Reflection

So here comes the obligatory, end-of-semester "what did I learn" mumbo jumbo.

I honestly don't even know where to begin.

First of all, I will just say one valuable lesson I learned is that time flies when your having fun! There are so many things I did not have time to do this semester but I'm not mad or bummed out that I didn't do those things because I really did accomplish a lot of other great things. But in the future I need to take note of how fast only a few months can fly by.

The best "thing" or "concept" or "lesson" or whatever you want to call that I learned this semester is not something I read out of a book or learned from a class discussion. In fact it was something I found within myself.

That thing I found was confidence.

Don't get me wrong. I did have some confidence when coming in to this project; however, it really blossomed during my time at the Virginia B. Ball Center. I wish I could pin down a direct cause for this discovery; however, I think it was a mix of things. Definitely, one significant factor was my professor Beth Dalton. She was always there to support me when my writing was less than satisfactory and always had encouraging words to help keep my head up. Also, my teammates proved to be an amazing support system for me. They were constantly praising my work and helping me out when my confidence was faltering.

No matter how I obtained this confidence, it feels pretty darn good. I feel like I am actually ready to go out into the real world and knock-em dead!

Other things I learned this semester:

1. I learned about photography. I not only practiced framing shots but I also developed more knowledge about camera settings and how to edit those pictures in photoshop.

2. I learned about design elements. When I designed the invitation for the showcase, I knew it had to serve several purposes: bring people to the showcase, reflect the look and feel of the website, and be the base for the whole "campaign." I had other print materials to design and the invitations is where it all started.

3. I learned about collaboration. Working so closely with other students proved to be trying at times; however, I learned some coping strategies. I know that getting over-heated and angry accomplishes nothing. I also learned that at some point decisions need to be made and sometimes there has to be one person that will stand up and be perceived as the not-so-nice teammate. On top of all that, I learned how to be a better leader.

4. I learned about art and art museums. I learned about American and European Art and how it was affected by the changing times. I also learned that art museums are set up completely with the audience in mind. From the temperature of the rooms to the layout of rooms to the architecture, every little detail is meticulously thought out and planned.

5. I learned about interpersonal communications. I was able to practice my interpersonal communications on a daily basis. Wether it be communication with "outsiders" or my classmates or Beth, I was constantly practicing my comm skills.

6. I learned the importance of revising. After completing seven drafts of the audio tour scripts, I learned that no matter how many times you rewrite, reread, and edit your writing, it can still always be better.

As I begin to wrap up this list, I know I will close my computer and immediately think of something else important. But I think I pretty much covered the bases.

O! Here's one:

As I sat down and brainstormed this list. I learned that I have no regrets from this semester. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my college education.

Appreciation to my fellow teammates

So this semester would not have been possible without the help of every single one of my classmates. For this reason, I want to take a few moments to recognize the hard work of my fellow classmates:

David: He worked really hard in putting our website in dreamweaver. Before this semester, he knew nothing about dreamweaver and I appreciate the fact that he not only taught himself the program but was also able to build a beautiful site completely from scratch--Not an easy thing to do.

Sarah: Here writing skills really came in handy throughout the semester. She wrote a few tour scripts as well as part of the instructor materials section. She also helped put up the tour section of the website. She is an amazing writer and I think she will go on to do great things.

Cara: She saved my butt when it came time to put the tour packets together. I was supposed to put the tour packet together and was still struggling with my scripts. Being the awesome teammate that she is, she offered to take a load off my shoulders even though she had a lot on her plate. I will never forget this amazing act of kindness.

Rick: He was so amazing in the implementation of the mp3 players. Without Rick, those mp3 players would not even exist for the museum. He not only researched players to buy, but he also loaded the tours onto them (several times) and wrote directions for using the players.

Michelle: Without her the audio tours would still be in a word document floating somewhere in cyberspace. Not only did she gladly record the audio tour but she also edited all the tracks. On top of all that, she produced an impressive documentary about our project and class.

Maddy: She created a killer timeline! The English Literature major of the team, learned how to use Adobe Flash and produced an interactive timeline that can not be rivaled. I admire her willingness to learn and her dedication.

Anna: Without Maddy, the timeline would not have been organized in an awesome fashion; however, without Anna there would BE no timeline. Anna worked really hard on the timeline section and never complained once.

Amy: She did an awesome job with the showcase. She put together a play-by-play schedule that would make a wedding planner blush. I was thoroughly impressed.

Loretta: Loretta and I worked closely together this semester. She taught me SOOOOOO much and I owe her a great debt of gratitude. She's a fantastic photographer and I am lucky to learn from her. She also did a great job when we were working together on the program.

Katie: She was very helpful when it came to anything art (this makes sense, considering she is the only art major on our team). It's amazing how much this girl knows about art. She put a lot of effort into the art exploration part of the website.

Laura: What a diplomat little miss Laura is! She is very articulate and a good leader. She worked a lot on the design elements of the web site. When there was drama within the tech team she helped calm down the tempers and get us back on track.

Liz: Although she is not an art major, she was very helpful when our group had questions about art because she is a docent. She was so patient with me when I was trying to understand the different movements in art and I really commend her for that. She worked very hard on the timeline section.

My Professor, Beth: I could not have chosen a better professor to work with this semester. I know what is needed out of a professor that is leading an immersive learning project and Beth hit the nail on the head. She never lead us too much but also never let us get lost for lack of guidance. As I look back on this project, I realize just how big it really was. The only thing I have to say is: THANK GOD Beth was our professor. I would have been a very sour person by the end of the semester if anyone else would have lead this project.

And last but not least, ME: It's always very hard to brag about myself but it doesn't hurt to do it every once in awhile. I worked really hard on my tour scripts, the invitations, programs and other miscellaneous printed items. I tried to be a good leader as well throughout the semester because this is my third immersive learning experience.

All things VBC

So VBC stands for The Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry and in this blog I will tell you a few reasons why I love the VBC.

First of all, I got to work at the Kitselman Mansion. To say the least, it was AMAZING.

Who could deny that this place is anything less than marvelous.

Not only was I afforded the opportunity to work at the mansion but I was also fortunate enough to work with the dedicated staff at the VBC. Aside from everything I learned this semester, Joe and Donna really rounded out the experience for me.

Joe Trimmer, the director of the VBC, taught me to love life, be dedicated and to never give up. When I first met Joe he told us the story about how Virginia Ball wanted him and him only to head up the program. After completing my semester at the VBC, I now understand her decision. I have never seen someone so devoted to their job. He loves to show us off to other people and anytime we talk about the project he gets this huge smirk on his face that simply says "you guys did it and I could not be more proud." I feel like the luckiest person in the world for having the opportunity to get to know Joe Trimmer this semester.

The other VBC staff member that I had the privilege of hanging out with was Donna Ferguson, Associate Director of the VBC. Now this is a woman who knows how to get things done. She was so fun and cool but at the same time everyone respected her. Donna is just one of those people you just don't cross. And I have so much respect for her because of that. I hope that someday I can be as good a businesswoman as her.

Other random things I love and will miss at the VBC:

*The comfy couches in the living room

*The fire place

*The fact that food always seems to appear when I least expect it to

*The beautiful Christmas tree

*The drive up to the mansion

*The beautiful staircase that welcomes me every morning

*The cave where so many times we had group bonding time

*The attic

*The classroom [If the Kitselman mansion was our home then our classroom was our bedroom].

*And most of all, the people.

I will undoubtedly be back to visit.

Picture time!

So throughout the semester I have been taking a lot of pictures and editing them. Not only is this because I am getting two photography credits, but also, I just LOVE to take pictures. You have already seen some throughout my blog and now I will show you a small sample of other pictures I have taken throughout the semester.

This is a noteworthy picture because it features Loretta. She is VERY hard to snap a picture of because she is always the photographer.

A common trend this semester was eating. Here the group is pictured during a pizza party.

We were ALWAYS on our laptops so Maddy working diligently on her laptop is not a rare scene.

Likely this is Maddy going on about Virginia Woolf.

At the Virginia B. Ball Center students have to work in a strict collaborative setting. Maddy and Sarah are likely collaborating about the website.

Loretta in her most common state: behind a camera.

Loretta and I put together a makeshift photography studio in the basement of the Kitselman Mansion. Here, Loretta and Katie take a break from the studio shots to explore more creative shots.

Who can pass up a good detail of leaves in the fall?

I just really like the leaves.

I bought these cute key covers at the Dayton Art Institute and decided to take a break to take a picture of them.

Although this is by no means the majority of my pictures, it gives you an idea of some of the pictures that I took throughout the semester.

Also, keep in mind that I practiced and enhanced my photoshop skills tremendously this semester. Often overlooked by viewers, it takes a lot of hard work and manipulation to maximize the quality of a photo.

Tech 4 U

So back in October Beth asked Loretta and I to present at this Tech 4 U conference. Here is the URL to further explain what the event was about: http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/CentersandInstitutes/EmergingMedia/FacilitiesandTech/Tech4UEvents.aspx

Of course we agreed and I was actually really excited. Then we got busy with the Web site and the showcase... and we forgot about it for a long time.....

The day before the presentation rolled around we realized that we had no idea what to talk about, who the audience was or how the speech would be structured.

Nevertheless, Loretta and I sucked it up, sat down and pounded out an awesome presentation that was going to blow the other presentations at the event out of the water. We decided that I would talk about blogs and she would talk about Flickr and Facebook.

[It's quite ironic that I was chosen to speak about blogs considering I'm such an expert at keeping mine up-to-date; however, people do seem to enjoy reading my blogs.]

Being the good presenters that we are, we showed up 35 minutes early to practice and do a technology run-through. However, what we found was the lonely speaker that was scheduled to present in the time-slot before us. My immediate thought? "Great. That audience that I so diligently analyzed was actually non-existent."

Fortunately for Loretta and I, we have the best classmates in the world and our entire team showed up along with Beth and Joe Trimmer (who is the director of the VBC- I love that guy and I might even write a blog just about him later this week). Also in attendance were 4 other poor souls who I'm thinking were professors.

In the end, we had a blast and it was good practice for my public speaking skills.

In case you are interested, here is a copy of my o-so organized outline for the presentation. [To make it easy for you I bolded the most important part]:

Loretta and I are doing an immersive learning project at the Virginia B. Ball Center this semester. It is located off campus at the Kitselman Mansion. We work in a seminar with 12 other students and are receiving 15 credit hours.

For our project we created a Web site in collaboration with the Ball State Museum of Art that encourages students to appreciate and learn about art. Before creating this Web site we did our homework. We researched similar Web sites and went directly to our audience: high school students. We visited Monroe Central High School to learn from and observe high school art students in action.

The result, as you can see, is this master piece.

The Web site features artwork from the Ball State Museum of Art in 4 sections:

The audio tour, which orients students and new museum patrons through the museum.

There is an Art Exploration section devoted to helping students look at art with confidence.

The Art Timeline to further help students understand art history, while using objects from the BSU Museum of Art to illustrate a variety of art styles.

And an Instructor Materials section to help educators maximize the educational value of the museum experience.

Behind the scenes of this beautiful Web site, was actually organized chaos. We built this site in a rather quick 10 weeks. Fortunately the ups and downs of those crazy 10 weeks have been documented on several blogs that were created by the students.

At the beginning of the semester, we were assigned to keep some sort of portfolio, whether it be a scrapbook or a blog, we had to have proof that we took part in the project at the end of the semester. Most of us chose blogs simply because it was easier.

This blog is one of the best things that could have happened to our group. We are constantly reflecting on what we’ve learned. We can read each other’s blogs to learn even more about the project.

My personal view of blogs in an educational setting:

I think it should be a college requirement that everyone write an educational blog throughout college. I really wish I could go back and know exactly what I was thinking when I walked into my first college course. I wish I could remember exactly what it was that I learned from that class….Unfortunately those thoughts were never recorded and I will not be able to remember exactly what I was thinking.

When this project is over, I will have an awesome Web site to show off to people and hopefully and awesome A+ to show off to people but also I will have the reflective blog that I can look back on and learn from for years to come. If I would have written a blog throughout college about what I have learned, I would have remembered things so much more.

The biggest challenge is having time to update the blog every semester.

It’s more conversational and laid back than typical papers.

Another social medium our class used was facebook. We used it to create a sense of community within our group. It worked out great because once you get to know someone on a personal level it is easier to work with them. You understand them better. At first we created a closed group but then later on we opened the group up to the public, which proved to be a huge success.

Scripts

So for the tour group we had to write these scripts (A.K.A. podcasts). In theory, the scripts sounded like a cinch; however, as fate would have it, the podcasts were a major undertaking. See below the evolution of our scripts. 

It must have been the third or fourth meeting where the tour group sat down and planned who would write each script. We decided there should be a script for each room in the museum and that each script should feature one object of art and then include a discussion about the room itself. Easy right? 

Being the nice person that I am, I volunteered to write three podcasts rather than two. Another fatal mistake was to pick my rooms based on my level of enthusiasm toward the works of art. I chose the Ethnographic Gallery, North Gallery: Bay 1 (A.K.A. American art) and North Gallery: Bay 2 (A.K.A. a hodge podge of American and European with a bit of impressionism).

Skip ahead four weeks. 

After several conversations with Beth and Tania and several classmates I finally made it to my 4th draft. That's right. You heard me correctly. FOUR DRAFTS. It gets better. After four drafts I decided that my object for the American Gallery would not work and I changed objects! 

Overall, I completed roughtly 7 drafts. I lost count by the end. 

I could have pouted and cried and complained, but instead I decided to brush it off my shoulder and use this as a learning experience. 

Somewhere around draft 5 or so, I realized that there never really is a FINAL draft of anything. Think about the books and newspapers you've read. I'm sure on several occasions you had to reread something because the syntax was confusing or you found those too words that the editors did not catch in there Sunday edition of the newspaper.

In reality, no one is perfect. It's great to strive for perfection but we all need to remember that perfection truly is impossible. This is something I need to work on now and into the future. I have problems accepting less than perfect work from myself. Unfortunately, tt oftentimes gets in the way of creating even mediocre work. I get so focused on how bad my writing or my pictures or my designs could be that I neglect how great they will be. 

(O.K. you got me, I did complain about the drafts. But not as much as you would have!) 

I'm sort of clueless about Timeline

So I know a lot about the Audio Tour section of the website; however, I do not know too much about the timeline. I was not on that team and I have not really been following their process. After spending some time playing with it, I've realized just how cool it is! I sat on it for an hour and a half just reading all the different things. They did a really good job and I love the fun fact by Darcy the Docent Dog. Not only is the content interesting and appealing but also the format is stellar. Maddy did an excellent job with it.

I'm just glad that I didn't have to be responsible for all that content. Phew! That must have been a heavy load to pull.

Course Reflection

As the semester flies by I realize that it is time to take a break and evaluate how I am fulfilling my course options. At the end of the semester, I need to meet with Dr. Spotts, Dr. Waecter & Dr. Hanley and articulate exactly what I have accomplished in my “courses.”

As I reflect upon what I’ve been doing, I realize that I need to step it up a bit! In the blog, not only am I going to outline what I’ve been working on, but ALSO I will create a list of assignments that coincides with my course options.

English 400

This blog. I have never done a real blog like this before. I’m learning how to keep my audience interested as well fulfill the requirements that Beth needs out of me. It’s hard to bridge that gap I’m realizing.

The podcasts. For the audio tour group, we are writing podcasts, which prove to be quite a challenge. We must orient people through the museum, inform people about the room, inform people about the object AND keep them awake…. It’s a tough job actually.

Room for improvement: update my blog more often. I’m really slacking on that.

English 299

I’m going to be honest…. I have no idea what this class is. So I’m going to say that this class is my PR class.

I have been working on planning the showcase. It’s coming along slowly but surely. The entire group has really been focusing on content for the Web site so other projects have been put on the back burner for now.

I’m going to write hometown news releases for each student. This is HARD. I’m trying to find the news value and the focus for these stories. I really need to sit down and pump these out.

I’m making a media kit/ programs/ invitations for the showcase. Still working out the details but I’m pretty excited! I’m hoping to make some neat materials.

Room for improvement: get my booty working! If I don’t start this stuff soon I’m going to drop the ball.

ITGRA 286

Basic Photography. I’ve been picking Loretta’s brain about cameras and I have picked up a wealth of knowledge from her. I’ve learned about ISOs and aperature settings and all kinds of fun stuff! I will continue to pick her brain.

I am taking pictures for the audio tour of the Web site.

Room for improvement: play with the camera more often.

ITGRA 282

Digital imaging. I’ve been playing on photoshop a lot. It’s fun! I borrowed Loretta’s portfolio from when she took this class to learn more about specific elements of photoshop.

I will be producing materials for the showcase to fulfill this requirement.

Room for improvement: play around with dreamweaver, photoshop, indesign and illustrator more often.

The Pitch.......

Just for the record, I’m very behind on my blog….. but hey, atleast I’m honest.

So a few weeks ago we had “the pitch.”

In attendance:

Peter Blume: director of the museum (somewhat friendly, but business-like)

Carl Shafer: associate director of the museum (friendlier and also business-like)

Tania Said: curator of education for the museum (always a pleasure to work with)

Joe Trimmer: Director of Virginia Ball Center (an absolute hoot, will talk your ear off, brilliant man)

Valerie [insert last name]: Not exactly sure what her title is, but she is a talented graphic artist (she always leaves us with new things to think about, which I LOVE)

Laura [insert last name]: media director for the VBC (keeper of all things holy at the VBC including cameras, computers and necessary programs, very friendly)

And of course our entire class was there along with our lovely professor.

We all dressed up for this pitch. We wanted to be treated like professionals rather than students. We even offered them water. It was great.

Our guests were given binders with all the information in it. (This was good for them, but there was mass confusion with our guests throughout the presentation because the formatting was not consistent. It was more of a last-minute packet because we were too busy to do more with it).

Beth (our professor aka the queen) was the first to talk then each section presented their section of the site. I presented the audio tour and THANK GOD they had no real criticisms of our section. Other groups had bigger problems, however. Peter was a bit critical of our site, which I do not think is a bad thing. Several students felt like they were under attack but I thought it was nice to be treated like a professional. A few individuals got defensive. My classmate Katie Pourcho really stepped up to the plate and delicately defended certain portions of the site. Kudos to her on that. To be honest, it was not just Katie that did an amazing job with the pitch. Our entire class really kept it together and acted like professionals. Going into this pitch I was worried that this would end up like several of our staff meetings where tempers get out of hand and voices are raised.

This was a great experience for me because last year I went into a “pitch” where the client hated our project and attacked us on the spot about things we could not change. After hearing Peter and Carl’s feedback, we can now make the appropriate changes and our site will be even stronger!

Overall, I feel like a grown up after having been in this situation!

Visit to Monroe Central High School

To continue my discussion about real-world encounters, I will now tell you about the art teacher we are working with at Monroe Central High School.

If I was required to describe Jeff Waggoner with 1 word that word would be "Cool." When we first met with Jeff, he sat down and talked with us during his prep period--which is quite a sacrifice on his part. After an hour of us picking his brain, his students came in..... [insert intimidating music here].

We all had mixed feelings of fear, anxiety and excitement when we first encountered the students, it was a bit awkward. PICTURE THIS: 15 university students drooling with anticipation of obtaining knowledge as they watch 30 high school students like caged animals interact. Luckily, Jeff did an amazing job at easing the tension and Beth suggested that we [art to go students] partake in the art activities alongside the High Schoolers. (If you haven't been paying attention up to this point, listen now. This is where the good stuff starts).

Although most of us scoffed at the idea of partaking in elementary-type games, we did end up participating in the class activities. Jeff's lesson was about realism, which is the style of art that depicts real-life scenes and people. At first Jeff gave a quick history lesson about realism (and by quick I mean no longer than 5 minutes). The lesson was interesting because he tied in interesting facts about realist artists and he pointed to examples of realism around his classroom. The students were interactive... I know, right? Who would have thought that students would actually be engaged in Art History. It was neat.

Then he changed direction and had the students (and us) do warm-up exercises--and no we did not run around the block to get our hearts pumping. The exercises taught us how to loosen up and pay attention to detail. Here are some examples of my work:

My eyes were open for this one. It was the first drawing I did.

I was allowed to do whatever I wanted with this drawing. It's my best one.

I did this with my eyes closed and my left hand.

I drew this with my eyes closed.

I got to do whatever I wanted with this one as well.

I drew this one with my left hand.

My eyes were closed for this one. I photoshopped some stars in with this one to be fun.

My eyes were closed for this one.

Sorry to disappoint, these drawings were not created by Picasso. They were produced by yours truly.

I also photoshopped all of these to get more experience in photoshop. It was quite a lovely time!

Overall, Jeff is a valuable resource for our project. He is our audience and if we do no not listen to what he wants, then our site will be unused. Although we took away several good ideas from our first visit to the school, the most important thing we learned is that Jeff--and most likely other art and humanities teachers--are adding a human element to their lessons. Teachers are asking one simple question: how can I relate this piece of information to my students' lives so they will be engaged, interested and ultimately retain the information?

Field Trip: Indy and Dayton

Two weeks ago, our group was blessed with the opportunity to venture outside of the Ball State community into what most of us call "The Real World." Most of us who are graduating within the year are incredibly intimidated by this scary place but this time "The Real World" was nice to us and we gained a wealth of knowledge.

We started out in the VBC parking lot with doughnuts and coffee. As most of you probably know, it's difficult to pry 13 college students out of bed in the middle of the night--8 am. Remarkably, the entire group was on time and the caravan was pulling away by 8:30.

My classmates approaching the wonderful IMA.

First stop: Indianapolis Museum of Art

If you've never been to the IMA, I STRONG encourage you to take a trip out there. It's free! The museum is gorgeous and HUGE. It also comes complete with the beautiful Lilly mansion as well as acres of fancy gardens.

Only a small preview of the majestic gardens

At the IMA, we met with their new media and web development folks. The new media department gave us a wealth of knowledge about social networking as well as ways to build buzz about the museum. Unfortunately, those ideas are out of our reach. Mediums that require two-way communication require constant maintenance, which we will not be privy to once the semester is over.

The Web development specialist came in handy! They are revamping their brand as well as their Web site as we speak and it was interesting to hear him talk about that. At one point one person in our class asked him "Where will the education link be located on your new site?" His face immediately turned red and his counterpart snickered. It was immediately obvious that we had touched on a sensitive issue! (I love to ruffle people's feathers. It was funny and awkward).

He had no real response. It was more of a noise. Then another woman spoke up and explained where they were thinking (AKA arguing) about putting the link. (Of course, the location was pretty buried).

The most important lesson I learned from the IMA is this:

We want people to REMEMBER things after they visit our site and take the audio tour. Our site is pointless if the information goes in one ear and out the other. The content of the site needs to be as thought-provoking as possibly to promote retention of the material. (I pretty much already knew this before the visit but for some reason this just really stuck with me after speaking with their new media people).

After exploring the museum, we went back to the vans and devised our scheme for avoiding traffic between Indy and Dayton.

20 minutes later we were yet again scrunched in the mini vans discussing Maddy's newest edition of InStyle magazine. The article "How to Stay Polished" was a big hit in our van.

Second Stop: The Dayton Art Institute

The next morning we rolled out of bed bright and early and headed to the Dayton Art Institute.

Although smaller than the IMA, this museum was AWESOME. What really sticks out at this museum is the education program. They have limited budget and their museum depends heavily on volunteers. Kudos to them, however, because, despite the odds, they have a fantastic education program. In the basement of the museum is an interactive lab where children (and adults) can have fun while learning about art. This utilized organic learning, which is a term our group has been throwing around a lot lately. It's the idea that students cannot be lectured to. They need to have fun with the lesson and be unaware that the are learning.

My classmate, Laura, having fun in the Interactive section of the DAI. The keys on the keyboard were larger than normal keys, which made typing a challenge.

By the way, we changed our name from Art to Go to...... drum roll please........Art In Sight.

Hope you like it!

First visit to the Ball State Museum of Art

Hey guys!

I've decided my next blog will be about the very first time I ever visited the Ball State Museum of art! I first went to the museum roughly 4 weeks ago. Before we went to the museum the class discussed previous experiences in the museum. We went around the classroom and shared our encounters with the museum. This proved to be the moment of truth: the moment when my fellow classmates, the client as well as my teacher would know that I've never actually been to the BSU museum. Of course, I was the only one.

I'm proud to say that I've broken that spell and I have some awesome comments to make about the museum!

First of all, the building is spectacular. Above, is a picture of the museum accompanied by my classmate, Maddy. When I first approached this building I was welcomed by the two staircases that led to the entrance. The entrance is large and welcoming and is accentuated by the entire structure of the building which drew my eyes toward the door. Even the open field, which leads to the entrance provokes me to enter. Although appealing and magnetic, the building is also daunting and has a scholarly vibe to it. If I were not a scholar, I might be too intimidated to further explore the museum.

When I entered the museum, I was welcomed by a large staircase and open sculpture gallery (seen in the picture above). The symmetry, openness and white color was pleasing to my eyes and put me at ease. The large painting at the top of the staircase is intriguing because it does not fit with the style of the grandiose room. It dared me to see what else the museum has to offer. In my mind it screams "Go ahead. See what's next."

A side note about the architecture: it was constantly leading me in a certain direction. It led me from the quad, up the stairs, through the doors, into the sculpture court and up the second set of stairs. I'm compelled to keep following the paintings. The line is never broken and I was never once distracted. The design kept leading me deeper and deeper into the depths of the museum. I was able to get lost in the art, which is a feeling I LOVE.

To continue with the "getting lost" theme, I was never distracted by people. It is somewhat of an unwritten behavior code that we need to be quiet in the art museum. For those of you who know me well, you know this creates somewhat of a problem. However, given the fact that we were exploring the museum independently, I was never told to "Ssh."

One aspect I did find distracting in the museum was the labels. Unfortunately, the labels are necessary because they contain information like the artist's name and dates and whatnot but I found myself searching for labels before discovering the piece of art itself. I also found it interesting that some labels included fun, little stories and some did not. Although the stories were distracting, they intrigued me and sparked my interested even further. I also enjoyed the labels because they tell me what materials were used to create the piece, which is fascinating to me. The materials used are often times extraordinary.

SO!

After FINALLY visiting the BSU museum of art, I was impressed. I've visited several European museums and this museum is comparable to those. Overall, I felt enriched and relaxed after walking through the museum. Not only did this art teach me about culture and history but it also taught me about religion. Walking around the museum inspired me to keep learning and intrigued me to study world cultures. I also felt like my creative juices were flowing after looking through the art. The variety of art at this museum shows me that I too can create art even though I have no training--all I have to do is stick 2 pieces of Plexiglas together, right? (For those of you who have never been to the museum, there is a piece of art that consists of two pieces of Plexiglas that were assembled after being shipped to the museum). It's hard to choose a favorite room. I really do love the museum in its entirety! The architecture and layout of the building is great as well as the variety of pieces on display.

Now that you've heard about the museum, stay tuned for more information about other immersion experiences! Later this week, I will write about my trip to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Dayton Art Institute AND our visit with the high school art teacher! I have some interesting sketches to include with the latter!

Toodles for now.

Group meetings underway

It's been a few days since my last blog, but things have been buzzing around here nonetheless!

We have been meeting with our groups this week to map out what the semester will look like as well as to exchange ideas. Hectic and chaotic are two words that come to mind when I think about these meetings. The meetings were productive; however, the planning and brainstorming stages, proved to be trying on the groups.

The one group that had the hardest time with compromising was the tech group. This group is in charge of building and designing the Web site. There are eight people in the group, which means eight different ideas and eight different perspectives. After a "Jerry Springer"-type showdown, we finally decided to split up into subgroups and present the client with 2 plans and let her decide who has the "correct" plan. In this case, the "correct" plan is the one Tania Said, our client, likes the best. There are a million and one ways to organize the Web site, but only one person's opinion that matters. (Members include: David, Sarah, Michelle, Maddy, Loretta, Liz, Laura and me).

I'm hoping these issues getting ironed out in the coming weeks.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the audio tour group is making incredible progress. There have been no break downs, fights or heightened tempers! We are all on the same page when exchanging ideas and concepts. The only problem I foresee with this group is getting distracted. Luckily, there are a few people who will get us back on track. In this group we are making an audio tour that will lead people through the museum. We are even going to purchase mp3 players for people to listen to as they go through the museum! (Members include: Michelle, Sarah, Rick, Amy, Cara and me).

My favorite group is the showcase group. In this group we are planning an event where we will reveal the Web site. We are expecting 150 to 200 people. People who need to be entertained, fed and shoveled through the museum! I will also be coordinating the public relations activities for this event. I'm really excited about this group because it will phenomenally strengthen my PR and event planning knowledge. (Members include: Loretta, Amy, Laura, Anna and me).

Now that you know about the groups, stay tuned for dramatic group updates!

Collaboration

Hey guys! This week has been pretty crazy trying to get things started. My thoughts are all over the place so I am using this blog to help sort some of these thoughts and reflect upon what I've learned this week.

So the topic of this blog is collaboration.

This topic is fresh on my mind because yesterday we did team work exercises and it made me think about collaboration in more detail. We split up into 4 groups. Two groups were given cake decorating materials while 2 groups were given a pile of fabric, ribbon, glue, stuffing and other miscellaneous craft supplies. We were given roughly 3 hours to create a piece of art. When we presented this "artwork" to the class we had to explain our thought-process and why it is art.

Unfortunately, I do not have pictures, because these projects were OUTSTANDING. Not outstanding in a way that they could go in an art museum but outstanding in the fact that they had deep meaning... for the most part. Some projects more than others.

[Complete irrelevant side note: My favorite project was the Pac Man cake. The group made a Pac Man character who was eating several little earths. Off to the side was the Japanese symbol for Apocalypse. To me the best interpretation of this piece is the fact that human beings themselves are destroying Earth rather than some other natural phenomenon (like global warming...)]

So to continue with my discussion about collaboration, which will be a deciding factor in the success of this project.

All the groups seemed to work well together and have a lot of fun with art project. And not to mention it really got our creative juices flowing. But underneath the messy glue and tasty icing important lessons were learned:

1. Compromise: When working in a group setting several ideas will be thrown out there; however, not all ideas can be used. Group members must be willing to drop their idea or adjust there idea to mesh with the ideas of others.

2. Time management: Sometimes a project might deadline in 3 hours or 3 months. It is good to have a plan at the beginning of the project to assign time parameters for each component.

3. Delegation: In a group setting, there has to be a leader. Either a group leader needs to be assigned or a member will need to step up to the position. If task assignments are not delegated, there is a good chance some component of the project will get lost.

4. Excitement and Energy: Group members need to be energetic and passionate about the project. If there is no excitement about the project, it will show in the end product.

5. Planning: Without a plan, the project has no direction and no course of action.

6. Group dynamics: Every person has a different personality and with different personalities comes different skill sets. Find what each person can contribute to the group and utilize those skills.

7. Patience: Working in a group setting can be trying at times, but remember that all the hard work will pay off in the end (if all goes accordingly).

8. Stay on Task: This can make or break a group. A group that is unable to stay on task will never get any work done. Although it is good to be friendly with group members, that alliance can also be a double-edged sword. The delegator may need to keep the group on track.

[IMPORTANT OBSERVATION: just because you are finished with your part of the project, does not mean that all group members are finished. On many occasions, one or more group members will quickly complete their tasks and socialize with those who have yet to complete their portion. DO NOT distract those who are trying to complete their work.]

9. Admittance of mistakes: It's OK to be wrong.

10. Execution: Go out there and create the best product you can create! A project is only as good as the work you put into it.

Well, that is my two cents about working in a collaborative setting. I hope you find the advice helpful.

On a totally different note, Anna and I ventured into the basement! When we first opened the door, I'm pretty sure students in the attic could hear my heart pounding through my chest. My hands were sweaty and Anna could hear the shakiness in my voice as I said, "Are there lights down there?" Anna is much more adventurous than I and she realized that we would have to go down the seemingly forbidden staircase to reach the lights... needless to say she was in charge of the lights.

Once we got downstairs it was not as scary as I had expected. Although, it was very LARGE. A maze really. Under the staircase was a creepy room that could perhaps have housed Harry Potter. Throughout the basement there were several old chairs that I was certain were going to spontaneously scoot across the cement floor. By the time we had reach the end of the maze, which rewarded us with another staircase that presumably led to the kitchen, I was ready to high-tail it out of there. Anna, most likely, would have liked to explore more, but my fear of bugs as well as ghosts were being tested in this damp basement. So I said, "OK I think that's all" and scurried back through the maze.

I'm proud to say I made it out of the basement and lived to talk about it!

Tomorrow we are making our first trip to the art museum! I can't wait to fill you in about that awesome experience. Even though I've been to several museums in my day, I have yet to visit the Ball State Museum of Art.

Day 1

So today was the first official day of "class."

It was a typical first day: Introductions, class schedule, guidelines.

However, it was atypical in the fact that Donna, the office manager, laid out the house rules. It felt similar to a speech I would give to my campers when I was a camp counselor about respecting the place where you live. I feel very at home in this house and I am eager to spend so much time here.

[For those of you who don't know, the VBC is headquartered in an old mansion off campus that looks like something Harry Potter would be studying in. I am very lucky to work is such an environment because it looks and feels nothing like a classroom or academic setting. There are 3 levels + a creepy basement that I will not venture into on my own, a servant's staircase and a sun room. To say the house is Beautiful would undermine the breath-taking appeal this mansion encompasses.]

Today, Anna Hartley (one of the other students) and I were exploring near the servant's staircase and I stumbled upon a janitor's closet, which had a short door in the back of it. I opened the door and...... OUT POPPED A GHOST. Just kidding. There was no encounter with a ghost but I was severely freaked out by the dark black mysterious room. Needless to say, the door was shut within 30 seconds and we were on our way back to our "classroom."

The house is full of fun places to explore, which I will keep you up-to-date on throughout the semester. You should look forward to when I blog about my adventures into the basement! So stay tuned for that.

SO the excitement is uncharacteristically high among my group members about this project. Considering most of us are looking forward to graduating within the next year, this is a good remedy for senioritis.

That is all I have for now. Stay linked for more detailed information throughout the semester.

Totally random side note: You should all read the book "Three Cups of Tea." It's just amazing. I'm halfway through and it's absolutely inspiring.

Introduction

Hello, everyone!

Good news: I'm starting a blog this semester! I've decided to do this for several reasons:

A. I've done several interesting "things," for the lack of a better term, during my time at Ball State and have failed to document those "things" in blog format.

B. I would rather spell out the details via a blog one time as opposed to explaining the project 10 times at every social gathering and family function

C. And lastly, it's a requirement.

So, now you want to know what exactly the project entails, right?

Well, not only is it pushing 1 am, but I also do not want to bore you with the details. The jist is this:

Funding in public schools is getting cut across the board. One of the first subjects to get neglected is the humanities (mainly art, music, philosophy, etc.). So what myself and 13 other motivated individuals would like to do within the next 12 weeks is create a Web site that will help high school art teachers teach their students. We are working with the Ball State University Museum of Art and Muncie Central High School to create a Web site that will help students appreciate and understand art.

Like I said, this is a primitive explanation of the project. For more information visit this Web site: www.arttogo.weebly.com. This is an informative Web site about the project specifically. For information about the Virginia Ball Center visit www.bsu.edu/vbc.