Usefulness

and Beauty to timeless values, which

continue to inspire architects, designers,

students, and clients today.”

Sam VivianoBFA 1975Sam Viviano was named VP—Art &

Design at DC Entertainment in February,

after toiling anonymously (well, not

really) for the last 15 years as Art Director

of MAD Magazine. Sam, who gave the

School of Art commencement address

in 2009 (he thinks — it may have been

2010; he’s very bad with dates), has been

associated with MAD since 1980 (or was

it 1981?), when he illustrated his first

cover for the magazine. While his days are

generally dominated by his AD duties, he

does occasionally find time for a freelance

illustration job: as part of DC Comics’

series of variant covers created by MAD

artists for its April releases, Sam depicted

Alfred E. Neuman as the arch-villain Mr.

Freeze for the cover of Nightwing.

35 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

Schroeder CherryBFA 1976Schroeder Cherry and His Puppets

performed at Detroit Institute of Art,

Smithsonian Institution’s Hazy Museum

in Virginia, and Piedmont College

in North Carolina. “Can You Spell

Harlem?” is a show designed for family

audiences that introduces visual artists,

writers and songs from the Harlem

Renaissance. University of Maryland

University College included Schroeder’s

work in the Second Regional Biennial

art exhibition. He works in acrylic with

mixed media on wood.

Scherry331@aol.com

Dale H. LeachBFA 1977How inspiring it was to have made a

second photographic journey to Nova

Scotia this past August. Being a dry-land

Texan for the last 30 years, it is always a

special treat to visit the history-filled,

quaint fishing villages of Nova Scotia’s

Southwestern Atlantic shore. To rise

well before daylight, camera & tripod in

hand, and venture out, through the quiet

mists, and wait patiently watching as as

mysterious nets and hulls of fishing boats

slowing reveal themselves is an experience

close to sublime. Even after 40 years of

photography, I am never disappointed in

this wondrous maritime landscape!

www.dhlphotographix.com

Jill Stefani WagnerBFA 1978Jill Stefani Wagner exhibited paintings

in Upend Art’s Terra Nova . . . Landscapes

from April 1 to May 19, 2014 in the U-M

Power Center for the Performing Arts.

The exhibition charts the discoveries

of 13 mid-career artists in 55 works,

including drawings, fibers, paintings and

photography. Barb Williams, Fran Wolok

and Stamps lecturer Nora Venturelli

curated “Terra Nova.”

The exhibition can also be viewed

online at www.upendart.com/blog.

Jill has also had work selected to

participate in the Great Lakes Pastel

Society National Exhibition at the

Dennos Museum Center in Traverse

City, MI from April 13 to May 25, 2014.

Accomplished pastel artist Desmond

O’Hagan juried the exhibition. The

exhibition will coincide with the Great

Lakes Pastel Society National Convention

in Traverse City from May 16 to 18.

Wagner presented the talk “Organizing

Your Art Biz” during the conference.

www.jillwagnerart.com

1 9 80 s

Douglas BeasleyBFA 1980Ambiguous Relationships: Sacred Body/

Sacred Ground, is a solo exhibition of

new photographs by Douglas Beasley,

held at Vision Quest Contemporary

Photography in Genoa, Italy from April

10th through May. The photographs

are spiritual metaphors that explore the

relationship between self, other and

the sometimes vast space in between,

which both contain them and set them

free from one another.

douglasbeasley.com/newsexhibits/

Sue Finley BFA 1980Sue Finley is a co-founding member

of the Dancing Dog Gallery at 302 E.

Liberty in the historic Herb David Guitar

building in Ann Arbor. The gallery

opened in September of 2013 with a

rousing reception and has been a huge

success and a positive addition to the art

scene in Ann Arbor. We showcase the

works of approximately 18 members and

visiting artists, displaying paintings,

photographs, prints, 3 -D sculpture,

jewelry, etc. in our beautiful and light-

filled gallery.

Please visit the gallery and join us

for our featured artist openings, with

shows changing every six weeks. Visit

our website at dancingdoggallery.biz

for more information about hours and

upcoming events. We are always looking

for new visiting artists to join our group

and show their work in our gallery. If

interested, the application information is

available on the website as well.

Leslie NoblerBFA 1980Heirlooms, my solo exhibition, originated

at the metropolitan campus Art Gallery

of Fairleigh Dickinsen University. A

site-specific version of Heirlooms was

also shown through April 2014 at Lenox

Coffee in New York. This work delves

into one’s heritage and/or faith, in mixed

media/ printmaking,... CONTINUED →

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 36

featuring collages, monoprints, and

artists’ books. My newest works grow

out of a study of the Holocaust, gaining

greater familiarity with its literature -

fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. And

these pieces visualize some of the richest

preserved images and relics.

An exhibition I curated, The New Scroll,

was shown in April at the Hamilton

Street Gallery in Bound Brook NJ. And an

expanded version of the exhibition is at

the Arts Guild New Jersey - info@agnj.

org - from April 27 - May 22. Featuring

the work of 11 contemporary artists,

The New Scroll highlights today’s scrolls

and scroll-like artist’s books and prints

inspired by the very idea of the scroll

form. These works speak to the relevance

of the scroll for present day artists

in all media: book artists, painters,

printmakers, digital media artists, fiber

artists, even photographers.

www.leslienobler.com

Jill (Snyder) NickelsBFA 1981Gensler, the leading global design

firm, announced that Jill Nickels has

taken the Studio Director role acting

as a senior manager in the company’s

San Francisco office. Jill will lead the

management efforts for projects in

the Lifestyle studio, overseeing a wide

range of practice areas such as retail,

hospitality, and brand design.

With more than 20 years of experience

in strategy and brand building for brands

such as Mountain Hardwear and Marmot,

Jill brings her deep knowledge of outdoor

industry marketing communications

and business development to Gensler’s

lifestyle studio. Prior to joining Gensler

Jill was Vice President of Strategy and

Business Development with Hanson

Dodge Creative, and she led efforts to

develop the brand experience through all

communication channels of the active

lifestyle consumer. She was instrumental

in developing the integration of a brand’s

personality in all physical environments

including global retail build outs for

numerous brands. “In today’s ever

changing business climate, it is essential

to build an emotional connection through

user engagement. It begins with building

a brand and defining a personality and

may take shape in physical buildouts.

Gensler has a long history of helping

brands express themselves in new

ways and I am excited to expand these

capabilities at such a pivotal time.”

Leisa RichBFA 1982Leisa Rich continues to creatively

explore unusual new materials. Her

recent heat applications to Wonderflex

World’s Fosshape resulted in the teapot

“Falling From the Nest” and wearable

art work “Birds of A Feather” as well as

the hundreds of sculptural birds that

populate the installation. The costume

is the recipient of the SDA's Award of

Excellence. Leisa recently exhibited

in “The Price Is Right” at Swan Coach

House Art Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia,

and “Materials: Hard and Soft” at the

Greater Denton Arts Council gallery

in Denton, Texas. Her stitched work,

“Follow the Leader” was featured in the

exhibition Flight Patterns at Hartsfield

Jackson International Airport terminal

T1. She was recently featured in the book

Mastering the Art of Embroidery by Sophie

Long. Leisa is an art educator currently

residing in Atlanta, Georgia.

www.monaleisa.com

Gabriella BorosBFA 1983Gabriella Boros’ work was at four venues

simultaneously. Her paintings in acrylic

on wood panel were at the Rivendell

Theater of Chicago in conjunction

with the Babes With Blades Show of

L'Imbecile. She has a painting hanging

at the City Hall of Highland Park and a

Ceramic Mask at the Arthur Feldman

Gallery of Judaica. Additionally, her

series of drawings about Chicago, which

she made in a collaborative effort with

poet Dina Elenbogen, were part of the

Poetic Dialogue exhibit in the Anne Lloyd

Gallery in Decatur, Illinois. She will

have a solo exhibit in December at the

Old Town Triangle Gallery, and be part

of a show with poet Agnes Marton in

Luxembourg in August.

www.gabriellaboros.com

Susan (Weidenthal)Saltzman BFA 1983Susan Weidenthal Saltzman and her

unique SToNZ Jewelry was featured in

an article in The Cleveland Plain Dealer

37 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

and at Cleveland.com in March, 2014.

The interview highlighted Susan’s

sterling silver creations and how she

finds inspiration for her work. A former

illustrator for American Greetings, and

a freelance graphic designer, Susan has

been selling her SToNZ Jewelry online via

Etsy since 2007. www.stonz.etsy.com

Her creations integrate authentic

seaglass, Lake Erie beach stones, pearls

and unusual vintage trinkets she has

collected over the years, combined

with oxidized sterling silver chains and

handmade silver and copper accents.

Amanda KrugliakBFA 1984Performance artist Amanda Krugliak

was recently interviewed regarding her

longtime practice as a monologist for the

online publication SLICE, which highlights

people in Ann Arbor and surrounding

communities actively engaged in the arts

and other creative pursuits.

www.sliceannarbor.com

Carol CoatesMFA 1985Two recent 2013 exhibitions included the

mixed media work of Carol Coates. The

first, an exhibition of Nudes at Evoke

Contemporary Gallery in Santa Fe, New

Mexico, and the second, an exhibition of

her signature mesh overlay work at Lois

Lambert Gallery in LA. The work shown

at Evoke, “Epilogue”, was featured in an

article by John D. O'Hern in American Art

Collector Magazine. Her figure studies

and other portfolios can be seen on her

site at carolcoates.com

Judy EnrightBFA 1985I have two paintings in the exhibition

Everywoman 50th Anniversary at the

Center for the Education of Women

showing March 3rd - May 23rd 2014,

Rackham Building, 4th floor 915 East

Washington, Ann Arbor, MI.

www.judyenright.com

Keith EkstamMFA 1987Keith Ekstam will serve as a Resident

Visiting Artist at Guldagergaard

International Ceramic Research Center,

Skælskør, Denmark, during the month

of June, 2014. This activity is assisted

by a Summer Faculty Fellowship from

Missouri State University where Keith

is a member of the Art and Design

Department faculty.

MichelleKrievins-NewmanBFA 1987After a 26+ year career in graphic

design, Michelle Krievins-Newman is

now working as a full-time fine artist.

Michelle is pleased to be represented by

LaFontsee Galleries of Grand Rapids and

Douglas, MI. In May the gallery opened

its new building in Douglas with the

exhibition, HOP SKIP + A JUMP, LaFontsee

Galleries, 410 West Center Street Douglas,

MI, May 17-June 21, 2014. Visit the Grand

Rapids location at 833 Lake Drive S.E.,

Grand Rapids, MI.

www.lafontsee.us

Linda Walsh LapinskiBFA 1987As an artist I was no longer able to ignore

the changes I was seeing in the landscape.

Tall reeds choking out the cattails of my

precious wetlands. The loss of the Spring

ethereal flowers... the migrating birds

were no longer in areas where they had

been nesting for years. The turtles were

not returning to lay their eggs. What

was going on? Invasives! As a nation we

are being invaded by non-native plants,

shrubs and trees! The public loves them,

I loved them, these plants have no

enemies, they always look beautiful, they

survive, but they are choking the life out

of our native animals, plants, trees and

shrubs that I love to... CONTINUED →

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 38

live with and photograph.

I am now the President of a non-profit

Oakland Phragmites & Invasive Species

(OPIS) Task Force, started with my

partner, Emily DuThinh. Our mission

is to protect the quality of Oakland

County’s lakes, streams and wetlands,

preserving them for future generations

from non-native invasive species.

Clinton River Watershed Council awarded

OPIS the Johanna Roskopp Award for

outstanding contributions to protecting,

enhancing and celebrating the Clinton

river, its watershed and Lake St. Clair. In

just one year, OPIS has helped numerous

townships in Oakland County initiate

invasive removal programs. Volunteers

and dedicated elected officials are

helping to restore this beautiful area to

its natural beauty.

My exhibition space is the wetlands

surrounding my home. The gallery I

exhibit photos from is the lake and

wetlands. OPIS convinced Clarkston and

Independence Township to start a three-

year project to stop the invasives and save

the lake and stream from being overrun

by Phragmites. Come see the space, open

24/7. I would love to throw a reception....

Brian SchornMFA 1987From April through October of 2013,

Brian Schorn exhibited new work in a

two-person exhibition, Lost and Found,

at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck,

NY. He seeks to discover unexpected

connections in everyday objects and

experiences. An overarching theme in

the work is the “enso,” a Japanese word

meaning “circle.” The enso is a common

subject of Japanese brush calligraphy

and symbolizes enlightenment, the void

and “the present moment.” In Schorn’s

work, the enso is also symbolic of the

cyclic process of the natural world, which

gives rise to the use of materials such as

dirt, wood, leaves, acorns and insects.

In 2013, Schorn also received an

Arts Education Grant from Arts Mid-

Hudson and Netherwood Elementary

School in Hyde Park, NY. During the

month of October, he worked with 200

third- through fifth-grade students to

create a collaborative, environmental

installation on the school’s grounds.

The installation began by observing the

basic design elements in our natural

environment. Students then used the

elements to design a painting on a

stone. Each stone was then placed in

a spiral form around a freshly planted

tree. The project was finished with a

group discussion and contemplative

walk around the installation.

www.brianschorn.com

1 9 90 s

Valerie Doran BashawMFA 1992I just completed a four-panel

commission for a private residence. The

work is created using Katagami, Japanese

mulberry stencil paper and colored paste

resists. There are two layers of silk to

this piece, the top is nearly transparent

organza, both were printed together.

Each panel is 14” x 16”.

www.wovenwind.net

Jill AyersBFA 1994 I’m excited to step into my new

role as President of the Society for

Experiential Graphic Design and work

with a wonderfully supportive Board of

Directors, the Executive Committee, our

talented staff, and our steadily growing

SEGD membership.

www.egd.org/blog/letter-jill-ayers-

new-segd-president

SusanHoldaway-HeysBFA 1994In 2012 I was notified by the Art In The

Embassies program that the Ambassador

requested one of my art quilts for loan

in Maputo, Mozambique. The piece I

chose was no. 1054, 53” x 58”, as he is

from the west side of our state. It will

return in 2015.

I will also have new work on display

at the University Hospital Main Lobby,

floor 1, Ann Arbor, in Local Color, works

that relate in some way to Ann Arbor. The

show will run August 18-October 6 2014

viewing hours 8am-8pm.

www.sueholdaway-heys.com

Ryan RingholzBFA 1997PLAE Inc. Founder & Chief Designer,

Ryan Ringholz, was recently awarded

the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014

39 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

for PLAE’s ‘roan’ style shoes. In the

current competition, the international

40-member panel of experts discussed

and evaluated 4,815 entries from 53

countries. With a kid-centered approach

to design, PLAE shoes uniquely address

the biometric needs of children while

empowering creative expression. The

key feature, an interchangeable closure

system, allows for a custom fit (inclusive

of those who wear ankle-foot-orthotics)

with multiple length straps that also

offer kids the chance to mix-it-up and

make it their own with different color,

material and print options. To ensure a

world worth playing in, PLAE shoes are

made with ISO 14001 certified leather,

recycled PET lining, water-based glue,

and anti-microbial ECO-Ortholite insoles

made from castor beans.

www.goplae.com/red-dot

Yulia HanansenMA 1998Yulia Hanansen’s artwork is part of

Shattering Expectations juried exhibition

of contemporary mosaic arts. The

exhibition opened in March at

Philadelphia Magic Gardens and is

the first exhibition in Philadelphia

to showcase the artworks by mosaic

artists living on the East Coast. Yulia’s

artwork spans from cosmic views to

satellite images of the hurricanes to

futuristic visions where the distribution

of water on the planet becomes ever

so important for human survival. The

show was curated by Nancie Mills

Pipgras of Mosaic Art Now.

www.mosaicsphere.com

www.mosaicartnow.com/

2 000 s

Gregory SteelMFA 2001I have just been promoted to associate

professor with tenure at Indiana

University at Kokomo. In addition this

past summer I passed my oral exams

for my PhD in philosophy from the

Institute for Doctoral Studies in the

Visual Arts and I am working on writing

my dissertation, working title, “The

Sublime, a nexus of faith and reason in

contemporary video art and cinema.”

Also, I have three video works in a

show in NYC this month around the

Frieze festival, not at the festival but

nearby in an alternative gallery space.

Katie HaltonBFA 2004Katie Halton has been accepted into the

MFA program in Painting and Drawing

at the School of the Art Institute of

Chicago! Admission is incredibly

competitive, so this is a great honor

and privilege. Katie begins the program

this fall. She is excited about this new

chapter of her life and career. Katie was

introduced to SAIC during her undergrad

at U of M. She was awarded a fellowship

to Ox-Bow, SAIC’s residency program

and art school on Lake Michigan, the

summer following her junior year. It was

an incredible experience and turning

point in her artistic development. Katie

will be participating in some exhibitions

and fundraising efforts before she leaves

Michigan in August. For information

about these exciting events, visit her

website: www.katiehalton.com. Don't

forgot to “follow by email” to receive

the latest updates.

Jenny SchuBFA 2004Last year Jenny Schu had her grant-

related exhibition, Creating a Nature.

This led to seven of her pieces going on

to internationally juried shows in four

different states. She also took home

three awards from the Michigan League

of Handweavers Conference Exhibits

including Best of Show and People’s

Choice Awards for “She Can’t See the

Forest through the Trees.” Jenny was also

one of the recipients of her own billboard

in the Lansing MI area.

In 2014 she has already given talks

about her work to two fiber arts guilds

and is gearing up for a summer of

teaching workshops and working on two

larger bodies of work. Jenny is offering

workshops through Interlochen College

of Creative Arts, the first on May 31, and

the second on June 30. In August she

is teaching a three-day beadweaving

workshop with the Michigan League of

Handweavers.

In May Jenny was at Blueberry View

Artist Retreat in Benton Harbor to focus

on working on her Uprooted Series which

includes beaded sculpture. There will be

a reception at the end of her stay. More

details at www.jennyschu.com

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 40

Chris BradleyBFA 2005From March through April, Chris Bradley

participated in the exhibition Teen

Paranormal Romance at the Renaissance

Society, University of Chicago. Within

popular culture, expression given to

adolescent drives has only intensified

as the genre of Teen Romance has

been distilled and repackaged as Teen

Paranormal Romance. Twilight, The Hunger

Games, True Blood, and the Divergent

Trilogy are also dystopic, psychosexual

cyphers for the panoply of Obama-era

ideological positions from revanchist

religious, economic, and sexual politics to

Libertarian fever-dream apocalypticism.

This exhibition samples artistic

production in the wake of a zeitgeist that

has rendered the unconscious a derelict

playground home to weeds of surrealism.

Chrisbradley.org

Jason Phillips BFA 2005Jason Phillips recently designed

and fabricated his Olympic Screen.

It stands at an impressive 10’ x 10’

and was designed for his family’s

furniture company, Phillips Collection,

a manufacturer of furnishings from

around the world. Their works are the

result of collaborations between in-

house designers and a variety of new

and seasoned international talents.

Keeping with the brand’s environmental

sensitivity, Jason strives to utilize

found and discarded materials and

create product collections with an

organic contemporary feel. These rings

are cut from decommissioned 55-gallon

oil drums found in Northern Thailand.

He designed 22-inch diameter discs

that were cut and fashioned into a

successful line of wall decor. Still,

remnants of the lids were left over, and

Jason wasn’t satisfied.

From these rings, the Olympic

Collection was born. Freestanding

screens, tables, pedestals and seating

were all designed and developed by Jason

and fabricated in the local communities

of Chiangmai, Thailand. The collection

is currently being marketed to high end

furniture galleries and interior design

and architectural firms around the world.

www.phillipscollection.com

Sara HolwerdaBFA 2006Sara Holwerda recently opened her

solo exhibition And is Herself Created

at The Sculpture Center in Cleveland,

Ohio as part of the 2014 Window to

Sculpture Emerging Artist Series. Featuring

printmaking, sculpture, and animation,

the exhibition opened with a live

performance of The Fall on March 20th,

and featured student performers from

the Cleveland Institute of Art. The Fall is

a Links Hall Fiscally Sponsored Project.

In conjunction with her exhibition and

performance, Holwerda presented her

work at the Cleveland Institute of Art's

Feminism Now Symposium.

saramholwerda.com

godisthedj.com

Megan HildebrandtBFA 2006Megan Hildebrandt and Sara Holwerda

(BFA ‘06) are part of EyeSplice Collective,

a group of international emerging artists

founded in 2012. We put on exhibitions,

screenings, performances and artist talks

in institutions around the world. We are

excited to announce two forthcoming

exhibitions in 2014: Our exhibition

Practical Feminism will be at Radiator

Gallery in Queens, NYC

(www.radiatorarts.com) from May

2 - June 6 2014. Our exhibition Spatial

Disruption will be at the Morean Arts

Center in St. Petersburg, FL from

Sept- Oct 2014.

eyesplicecollective.blogspot.com

Tommy Kuntze BFA 2009

&Kristina FrostBFA 2009Kristina Frost and Tommy Kuntze, were,

and still are, the entire design team

for MoPub...the startup that was key

to Twitters’ incredible IPO. Tommy

has been at MoPub since August ‘12

as their first Designer, focusing on

User Experience and Interface Design.

41 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

Kristina joined in September ‘13 as Visual

Designer. MoPub is known for having

one of the best UIs in the space and we

continue to push ourselves to make life

easier on our users by building a faster

and more intuitive product. Together,

Kristina and Tommy tag-team the

product design process at MoPub/Twitter.

“MoPub is a one-stop ad serving

platform designed for mobile application

publishers to manage their ad inventory

on iOS and Android. MoPub enables

app publishers to optimize multiple

sources of advertising in a single

product – including direct ads, house

ads, ad network, and real-time bidding

through MoPub Marketplace. MoPub was

founded by former AdMob and Google

team members and is backed by Accel

Partners, Harrison Metal Capital, and

Jafco Ventures. We have offices in San

Francisco and New York City.”

www.usatoday.com/story/tech/

columnist/shinal/2013/11/07/twitter-

ipo-mopub/3468473/

2 0 1 0 s

Sarah BerkeleyMFA 2011I have been awarded a residency at Cedar

Point Biological Station in the inaugural

year of the residency, which was founded

by Karen Kunc. I will be working on two

projects. 1) Walking historical trails

at and near Cedar Point to generate

2-dimensional artworks from my GPS

tracks. This is a continuation of my

Walking Still series. So far, the longest

walk I have completed was 21 miles. This

chapter of the series expands my practice

as the artworks will preserve what

remains of the trails and document the

contemporary experience of navigating

them on foot. The artworks are a literal

and figurative trace of the past. 2) I will

do short, site-specific performances for

the camera that are direct responses to

the landscape I am in and my emotional

response to it. These works will provide

a welcome interlude while my body is

resting between walks. (See my Intimate

Frustrations Series for examples of this

kind of work.)

Sam DetchBFA 2011As a part of my Stamps thesis work I

completed a large bronze sculpture of

my father and me to commemorate

his fight against cancer. In March 2015

the sculpture will be installed in its

permanent public home, the cancer ward

of Advocate Health Care’s Christ Medical

Center. The piece can be viewed on my

website, www.samdetchsculpture.com

and is entitled “Goodbye.”

After my father died my work

shifted to the politics of art and the art

market. From Google images, I sculpted

portrait busts of iconic players: Robert

Hughes (ex New York Times art critic), Eli

Broad (billionaire collector and museum

director), and Marian Goodman (dealer

NYC and Paris). Marian Goodman

actually became the happy owner of

her own bust. I was offered to show my

thesis work at the Woeske Gallery in

Berlin (my first show and international

show) www.woeskegallery.com/en.

Resulting in a two page spread in the

magazine art.es.

With regard to my most recent

activities, soon after leaving Michigan

I moved to New York where I attended

the New York Academy of Art Master’s

Program. I completed my Master’s

program about nine months ago and

was hired on working for a hyper-realist

sculptor, Carole Feuerman as one of her

head fabricators. But I was not satisfied

working as a technician. Now, I live in

Punta Arenas, Chile (South Patagonia)

with my fiancé, a painter, Daniela

Kovacic. I have been here for just over

three months and my Spanish has

improved everyday. I am getting married

this coming August. I have a studio here

and am continuing my thesis work.

Lucy EngelmanBFA 2011The Society of Publication Designers

announced the medal finalists for their

4th Annual Awards late last month and

several projects Lucy Engelman worked

on have been mentioned. Lucy has had

the opportunity to work with various

publications, but it is her work with

Bon Appetit that has gained recognition

in the following categories: Design:

Feature, Lifestyle/Travel/Food/Shelter

(Single/Spread); Illustration Spots:

Series, Tablet: Best Use Of Illustration;

and Tablet: Typography.

The pieces that have been recognized

include a redesign of the magazines spines

for all 2013-2014 issues, creating a single

image of seasonal ingredients as well as an

illustrated spread from the May 2013 issue.

The inaugural issue of a new

publication celebrating travel,

exploration and lifestyle called The

Collective Quarterly was recently released

with Lucy Engelman as the publications

illustrator. The issue takes a new

aesthetic approach... CONTINUED →

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 42

to advertising and is an overall great start

to what will be a beautiful collection of

stories, markers, and adventures.

www.collectivequarterly.com

Collin McRae MFA 2012

Reed Esslinger MFA 2012

Did you know that 19th century Jaquard

Loom technology led to the system that

drives a Player Piano, which led to the

first punched-hole cards used in early

computing? Drawing from this shared

lineage, Collin McRae, Reed Esslinger,

and Esthir Lemi are collaborating

to create a hybrid object that can

simultaneously weave a tapestry and

create music. The taut strings of the

loom's warp are also the strings of the

instrument, which we will bow with a

rosined cello bow. As the tapestry grows

between these strings, the pitch shifts.

Reed Esslinger is an experienced weaver,

and Collin McRae is an experimental

musician. Their collaborator, Esthir Lemi,

is a composer / visual artist currently

visiting from Athens, Greece on a

Fulbright studying with Sile O’Modhrain

in Performing Arts and Technology.

We will be using a MaKey MaKey, a

computer / real-world interface created

in collaboration with Eric Rosenbaum at

the MIT Media Lab.

The LoomPianola and SlingHarp are on

exhibit in the Duderstadt Center Gallery

starting on May 9th. The LoomPianola

will share the gallery with its sister

hybrid object, the SlingHarp. Inspired

by the Guatemalan tradition of using a

loom in which the user sits, using her/

his own bodyweight to create tension, our

adaptation uses the bodyweight method to

tighten the strings of a harp. Users will be

invited to sit in the sling harp and play it.

loompianola-project.tumblr.com

Teshia TreuhaftBFA 2012I have been awarded a grant to travel

to NYC, Berlin and Vienna from June to

September 2014 through the RISD 2050

Fund, created to support research into

imagining our future and stimulate the

landscape of possibilities for art and

design education.

For my 2050 project I will be looking

at alternative educational spaces that

facilitate the development of similar

skill sets to that of traditional design

programs in Higher Education. These

spaces typically are considered ‘Hacker’ or

‘Maker’ spaces many of which are started

by groups of members that pool together

resources to make spaces in which

they can do creative projects. My initial

interest came about as a result of working

as the “emerging artist-in-residence”

at Maker Works in Ann Arbor, Michigan

immediately following my completion of

my BFA at the Stamps School.

The goal of the research is to accumulate

data and a series of interviews with

founders and members of these hacker

and makers spaces. Because of the

striking similarity of skill sets —the

eventual plan will be to allow the findings

to guide curriculum recommendations

for RISD and like-minded institutions

interested in physical making skills

(including cross-overs into tangible

computing, open source hardware, etc.)

and identify a potential for relationship

building between the university and

these grass-roots spaces.

TeshiaTreuhaft.com

Lyz Luidens BFA 2013

Jessica Krcmarik BFA 2012

Dylan Box BFA 2012

Alex Kaufman BFA 2013

Ellen Rutt BFA 2012

James Reich BA 2013

Since January, Lyz Luidens, Jessica

Krcmarik, Dylan Box, Alex Kaufman,

Ellen Rutt, and James Reich, and artist

Matthew Jenkens, have been building out

and renovating a collective studio space

in Eastern Market.

‘Riopelle,’ named after an adjacent

street, is located at 1492 Gratiot Ave in

Detroit, spans two floors and several

thousand square feet, and is next to

Inner State Gallery and Trinosophes. The

first floor has a breakroom, a restroom,

and two workrooms—a main room with

individual work desks and one large

common work table; and a print room

with letterpress & combination presses

for lithography, relief and etching. The

print room, currently being built out by

Lyz and James, may eventually be used

for retail & gallery shows as well. The

basement has been partially rebuilt for

a more open plan layout, and currently

houses a woodshop and a work area, a

sink for post-work paint cleanup, and an

extra worktable. Eventually, they hope to

add a spray booth and extra ventilation.

Riopelle plans to hold a grand opening

of their space and a group exhibition of

recent works in late spring/early summer.

www.facebook.com/riopellecollective

Bruno AndradeMFA 1977

Katharine T. HahnBFA 1978

Nils A. LouBSDes 1954

Hope E. LullBDes 1937

Paul C. MarinceBDes 1949

George A. MoakBDes 1951

Gordon H. MorrowDSDes 1959

Annabel D. PeckinpaughBDes 1940

•   I N   M E M O R I A M   •  

43 / STAMPS E M E R G E N C E

Tumblr → umstampsschool.tumblr.com

A Day in the Studio: Margaret Hitch Power ObjectsStone lithographs andcollage on Kozo

“Inspired by a recent adventure and my study of scientific illustration, these images act as a catalog of specific objects which I feel a deep personal connection to. These objects have the power to guide and protect those who collect and keep them close.”LEARN MORE ONLINE

P O S T E D M AY 6

Instagram → instagram.com/umstamps

Let’s take a moment and give some love to the WOMYN! Creating, uh, flooring for your offsite space, making last minute ‘bathroom art’ and... finally, yes, your very own show poster... whew.#IP2014 #annarbor #artschool

#exhibitions #seniorthesis

LEARN MORE ONLINE

P O S T E D A P R I L 1 7

The Stamps Community is Online!

And stay connected with faculty, students, and alumni.

Follow @stampson Social Media ↓

Facebook → facebook.com/umartanddesign

This will make you make you miss the snow. No, really.Though we’re all pretty relieved to be out of deep winter and the snowpocalypse of 2014, it did serve as a perfect backdrop to the “Pigmental Performance assignment” in Robert Platt’s “Experiments in Color” class last month.Photos by Charlie Naebeck, BFA ‘14

LEARN MORE ONLINE

P O S T E D M A R C H 2 8

Twitter → twitter.com/UM_Stamps

Alum Janna Coumoundouros talks about designing for the Samurai Competition @DIADetroit – beautiful work! http://ow.ly/wpOkm @lilacpop

LEARN MORE ONLINE

P O S T E D M AY 2

↘ umstampsschool.tumblr.com

STAMPS E M E R G E N C E / 44

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