dayton is not in ohio

I just can’t apologize for neglecting to post much on the blog this summer. I’ve been busy doing a lot of great stuff. Here’s an update on what’s happening:

I’ve started my new job at the Art Institute and it’s great. I’m learning how to use a variety of really great tools such as the huge CNC router and the vacuum former. Any time I learn to use a new tool, it opens up new possibilities for what I can make, and that’s fun.

The CIVA conference was great. This deserves a huge post unto itself, but in the meantime I just want to mention Allan and Ellen Wexler. Allan was one of the artists who presented in a plenary session and it was wonderful. Allan describes himself as an architect in a sculptor’s body and I really loved his work. Interestingly, he was a part of the very first exhibition of installations at Eastern State Penitentiary. He’s represented by Ronald Feldman gallery in New York and has done a variety of public artworks in collaboration with Ellen. Definitely check out their website. I had the opportunity, with Albert Pedulla, to have dinner with him and his wife the evening before he spoke. I’ve been in a real artistic rut, and I’ve really emerged from it with some excitement thanks in large part to my conversations with Allan and with the conference in general.

Finally, for now, I got the exciting news that I was selected for an award and am going to be part of a show. I had applied for this after being nominated by my department in March and just found out last week. Twenty-one students were selected from a national pool for the 2007 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award. The award is given by the International Sculpture Center, located near Philly in Hamilton, NJ at Grounds for Sculpture. Perks of the award are being in a show that lasts from October to April, and having an image of the piece in Sculpture Magazine. The piece they selected was Infinite Bridge.