So, I've already given these guys a brief shout out on the InterArts Department Blog acclaiming their brilliance for putting this stellar student blog team together, AND YET, I didn't go into the nitty gritty behind WHERE this idea came from? I think our readers would love to know more about how the idea came to be, so I asked both Paul Catanese and Terence Hannum a few questions, turning the eye of this blog on its makers!
1. As the caterpillar may say, WHOOOOOOO RRRRRRR UUUUUUU? (brief bio as to your role here at Columbia and as an artist)
PAUL: At Columbia, I'm an Assistant Professor in the Interdisciplinary Arts Department, where I teach courses in electronic media, interaction and sound art. We have three graduate programs (MA in Interdisciplinary Arts, MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts & Media, MFA in Interdisciplinary Book and Paper Arts) and since our department encourages permeability among the three programs, I teach graduate students from across all of those areas. That flexibility mirrors my own art practice. For example, we have these amazing papermaking facilities in the department where I've been experimenting with integrating electronic inclusions in handmade paper with the help of my colleague, Mel Potter and the paper lab Graduate Assistant Kaitlin Kostus. In Interdisciplinary Arts, these types of hybrid approaches towards thinking and making are embraced by students and faculty alike; the atmosphere of cross-fertilization of ideas is a truly creative incubator.
TERENCE: I am the External Relations Coordinator in the Interactive Arts and Media Department and part-time faculty in Interactive Arts + Media and in Art + Design. So I coordinate the visiting artist lecture series, curate our departmental gallery, edit "Profile" our departmental magazine, work on recruitment and all of that. When I teach I normally teach some strain of video art, sound art or installation art, though I received an MFA in painting and drawing. My practice has always been across media from zines and publications to multi-channel video installations.
2. What is your involvement with CAA?
PAUL: I've been a CAA member for a number of years, and in 2008 I was elected President of the New Media Caucus, a College Art Association Affiliate Society. Its a growing affiliate society with just over 500 members this year; the members are a really energetic group of individuals that are very active. As my career has progressed, CAA has been there all along. Certainly now, with my role in the NMC, a day doesn't go by when I'm not working on something CAA related.
TERENCE: I have been a member of CAA since I got out of graduate school six year ago and found it a great resource on jobs, scholarship and fellowships. A great way to remain connected to academia. This is, however, the first conference I have been able to attend.
3. How do you three know each other, and how did you come together on this project?
PAUL: Terence, Elizabeth and I met while working on a college-wide committee chaired by Neysa Page-Lieberman that was formed to discuss CAA coming to Chicago in 2010. In the context of initial conversations in that committee, the three of us rallied around this idea - which immediately got support. At that point, we became a sub-commitee focused on spearheading its realization.
TERENCE: I knew Elizabeth from her role in Media Relations for the College, and I knew Paul since our Departments share the same building and our departmental interests intersect quite often. Though the committee fomented our relationships around this important task.
4. When did you officially begin planning to make this year's conference blog a collaborative project by CCC students?
PAUL: Gosh - I think the early planning meetings took place back in Spring 2009 / it would have been around April or so - probably around 8 months of planning at this point. Things really got going this Fall, with meetings and phone calls generally on the order of a few times a week.
5. What hoops and hurdles did you have to jump through to make this happen with CAA & CCC, or was it just smooth sailing?
PAUL: Well, of course, coordinating a project of this scale between two organizations requires the input of a lot of individuals - and though it takes time, it really has been very smooth. The team members at CAA have been strong supporters of the project all along, encouraging us every step of the way - and everyone I've worked with at Columbia College has this palpable excitement about the project; that energy has made it all come together. For me, I enjoy projects like this that bring together my teaching and professional practice - its very rewarding.
TERENCE: I think the best observation is that no one said "no", everyone knew it was important to have this blog presence but that having students author it added an extra dimension. It never seemed insurmountable just a lot of work to make sure all the people involved were on the same page. It seriously helps when everyone involved is enthusiastic.
6. Where does the project stand today? ‹ i.e., are these kids ready???
PAUL: The students are doing a fantastic job / I'm very impressed with the diversity of the team and their dedication. Behind the scenes, the they've gotten up to speed with an asynchronous editing protocol and backend process that was new to many; discussed and brainstormed a number of strategies regarding how to best record and communicate their experiences; and overall have brought an energy and enthusiasm to the project that is infectious! Conference-goers are going to love getting a chance to interact with the blogging team and its hands-on vision. That's really erupted from the students and their take on the potential of this project.
TERENCE: The project is running. I already knew a few of the bloggers as students from my classes or from around campus so I knew they were bright and they are definitely ready now.
7. And finally, what are your key goals for this unique approach to covering the conference?
PAUL: I really want each of the students to provide an experience of the conference through their eyes. The CAA Conference is exceptional - there are always dozens of things going on simultaneously and you always kind of know you're going to try and be in three places at once and you wanted to be in eight places at once - its exhilarating. At the same time, you know that everyone else is doing the same thing. The multiple-author blog provides a format where numerous facets of the conference can be revealed at once. Since the individual voices are students learning what the conference means as a lived experience, their insights will unfold on the blog as we follow their threads. Encapsulated in those unique perspectives will be a sense of discovery and adventure that I believe will provide attendees and remote viewers with additional avenues for reflection on the conference itself.
TERENCE: I think that we want to help have a unique record of the conference but also be able to reach out to those members of CAA who maybe couldn't make it to Chicago and give them an interesting insight into the conference. It is a massive event with so much going on. I would say the best thing that happened was receiving the lists of events our student bloggers are interested in and seeing how full they made their own days and nights, and even their weekends, and hearing how excited they get when they read a title to a panel or see a name they recognize. Being able to see these students begin the growth towards their own professional art career is really exciting and definitely my intention for being involved in this blog.
Posted by Victoria Bradford, MFA Candidate from the Interdisciplinary Arts Department
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