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FALL HIGHLIGHTS & DESCRIPTIONS
The 2008 Oklahoma Fall Arts Institute has concluded. Please check back this summer for information about 2009!
Weekend One – October 23 – October 26, 2008
Digital Photography with Ben Long
Adobe Photoshop is the cornerstone of many photographers’ digital workflows. Whether you work with the Photoshop Creative Suite or Photoshop Elements, this class will cover all of your essential digital photography concerns. After a lecture/presentation on shooting on Thursday night, we’ll get up Friday morning for a shooting expedition around Quartz Mountain. The rest of the classes will center around post-production, including importing, organizing, and keywording your images using Adobe Bridge; tonal and color corrections in Photoshop; localized editing using selections and layer masks; simple compositing; raw format shooting and workflow; batch processing and automation; and printing. Students must have basic computer skills, and prior experience with Photoshop is highly recommended. Students must bring their own digital camera, either digital SLR or point-and-shoot. A laptop with Photoshop is highly recommended, but not required. Even if you don’t regularly use Photoshop, the concepts presented in this class will still be valuable, and will translate easily to other programs such as Photoshop Lightroom, Apple Aperture, Nikon Capture NX and others.
Poetry with Al Young, the Poet Laureate of California
To jump-start the creative impulse, I will assign topics. The idea is to force writers to not so much tackle as spontaneously embrace a given assignment. Creativity lives in regions of us we used to call the subconscious or unconscious, and it is closely allied to necessity. Assigned to write a poem in the voice of an ancestor, for example, you have to come up with something you may never have previously imagined. Such assignments force us to tap imagination. Because most poetic expression in the United States today leans toward the confessional mode (I feel, I think, I see, I remember, I matter), current writers and their readers may labor under the notion that poetry itself is only about personal experience. Without revealing any specifics in advance, I promise to keep you on your toes, stretching, inventing, and surprising yourself.
Alternative Photography through the Pinhole Camera with Tom Persinger
Join us for an exciting exploration of the fundamentals of photography through the use of the pinhole camera. Armed with only the simplest of materials, participants will create several different cameras, use both film and paper negatives, make images, and work in the darkroom. We’ll have discussions regarding the science, history and contemporary use of pinhole/lensless techniques, information on how to take these designs to create your own, and plenty of time to use our new cameras in the field.
We’ll also have an open discussion around the unique characteristics of pinhole photography, its contemplative nature and the counterpoint these “simple” techniques play in an increasingly technological world. If you’re interested in photography, this is a great opportunity to see just how simple and fantastic it can be! All skill levels are welcome.
Songwriting from the Center with Bob Franke
Bob Franke’s “Songwriting from the Center” is designed for students of all backgrounds and all levels of experience -- from professional to neophyte. By giving each student an individual assignment designed to challenge them and get over any perceived obstacle they may have, all students become beginners, for it is beginners who learn the most. Franke shows each student new resources for bringing out creativity they never thought they had. By the end of the workshop, each student will have a new song and have gained new insights into rhyme, meter, rhythm and all the elements that make for effective songwriting. Franke provides a safe environment that supports risk-taking and pays attention to the needs of both the songwriter and the songwriter’s audience. All are welcome, and all will be surprised at what they can achieve.
Solarplate Etching with Dan Welden
Master printmaker Dan Welden, originator of the solar plate, will demonstrate this simple and exciting process in an intensive three-day workshop. Printmaking with solar plate is a safe alternative to traditional etching and relief printing and has the ability of producing a wide range of professional results. No acid, asphaltum grounds or petroleum solvents are used in any way for the preparation of the plate. The etched solar plate may be used for traditional intaglio or relief printing.
Unconventional Painting Techniques with Joel Nakamura
We all would like to be more creative. Sometimes it is our past knowledge
and experience that can actually inhibit creative growth. If our objective can
be more abstract or ambiguous, then we are free to create without fear or judgment.
By using unconventional techniques, we don’t have preconceived ideas of what the
final product will be, and we can be open to new levels of creative efforts. This workshop will cover two techniques:
1) Neoteny Painting
neoteny (a biology term)- the retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult of a species
When we were kids, we were free to draw whatever we wanted. It didn’t matter
if arms came out of the side of a head, if monkeys were green, or houses had legs.
This technique is designed to get back to that creative mindset of our younger selves. A childlike freedom allows us to be primitive, funky, weird, and creative. Perhaps the more digital and technology dependent a society becomes, the more
it needs to see and create primitive imagery. See Example(813 KB Tif)
2) Faux Japanese Prints Taught by a Japanese Guy
Actually, there are no printmaking techniques being taught in this workshop.
Instead, we are translating the aesthetics from traditional Japanese prints through
techniques in paint and ink. This exercise blends the figurative and abstract elements with line, texture, and composition. See Example (563 KB Tif)
Weekend Two – October 30 – November 2, 2008
Sculpting in Alabaster with Bill Boettcher
Participants will be given a piece of native, Oklahoma alabaster with the intent to create an organic, abstract form, emphasizing tools and technique. We’ll take a journey through the sanding and polishing phases, ending in a beautiful sculpture to take home, as well as materials detailing resources for tools and stone. Alabaster is especially functional in the middle school and high school classrooms due to its availability, softness, safety, and low cost. The advantage of this material is that it can be sculpted with only hand tools (like files and sandpaper) and still get great results. The workshop is open to beginners and experienced sculptors/teachers alike.
Digital Photography with Ben Long
Adobe Photoshop is the cornerstone of many photographers’ digital workflows. Whether you work with the Photoshop Creative Suite or Photoshop Elements, this class will cover all of your essential digital photography concerns. After a lecture/presentation on shooting on Thursday night, we’ll get up Friday morning for a shooting expedition around Quartz Mountain. The rest of the classes will center around post-production, including importing, organizing, and keywording your images using Adobe Bridge; tonal and color corrections in Photoshop; localized editing using selections and layer masks; simple compositing; raw format shooting and workflow; batch processing and automation; and printing. Students must have basic computer skills, and prior experience with Photoshop is highly recommended. Students must bring their own digital camera, either digital SLR or point-and-shoot. A laptop with Photoshop is highly recommended, but not required. Even if you don’t regularly use Photoshop, the concepts presented in this class will still be valuable, and will translate easily to other programs such as Photoshop Lightroom, Apple Aperture, Nikon Capture NX and others.
Woodblock Printing: Pattern to Narrative with Jeanine Coupe Ryding
The workshop will demonstrate the carving and printing processes for wood cut printmaking. Inking, printing and registration for color and black and white printing will be explored. We will also look at how to make and use stencils and bring other imagery into the print process through Xerox/laser transfer. Participants are encouraged to explore the innovative use of photo and hand-drawn imagery. We'll examine and discuss examples of relief prints. All processes taught in the workshop are non-toxic and can be done at home with minimal equipment. The workshop is open to artists of all ability levels.
Ballroom Dancing with Alee Reed and Rainer Trubere
In this fun and friendly workshop, you'll learn merengue, rumba, salsa, cha cha, swing, foxtrot, waltz and tango. No partner necessary! Emphasis will be on American social style dancing. The workshop will be taught in two levels: one for true beginners or those wishing to teach true beginners in the classroom, studio, or community center, and another level for those already familiar with the basics of social dance who wish to hone their skills and increase their movement vocabulary. Elements to be covered include step patterns, footwork, posture, leading and following (regardless of gender), musicality, rhythm, style, and just plain having fun! This workshop is perfect for educators as well as anyone wishing to boost their confidence on the dance floor.
Weekend Three – November 6 – November 9, 2008
Super Heroes and Special Challenges: Visual Arts in the Special Needs Classroom with Richard Jenkins
Join Richard Jenkins, a nationally published comic book creator, in an engaging and creative workshop experience. Teachers will learn the creative process for creating and drawing their own cartoon characters. Through this process, instructors will learn Richard's teaching technique used for children with limited drawing skills and disabilities. Next, Richard will guide the instructors through a writing exercise incorporating these characters. He will demonstrate how this art project was adapted for children with special needs, including learning, language-based, emotional, and developmental disabilities. By the end of the weekend, teachers will have created four pieces of artwork and written two short stories. Teachers will also receive detailed lesson plans connecting to the Oklahoma Visual & Language Arts PASS Skills, as well as detailed drawing worksheets for their students and visual reference material.
Photographing Strangers with Jim Stone
Like life, photographs are more compelling when populated. How do you include people in your pictures if they are not your relatives, friends, or paid models? This class will help you gain skill in managing spontaneous portrait situations, increase your confidence in approaching people, and make you more effective in gaining their cooperation.
Students should have a digital camera and some photographic experience, but no specific equipment or techniques are necessary. There will not be time for film developing or darkroom printing.
"Play, Sing, and Dance" - An Overview of Orff Schulwerk with Doug Goodkin
We'll play, sing, and dance our way to understanding how the "Orff Approach" serves the needs of children. The workshop introduces the dynamic approach to music and movement education known as Orff Schulwerk. We'll explore material appropriate for children between ages three and fifteen, and use a wide variety of media, including children’s games, body percussion, speech, song, movement, folk dance, drama and Orff instrument ensemble. Come prepared to both actively participate and reflect on the key ideas behind the experiences.
Water-Based Monotype with Susan Rostow
This workshop introduces one of the most spontaneous and fun forms of printmaking. Participants will create one-of-a-kind prints or a series of related images combining drawing, painting and collage. Many techniques will be covered using Akua Kolor and Akua Intaglio inks for the additive method of direct painting (light field), subtractive method (dark field) and viscosity (rolls and resists). Techniques for registration, overprinting, ghost images, found materials, tools, applicators, and chine colle will be taught. Discover how to achieve rich vibrant color or subtle transparencies by using modifiers, mixing colors and selecting papers. Specific techniques for printing with an etching press and by hand for the home or classroom will be covered. Individual attention will be given to each participant to help develop their personal style with the medium. This is a great opportunity for in-depth study with this innovative printmaker and materials developer. All levels are welcome.
Classical Figure Drawing with Juliette Aristides
Description coming soon!
Screenwriting with James Ragan
The workshop will give an overview of Aristotelian dramatic structure with an emphasis on character, plot, dialogue, and the essential craft of writing a feature-length screenplay. Each participant will present a one page storyline which, during the workshop, will be developed into the first ten pages of a script, which are the most crucial to hook the audience. We will study the three-act structure of a screenplay, and discuss what constitutes the main character's conflict, the situation of the plot, and the film's premise, as well as the essential elements of comedy structure. The goal is to encourage each writer to leave the workshop with the craft and knowledge not only of how to write a script, but also how to "read a film." The workshop is open to all ability levels.
Weekend Four – November 13 – November 16, 2008
Writing for Middle Graders, Teens and Beyond with Lois Ruby
Consider the pecan…its brittle shell protects the treasure within. Go ever deeper to find the sweet nugget exploding with lip-smacking flavor. Starting from the nugget, our fiction workshop for all writing levels -- beginning to expert – focuses on these elements: character development, how plot grows out of character trekking toward a resolution, and how dialog defines character and drives the plot to a satisfying ending. We’ll look at language (the shell holding it all together), including word choice, cadence, and figurative expression. All these elements create distinctive voice for both the characters and the author.
P...Plot-- what’s happening, where’s the story’s going?
E...Exposition-- whose point of view; how’s the story told?
C...Character-- who? why? and how does each speak?
A...Action-- what propels the story to its inevitable end?
N...Nuance-- what words, symbols, and subtleties create voice?
Visual Storytelling through Digital Photography with Ami Vitale
Photographer and journalist Ami Vitale presents a workshop aimed to challenge the way you view the world around you. The goal is to learn how to make a difference in your community and in your life's work through story telling. We will speak about how important it is, now more than ever, to understand the world outside our borders and also to understand how other cultures and countries perceive the U.S. With this overarching goal in mind, the class discussion will include how to create strong imagery, editing, ethics, job preparation, learning current methods and technology used in the industry and finally, personal growth as an integral process of this kind of documentation. This class is open to all ability levels.
The Fundamentals of Acting with E. R. Gister
Whether you're a total "newbie" to the stage or a veteran actor looking to brush up on technique, you'll learn a lot! We'll focus on the two fundamental questions of acting: What do I do and how do I do it? Legendary acting instructor E. R. Gister will guide you through the questions every actor must ask. Don't worry about stage fright – the class will be a supportive environment where you will be encouraged to take risks and make mistakes.
Encaustic Painting Workshop with Kristy Deetz
Encaustic painting techniques use pigment with warm wax to create a textural effect on any number of surfaces. Encaustic has the advantage of not yellowing, repelling moisture, enhancing surface texturing, and responding to continual reworking. Encaustic lends itself to images that are buried under or imbedded within multiple layers of wax. Students will apply encaustic to various surfaces and learn a full range of techniques that combine encaustic and oil painting. Students will learn to use various additive and subtractive techniques, such as fusing, scraping, casting, dipping, layering, and/or burnishing. This workshop covers all the basics of encaustic painting and more, offering instruction in experimental approaches, such as collage, image transfer, stencils, and "block-outs."
Arts Integration, with Michael Beadle, Kevin Warner, Marcia Greenwood and Leah Nellis
Participants will rotate through four workshops, each taught by a different instructor:
Ka-Boom! Poetry with Michael Beadle
Tired of using the same old haiku and acrostic lessons for your poetry units? Does the idea of poetry give your students cause to snore? Michael Beadle, a performance poet and teaching artist, will take you on an exciting adventure through different cultures and their poetry forms. Learn new ways to write, use and perform poetry in the classroom. No passport or poetic license is required – just an open mind and a willingness to have fun.
Making Movement Meaningful: Integrating Dance with Literacy and Language Development with Kevin Warner
What is the role of dance/creative movement in my K-5 classroom? How do the languages of dance and literacy connect, and how will knowing them help me move toward deeper levels of integration? This session focuses on the use of dance (creative movement) as a catalyst for teaching K – 5 PASS objectives in language arts. By engaging in multiple creative movement experiences, participants will discover firsthand how facilitating “do-able,” authentic dance experiences can help move students toward a deeper understanding of tested skills, such as inference, character traits, context clues and vocabulary development. We'll share management tools and resource lists, and participants will work together to create dances in a safe, fun, non-judgmental environment – no experience necessary!
Math and Matisse with Marcia Greenwood
What do visual art and math have in common? How can I use visual art to more fully understand math, and how can I use math to help me create visual art? How is every work of art a work of mathematics? Beginners through advanced art or math teachers will have an opportunity to explore these and other questions. Participants will explore pattern, proportion, position, equivalency, prediction and memory. We will learn where these skills are located in math and visual arts PASS across grade levels. We will look at art prints by Henri Matisse and create our own original painting using Matisse for inspiration. In addition, we will consider what other inspirations from art and art media could be used, as participants deepen their understanding of possible connections between math and art.
Math and Music Integration with Leah Nellis
Would you like to put your students’ iPod addiction to work for you in math class? Music is fundamentally mathematical, and there are hundreds of ways to reflect every kind of musical element with numbers, graphs and other mathematical symbols. Go beyond identifying notes with fractional names to using bar graphs to chart changes in volume. Create original melodies by relocating their pitches through the four geometric transformations: translation, transposition, reflection and rotation. Learn to use your students’ musical understanding to create lessons that meet PASS objectives for their grade. Construct musical representations of both modern music and music of the classics using everyday math manipulatives or household supplies. Come away with a new perspective on listening to music, by using math to describe the music you love to play.
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