Thursday, August 13, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
School #2: School of the Art Institute Chicago
Name: School of the Art Institute Chicago or SAIC
Location: Chicago, IL
Talk about culture shock! So I've never lived in a true city, I'd even venture to say that what we have here in California aren't true cities. We have LA and San Fran but they definitely don't have the big city feel that Chicago has.
SAIC is located in the heart of Chicago. One of the buildings is attached to the the Art Institute which is right across from Milennium Park. The other buildings are all within about a 2 - 3 block walking distance of one another. Most of the fine arts rooms are located in the building attached to the museum. This includes the ceramics studio along with all of the kilns. It's crazy to see EVERYTHING enclosed in an indoor space. The ventilation system there is intense because it has to be.
It's also kind of weird that there are rooms in there that don't have any natural light. They're closer to the inner parts of the buildings so there are no windows. Crit rooms like the one below are a great example of this. A lot of their internal space for art shows is similar.
The fibers program is housed in another building.
I found so many things fascinating about this school. One was the crazy, urban cityscape. That would definitely be something new for me that would leave me with endless things to explore. This could also leave me yearning to get out of the city and be around some trees and mountains (which I'm pretty sure IL doesn't have.)
The second, they don't have grades! I think that for an art school this is actually a great concept. They don't want you to be focused on keeping your GPA up they want you to be focused on creating amazing art. So you either pass or fail. I'm not a fan of this system for everything but I think for art it's a win win.
A possible downfall for me...SAIC is VERY contemporary. They have a lot of traditional tools so that you can learn how things were done but they focus heavily on a contemporary way to do the same things. For example, they require all of their students to have 15" Mac Book Pros (don't get me started on this...) because for pretty much everything you do you can use a machine that you plug your computer into and it does whatever for you. Like they have traditional blacksmithing tools but they also have machines that will cut metal based on what your computer tells it to do. This kind of weirds me out, mainly because my focus is more traditional and craft based. I can see the advantage in it but I also can see it being something I don't want to focus on.
All in all an AMAZING school but still not sure if it's right for me.
Location: Chicago, IL
Talk about culture shock! So I've never lived in a true city, I'd even venture to say that what we have here in California aren't true cities. We have LA and San Fran but they definitely don't have the big city feel that Chicago has.
SAIC is located in the heart of Chicago. One of the buildings is attached to the the Art Institute which is right across from Milennium Park. The other buildings are all within about a 2 - 3 block walking distance of one another. Most of the fine arts rooms are located in the building attached to the museum. This includes the ceramics studio along with all of the kilns. It's crazy to see EVERYTHING enclosed in an indoor space. The ventilation system there is intense because it has to be.
It's also kind of weird that there are rooms in there that don't have any natural light. They're closer to the inner parts of the buildings so there are no windows. Crit rooms like the one below are a great example of this. A lot of their internal space for art shows is similar.
The fibers program is housed in another building.
I found so many things fascinating about this school. One was the crazy, urban cityscape. That would definitely be something new for me that would leave me with endless things to explore. This could also leave me yearning to get out of the city and be around some trees and mountains (which I'm pretty sure IL doesn't have.)
The second, they don't have grades! I think that for an art school this is actually a great concept. They don't want you to be focused on keeping your GPA up they want you to be focused on creating amazing art. So you either pass or fail. I'm not a fan of this system for everything but I think for art it's a win win.
A possible downfall for me...SAIC is VERY contemporary. They have a lot of traditional tools so that you can learn how things were done but they focus heavily on a contemporary way to do the same things. For example, they require all of their students to have 15" Mac Book Pros (don't get me started on this...) because for pretty much everything you do you can use a machine that you plug your computer into and it does whatever for you. Like they have traditional blacksmithing tools but they also have machines that will cut metal based on what your computer tells it to do. This kind of weirds me out, mainly because my focus is more traditional and craft based. I can see the advantage in it but I also can see it being something I don't want to focus on.
All in all an AMAZING school but still not sure if it's right for me.
Friday, August 7, 2009
School #1: The Oregon College of Arts and Crafts
Since everyone keeps asking about my travels to look for the perfect school I figured I would post a blog about each one to keep you all posted. I really get overwhelmed by the question since I am still so unsure about what I am doing so I figured this would be easiest for everyone.
So, here we go.
School #1: Oregon College of Arts and Crafts, or OCAC
Location: Portland, OR
A beautiful, small campus located about 10 - 15 minutes from the heart of the city on the train.
Things that I absolutely loved about this school were that it is so beautiful. Most of Portland is gorgeous and green and that is definitely a plus for me. The school is also pretty small and consists of mostly older students. So basically it's a small community full of people who are like me; about 25 - 29 and making a career change. I find that an extremely attractive quality in this school.
The facilities are nice and not too modern. Another quality I find wonderful. I'm definitely interested in a craft based focus that isn't too contemporary. This school seemed to have that quality and feel.
Now, some negatives...it's in Portland. I found that people there to be, well, less than friendly. I'll be honest as far as the school went and the people I encountered there it was lovely and a perfect fit...but...the time I spent just around Portland really made me feel less than enthused about moving there.
Sad to say...I think that this school might be perfect for me if it just wasn't in Portland.
So, here we go.
School #1: Oregon College of Arts and Crafts, or OCAC
Location: Portland, OR
A beautiful, small campus located about 10 - 15 minutes from the heart of the city on the train.
Things that I absolutely loved about this school were that it is so beautiful. Most of Portland is gorgeous and green and that is definitely a plus for me. The school is also pretty small and consists of mostly older students. So basically it's a small community full of people who are like me; about 25 - 29 and making a career change. I find that an extremely attractive quality in this school.
The facilities are nice and not too modern. Another quality I find wonderful. I'm definitely interested in a craft based focus that isn't too contemporary. This school seemed to have that quality and feel.
Now, some negatives...it's in Portland. I found that people there to be, well, less than friendly. I'll be honest as far as the school went and the people I encountered there it was lovely and a perfect fit...but...the time I spent just around Portland really made me feel less than enthused about moving there.
Sad to say...I think that this school might be perfect for me if it just wasn't in Portland.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
I need your help!
I'm thinking of renaming my business. I love my current logo and all, (thank you Candice for your amazingness what seems like forever ago,) however I just think I need a name that's a bit better than "handmade by nicole." I think when I originally thought of the name I wanted to use I was trying to keep things simple, but it turns out that NO ONE can spell my last name correctly. It's the curse of the "ARY" instead of the "RIE."
This is where I need your help.
I need a new name. Suggestions are being taken starting...NOW! I can't offer you much, but I can say this winner gets a personally made knitted or crocheted item of their choice! That's right, I said it! So let's hear them people, name my business!
I submit for your enjoyment the following:
Nikki's Nick Nacks
Nikki Knits (this kind of isn't my own creation.)
Oh, and my name doesn't need to be in it or if you'd like you can use any of my various nicknames.
BTW, if you've never visited www.nicoleguthary.com go check it out, maybe it will bring you inspiration!
This is where I need your help.
I need a new name. Suggestions are being taken starting...NOW! I can't offer you much, but I can say this winner gets a personally made knitted or crocheted item of their choice! That's right, I said it! So let's hear them people, name my business!
I submit for your enjoyment the following:
Nikki's Nick Nacks
Nikki Knits (this kind of isn't my own creation.)
Oh, and my name doesn't need to be in it or if you'd like you can use any of my various nicknames.
BTW, if you've never visited www.nicoleguthary.com go check it out, maybe it will bring you inspiration!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
This stuff works miracles!
Thank you Burt's Bees for helping my sunburn feel more like regular skin.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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