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F o u n d a t i o n s  i n  A r t : T h e o r y  &  E d u c a t i o n

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION WITH CAA, SECAC, and MACAA
 


 
   REGIONAL CONFERENCES

Vice President for Regional Coordinators Statement: Heidi Neff

It is my pleasure indeed to have the opportunity to serve FATE as the new Vice President for Regional Coordinators during the 2011-2013 term. With new ideas and energy I hope to spark an interest and encourage many of you to become a Regional Coordinator in your area. I wish to offer you helpful suggestions along the way to guide you through a successful regional event in your area. After four years of hosting regional events in my area, I feel I can lead you in the right direction.

Putting together a regional event can be as simple as fewer than ten
foundation professionals getting together for a lunch and addressing a related topic or as complex as a full conference. A Regional Roundtable is my best suggestion for those of you who are putting together their first event or for those who have budgetary constraints. We have also recently started a Facebook page for regional coordinators, and would encourage anyone who has been, is currently or is interested in becoming a regional coordinator to "like" the Foundations in Art (FATE) Regional Events Community page.

I am eager to start working with those interested in putting together a regional event at their home institution and in hearing your ideas on how we can move forward. This is going to be an exciting two years. Lets help build a bridge between the larger biennial conferences by offering a record number of smaller regional events over the next two years.

Heidi Neff
FATE- Vice President for Regional Coordinators
Assistant Professor
Harford Community College
hneff@harford.edu


Become a FATE Regional Coordinator!

REGIONAL COORDINATOR DESCRIPTION: Any FATE member can become a Regional Coordinator. Coordinators are required to organize at least one regional event per academic year. These events may be modest (a brown bag luncheon with ten colleagues from surrounding schools, for example) or as expansive as a full conference with a hundreds of people. The goal is to get a group of people together to discuss foundations related topics. These topics may be directly related to what you are doing at your school or more broad as to address a wider range of issues. You choose the scale and what you want to discuss.

BENEFITS:
• Participating in F.A.T.E. is a great way to meet people who combine a sincere interest in teaching with strong dedication to their own studio work or research.
• Putting together a regional event is a great networking tool for making contacts in your area and find out what surrounding schools are doing. This could be highly beneficial for the part time instructor or graduate candidates.
• As a Regional Coordinator, your participation can be as expansive as your time permits—you have great freedom in developing and implementing projects.
• Learning what other colleges are doing in your area may give you a better sense of how you match up. Therefore, giving you a better idea of what changes you may want to make to better your department.

EXAMPLES OF REGIONAL EVENTS:
The events listed below are examples of events you could organize. They are separated primarily by the number of people you wish to participate and do not include the number of guests you wish to have. By participants I mean the number of people who actually intend on speaking or taking part in the event. The number of guests could be limited or completely open. Registration fees could apply to guests if you intend on feeding them.

Start small but think big. Holding a call for papers or trying to reserve a block of rooms at a hotel is a big headache and doesn’t need to be a part of the process.

FATE REGIONAL ROUNDTABLE: (2-10 participants) Pick topic you want to discuss in some depth and invite 3-6 experts to present hands-on or panel sessions. The Roundtable could be people from your own institution from various departments with perhaps a few guest speakers from other institutions to springboard a conversation. Choose a topic that you feel would benefit your department or discuss a topic that you feel would benefit the college as a whole. This could also be open to the public and perhaps housed in an auditorium with spectators.

FATE REGIONAL FORUM: Contact 10-30 colleagues from surrounding institutions, possibly including high schools with AP programs. Consider focusing your discussion on a specific topic, such as critique strategies, creativity, or ways to create connections between studio and lecture courses. Provide a simple lunch for everyone. Talk. Write a concise description of event for inclusion in FATE newsletter.

FATE REGIONAL WORKSHOP: (30-50 participants) Pick topic you want to discuss in some depth. Invite 3-6 experts to present hands-on or panel sessions. Work up an agenda and distribute it to regional institutions. Provide donuts and coffee to start and a nice lunch. Let participants arrange their own lodging, based on a list of recommendations you provide. Write up results for newsletter.

FATE REGIONAL CONFERENCE: (Ideal size: 50–150 participants) Pick an engaging theme. Get an assistant and a team of collaborators to help you. Many hotels and universities have professional conference planners—they can be invaluable. Pick 8-12 presenters or distribute a call for proposals. (A call for proposals is much more work, but it expands your network of participants.) Depending on the scale of the project, arrange overnight lodging. Run the event, record, and write up for newsletter.

INSTRUCTIONS:
If interested, please send your name, email, phone, and mailing address, to Heidi Neff along with a short description of your background and a 50-word description of the activity you have planned for the 2011–2012 academic year.

In order that we may list your upcoming event in the newsletter and on the web site, please download the FATE Regional Application, fill it out and send it to Heidi Neff at hneff@harford.edu as soon as you have all the details for your event. After the event, please complete the follow-up, feedback form. Click on the image below to download the feedback form.

Image of Feedback Form - Link

 

UPCOMING REGIONAL EVENTS

FATE Regional Workshop (West Region: CA)

Coordinator:Carol Elkovich, Lead; Kristen Sidell, Erik Scollon, and Shalini Agrawal – Workshop Coordinators
Affiliation: California College of the Arts
Time/Date: 10:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m., Saturday, March 10, 2012
Location: California College of the Arts, Oakland Campus, 5212 Broadway, Oakland, California
Title: "BAUHAUS WITH THE BATHWATER: designing foundation studios with contemporary relevance"
Focus/Description: This workshop, hosted and mediated by faculty teaching in the First Year Program CCA, will present historically familiar art school foundation
projects in the areas of; drawing; two dimensional studies; three dimensional studies; and time-based studies -- and will challenge the participants to deconstruct and reboot the assignments toward a contemporary interpretation that is more relevant to our students.
Registration Cost: Free. We provide a snack and coffee, please bring a bag lunch.
Register: Sign-up by contacting Carol Elkovich, CCA First Year Program Chair by email celkovich@cca.edu. Contact by February 24, 2012.
Group size: Limited to 20 participants.

 

PAST REGIONAL EVENTS

FATE Regional Workshop (Southcentral: TX, LA, OK)

graphic for regional workshop

Coordinator: Valerie Powell
Affiliation: Sam Houston State University
Time/Date: 10:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m., Saturday, January 28, 2012
Location: Sam Houston State University, WASH Building of the Art Department, 2220 Ave. M, Huntsville, Texas
Title: SPICING IT UP: CRITIQUE STRATEGIES
Focus/Description: Let's be honest, sometimes critiquing student foundation work can be a disaster! Yet, critiques are a vital component to the studio practice, but can easily become mundane, repetitive moments that lack active participation from the entire class. The question as an educator is often how to make these experiences relevant, useful teaching tools that are both critical and FUN. The purpose of this workshop is to highlight practical techniques and strategies to critiquing artwork that is theme based and idea driven, as well as inclusive. Large group minicritique demonstrations and exercises given by selected guests, as well as small group sessions will provide a useful & practical sharing of critique approaches.

If you would like to be a presenter at this workshop, please submit a brief proposal to Valerie Powell at vjp001@shsu.edu by November 15, 2011.
Register: Sign-up by contacting Valerie Powell by email at vjp001@shsu.edu or by telephone at (936) 294-4451 before JANUARY 26, 2012, 11:59PM.
Registration Cost: $25 (enough to cover food, parking and expenses)           
Group size: Limit to 50

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FATE Regional Workshop (West: CA)

Coordinator:Doug Post
Affiliation: Woodbury University
Time/Date: 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Friday December 2, 2011
Location: Woodbury University, 7500 Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, California
Title: SHIFTING TRENDS IN ART FOUNDATION
Focus/Description: This introductory forum is designed to provide an opportunity to meet with other Art/Design Foundation instructors and together identify and discuss the most promising and critical issues facing our programs. While each program is unique, we have common goals, share common content, and a common need to address some of the shifting trends in higher education. Economic challenge being one these significant trends. Delivering a meaningful first year foundational experience is an increasingly complex job. The hope is that by sharing methods and experiences we can learn new strategies and strengthen all of our programs.
Lunch is provided
Group size: Limit to 30
Register: Sign-up by contacting Doug Post by November 23, 2011 at doug.post@woodbury.edu;

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FATE Regional Forum (Southeast: GA, AL, FL, TN)
CONNECTING THE DOTS: Creating an Innovative Foundations Program that Works

Coordinators: Clint Samples, Stephanie Smith, Casey McGuire, Rebecca Reynolds, Eilis Crean and Erin Dixon
Affiliation: University of West Georgia
Time/Date: 6:30–8:30 p.m. Friday, September 23, 2011 and 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Saturday, September 24, 2011
Location: University of West Georgia, Carrollton, Georgia
Focus: Many Foundations programs are segmented into various areas (Beginning Art History, 2D and 3D design, Drawing), yet these classes are all interconnected in many ways. Students see Foundations classes as hoops they have to jump through to get to the classes they really want to take. The challenge is how to communicate to them what we already know—that these classes are crucial in laying the foundation for advanced work, and that advanced work will not succeed without dedication to the foundations of art. Foundations courses are not independent islands, but dots that need to be connected. Our job is to help students connect the dots, quite literally, and to show them the whole picture that emerges once the dots are connected. Encouraging a cross-disciplinary approach to teaching will allow students to “connect the dots” between classes and allow faculty to build synergy between foundation courses.  Dialogue begins Friday evening with a keynote address and opening reception and concludes Saturday afternoon.  Discussion topics will include “connecting the dots” between studio practice and Art History; collaboration efforts and similarities between 2D, 3D Design and Drawing classes; and basic communication strategies between students and instructors (critique, grading strategies, and retention efforts).   Other topics will include “connecting the dots” as art students progress between high school, foundations and upper-level advanced work. 
Cost: $35 (Lunch is provided)
Group Size: 100 participants
Registration: Contact Clint Samples (csamples@westga.edu)

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FATE Regional Forum (Southeast: GA, NC, AL)

Coordinator: Gary Pearce
Affiliation: The Art Institute of Atlanta-Decatur
Time/Date: 9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m., Saturday August 6, 2011
Location: The Art Institute of Atlanta-Decatur, One West Court Square, Decatur, Georgia 30030
Title: EXPLORING CRITIQUE
Focus: Every studio foundation class involves critiques. Most of the time the students just sit there and let one or two people do the talking. How do we get them involved and excited about speaking up and participating? This forum is for us to share our best practices when it comes to critique. Each participant will provide a work of art or picture of a piece. Then introduce the method of critique that works best for you in your classes..
Cost: $20
Group size: 25
Registration: Contact Gary Pearce at gpearce@aii.edu.

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FATE Regional Forum (Northeast: PA)
A NEW FOUNDATION for the DIGITAL AGE?

Coordinator: Geoffrey S. Beadle
Affiliation: Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Time/Date: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Saturday, April 30, 2011
Location: Pogue Student Center, Room 143, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, 405 Scotland Road, Edinboro, PA 16444
Focus: The purpose of this forum is to bring together foundations coordinators and faculty who are wrestling with (or have already wrestled with) the challenge of introducing digital technology into the traditional foundations curriculum (and classroom). Issues surrounding how technology can enrich the foundations learning experience, how to teach enough about digital hardware and software to make these tools useful (but not spend an entire semester doing so), how to maintain sufficient focus on essential formal instruction (and hand skill development), and how to convert the old-school technoskeptics will be the focus of the forum. I am looking for presenters who have developed innovative and effective courses, instructional methods, and/or assignments to supplement the discussion. 
Cost: $25 (lunch provided)
Group Size: Limited to 30 participants
Registration: Contact Geoff Beadle (gbeadle@edinboro.edu) by March 1, 2011.

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FATE Regional Forum (Southeast: GA, NC, AL)

Coordinator: Gary Pearce
Affiliation: The Art Institute of Atlanta-Decatur
Time/Date: 9:30 a.m.—3:30 p.m., Saturday August 14, 2010
Location: The Art Institute of Atlanta-Decatur, One West Court Square, Decatur, Georgia (Room 202)
Title: NEW EXERCISES IN FOUNDATIONS
Focus: It is important to keep teaching interesting for the instructor because this keeps our students interested. For those who have taught for years and for those who have only started teaching, assignments and in-class exercises are the way we make it through our classes. However, by changing these up we can keep our classes fresh and exciting for us and the students. This forum is designed for faculty and student who are interested in developing inventive projects and sharing with others. Everyone will bring and present an assignment or in-class exercise. Along with the assignment, we should be prepared to discuss any problems that we have encountered with the projects. The objective of the assignment should be clearly stated. The participants will receive CD's with all participants’ assignments. With permission , the assignments will also be uploaded to the FATE web site.
Cost: $20           
Group size: 25
Sign-up by contacting Gary Pearce by August 6, 2010: gpearce@aii.edu.

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FATE Regional Forum (MD, DC, PA, VA)

Coordinator: Heidi Neff
Affiliation: Harford Community College
Time/Date:10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 18, 2010 followed by a light lunch.
Location: Harford Community College, Bel Air, MD 21015 (Joppa Hall)
Focus: The primary purpose of this forum is to talk about how cultural, conceptual and historical frameworks can be integrated into any or all foundations courses and the development of critical theory courses in foundations. Heidi Neff will share her experiences from Thinktank5 in Athens, GA and participants will be asked to present an assignment of their own if possible.
Cost: $0           
Group size: unlimited
Sign-up by contacting Heidi Neff by August 3, 2010: hneff@harford.edu

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FATE Regional Forum (Northeast: MD, D.C., PA)

Coordinators: Heidi Neff
Affiliation: Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and Harford Community College
Time/Date: 10:00 a.m.—12:30 p.m., Friday, February 26, 2010 followed by a brown bag or cafeteria lunch
Location: Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, Maryland
Focus: The primary purpose of this forum is to foster better communication between two- and four-year school foundations programs. Topics will include, among other things, how students can be best prepared to transfer and curricular changes and trends. There will also be an opportunity to share/swap effective foundations assignments.
Cost: $6.50 (cost of lunch in cafeteria)
Registration: Foundations coordinators and faculty are encouraged to attend. To RSVP and find out the details, please contact Heidi Neff, Assistant Professor of Art and Design at Harford Community College at hneff@harford.edu or (443) 412-2276.

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FATE Regional Forum (East: NC)

Title: "Parameters vs. Creative Freedom"
Coordinators: Andi Steele and Pam Toll
Affiliation: University of North Carolina Wilmington, Department of Art and Art History
Time/Date: 9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m., Friday, March 26, 2010
Location: Cultural Arts Building, UNCW, 601 S. College, Rd., Wilmington, North Carolina
Focus: Is creative freedom at the foundations level important? Is the lack of creative freedom why students have a negative view of foundations? How does creativity mesh with the essential knowledge that foundations students need? How does project structure (preparatory work, multiple deadlines, equipment/material instruction) affect the creative output? Can parameters actually increase creativity? These are some of the questions we seek to discuss at this forum. We are looking for people to give short 5-10 minute presentations to get the conversation started. Cost: $20.00 (coffee and snacks provided )
Group Size: 25
Registration: For more details, please contact Andi Steele at steeles@uncw.edu on or before March 1, 2010.

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FATE Regional Forum (Southeast: ALL)

Coordinators: Chris Kienke and Jesse Payne
Affiliation: Savannah College of Art and Design Time/Date: 9:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m., May 1, 2010
Location: River Club, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia
Title: “Envisioning a New Foundation- Identity and Purpose”
Focus: Foundation programs face many challenges –who is the audience, what are the academic needs, and even what is the purpose of the foundation program. The School of Foundation Studies at SCAD recently went through a revision of our program and we would like to continue the dialogue about what constitutes the ideal foundation program. The curriculum- what do students in the 21st century need to know, what is the best sequence, and why are all questions up for discussion. What’s the ideal, what type of program fits for your institution – the day is about inspiring change that works.
Cost: $35. Lunch is provided
Group size: 200
Registration: Contact Chris Kienke at ckeinke@scad.edu or Jesse Payne at jpayne@scad.edu before April 9, 2010. Online registration can happen by clicking here.

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FATE Regional Forum (East: NC)

Title: Collaborations in the Foundation
Coordinator: Lisa Stinson
Affiliation: Appalachian State University, Art Department
Time/Date: 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., April 9, 2010
Location: Plemmons Student Union-137AB Calloway Peak / Macrae Peak, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina. maps.appstate.edu
Focus: Foundation programs face many challenges in the 21st century. Appalachian State University core curriculum recently went through major revisions in order address these concerns and to encourage collaboration across disciplines. This conference will continue the dialogue and highlight collaborative efforts in the arts and in the classroom. Creative faculty/solutions to this challenge will be encouraged to consider developing a session at our national conference in St. Louis in 2011.
Cost: $20. Coffee and snacks provided
Group Size: 200
Registration: www.art.appstate.edu. Deadline on or before April 1, 2010
Questions: Contact Lisa Stinson at stinsonlm@appstate.edu

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FATE Regional Forum (Northeast–IL/WI)

Coordinators: Mary Beth Koos, Elgin Community College and Cindy Hellyer Heinz, Northern Illinois University
Time and Date: 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m., February 27, 2010
Location: Art building, Elgin Community College, Elgin, Illinois
Focus: Assessment to achievement, keeping an eye to future student success is the center piece of this forum. The emphases on traditional studio practices, the development of a visual voice and the ability to problem solve are the components which accommodate the diverse experiences our students bring to their art education. Our mission is to prepare our students with the tools, methods and critical thinking necessary to meet their future aspirations. Who are our students and how do we adapt their methods of learning to tackle intentions in the visual arts? What constitutes a Foundations Program that can help the first year student make a positive transition from high school or community college into the university system? How do we address the link between promoting the highest achievement student work and encouraging creative exploration? Cost: $20. Lunch is provided
Group size: Limited to 40.
Register: Sign-up by contacting Cindy Hellyer Heinz by January 10, 2010 at chheinz4@comcast.net

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FATE Regional Forum (Southeast: AL/GA/FL)

Coordinator: Pamela Allen
Affiliation: Troy University
Time and Date: 5:30 p.m.—8:30 p.m., Friday, April 16 and 9:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m., Saturday, April 17, 2010
Location: Troy University, Troy, Alabama and "The Studio" in downtown Troy, part of the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Complex
Topic: PROJECT SHARE: Exchanging projects and ideas that have successful in teaching art foundation courses.
Focus: This two-day event starts Friday downtown Troy at "The Studio" with a Southern soirée featuring Mediterranean Cuisine. Mary Stewart will highlight the evening with the keynote address, “Leading Change.” Project Share continues Saturday at Troy University’s Trojan Center where participants will break into groups to discuss their success stories, projects and ideas in teaching foundation courses. The morning sessions will focus on courses in drawing, two-dimensional design and color. Following a box lunch on the patio, the afternoon sessions will target courses in visual art, art history surveys, and three- and four- dimensional design. The event will conclude with a reception for Scott Betz who will be exhibiting in the Malone Gallery.
Cost: $35 includes meals
Group Size: Limited to 50
Register: Sign-up by contacting Pamela Allen by April 1, 2010 at (334) 670-3808 or pallen@troy.edu.

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