Kent and miguel are doing a great job!

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Going Low-Tech: MFA in Paper Maché

I have recently been obsessed with the art programs at Portland State University. They have a fascinating MFA in Social Practice, which they describe as "a program that encourages students to develop and utilize their artistic skills to engage in society." Here's the link to their blog. But it seems like some of the students there have felt a need to return to the roots of traditional, messy, hands-on, object-oriented artmaking and have started MFA in Paper Maché. I'm not sure if it's a class offered there or more of an independent collective, but check out their blog. It made me think of you guys and the feeling of missing artmaking while studying all this theory. Check out this post with their manifesto. To me, it sounds like they've approached object-based artmaking through a social practice of collective learning.

Is it too late to change my thesis? Can we start something like this here? Pretty please? :)

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Time for VIDEO!!!

Tonight in class we're talking about iMovie and learning about the next project assignment. I've collected some iMovie tutorials and online video resources here to help you.

General Video Resource

My favorite resource, Mashable, has this article: Video Toolbox: 150+ Online Video Tools and Resources.

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With sections on Live Video Communications, Online Video Editors, Online Video Converters, Video Sharing, Video Hosting, Video Organization and Management, Vidcasts and Vlogging, Video Mashups, Mobile video apps, Video Search, Online Video Downloading Services, and Miscellaneous Tools, there's lots of useful sites and links.

iMovie Tutorials

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The latest version of iMovie is iMovie09; this is the version on the school computers. But a lot of people like the older iMovie HD version better. I've tried to collect some resources for both.

From Apple:
http://www.apple.com/ilife/tutorials/#imovie - iMovie 09
http://www.apple.com/support/ilife/tutorials/imovie/ - iMovieHD

From UTAustin:
http://sentra.ischool.utexas.edu/technology/tutorials/imovie08/ - iMovie08
http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/technology/tutorials/graphics/imoviehd/ - iMovieHD
http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/technology/tutorials/graphics/imovie/1create.html - iMovie (general?)

Manuals you can download:
http://communitystories.pbworks.com/f/iMovie+HD_tutorial.pdf - iMovieHD manual
http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/cio/file17748.pdf - iMovie09 manual

For more, just google "imovie 09 tutorial" or "imovie hd tutorial."

Download iMovie HD
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL319

Cooper-Hewitt: lesson plans!

I've heard GREAT things about the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum's educator resources and lesson plans. Just thought I'd share in case you guys can use them for inspiration or resources! :)

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Directions to HPAC

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Don't forget that class is at the Hyde Park Art Center tomorrow tonight. I have to get there earlier in the afternoon to take some photos for my thesis, so I won't be able to meet you to go down there. So here are directions. Perhaps you can coordinate amongst yourselves to meet up and travel together?

Here's the Art Center's Getting Here page. You'll find good driving directions there if you plan to drive.

By Bus
This is probably easiest! The #6 Jackson Park Express bus has a stop in the loop right near campus at State and Monroe. CTA trip planner says there's a bus departing the State/Monroe stop at 5:27 pm, arriving at Cornell and E. Hyde Park at 5:53 pm. Here's the Google map/trip planner for this route.

Just a tip: when the bus gets off Lake Shore Drive, you'll soon go under some train tracks and then run parallel to them for a little while; then, just after the bus goes BACK UNDER the train tracks, that's your stop - Cornell. There's a BP gas station on the left, and just beyond that is the Art Center (brick building with the word ART painted real huge on the side).

By Metra
The Metra Electric Line is also fairly easy. You'd get on at the Millennium Station - the entrance is just outside the Cultural Center's steps (on the Randolph side). You go underground to get there (follow the signs). Board the train, and you pay a Metra guy that comes around once the train starts moving. There's a train that departs Millennium Station at 5:30 pm and arrives at the 51st/53rd Street (Hyde Park) stop at 5:44 pm. When you exit the station, turn right, and across the street you'll see the BP gas station... HPAC is just beyond that! Here's the Metra itinerary for this route.

Make your own movie with Xtranormal

I just learned about this site, Xtranormal, on another blog. You can make movies online - very simple. Could be cool to explore narrative with students. Scroll down to see their sample movie about Napoleon. :)

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Scary or cool?

Check out this CNN article, "Why Games Will Take Over Our Lives." I'm kind of scared about my life being fully plugged in and monitored by corporations. Calling it a game does not make it less creepy. What do you think? And, yeah yeah, Miguel, I still love Google. I guess my line in the sand falls somewhere between Google's tracking my internet activity and Proctor and Gamble tracking my toothbrushing. ;)

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