You might be familiar with Art on the Mart, but this fall, Northeastern’s Department of Art + Design is bringing that innovative projection mapping concept to our Main Campus. As part of Art + Design’s Fall Fest on Wednesday, Sept. 25, students and local artists will showcase their works projected onto the side of Bernard J. Brommel Hall (BBH).
In addition to the projection mapping showcase, there will also be a number of activities including:
- An Art + Design open house for prospective students, including tours of the Art + Design Department’s studio facilities;
- Interactive art activities across Art + Design’s studio spaces;
- A juried exhibition featuring creative works from community colleges across Illinois;
- An art party for current Northeastern Art + Design majors and minors.
All activities will take place concurrently from 6-9 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building. The event is free and open to the public. The projection mapping showcase will begin at 8 p.m. outside of BBH facing the University Commons. RSVPs for current Northeastern students and employees as well as prospective students and community members are strongly encouraged.
“I want the experience to feel like an all-encompassing showcase of all our Department does,” said Chair of the Department of Art + Design Kim Ambriz. “We’re inviting current students and faculty, alumni, new prospective students and their family members, community members, anyone who loves art or is interested in art and design to participate in this event.”
Ambriz said the goal of the event is for people, whether they’re art and design majors or not, to get to know the department and think about art and design in new ways.
“Northeastern has three majors in Art + Design: the B.A. in Art, B.A. in Art Education (K-12) and a B.F.A. in Graphic Design,” Ambriz said. “Between our three majors and five minors, there is a lot of creativity happening at our University.”
Throughout the month of September, the Department of Art + Design is also hosting Cecilia Beaven as a visiting artist. Beaven is a visual artist from Mexico City based in Chicago. Her practice encompasses painting, murals, graphic narrative, sculpture and moving images, to develop a ludic personal mythology to address questions of institutionalization and culture-making. Her multidisciplinary artwork has been showcased in solo exhibitions in Mexico City, Houston, and Chicago, and in group shows internationally. During her visit, Beaven will use Northeastern’s Ceramics Studio. Later in the semester, Beaven will give a lecture on her practice and lead a two-hour workshop for current Northeastern students.
“The goal with the Art + Design Visiting Artist Program is to try to have one artist per semester come to the University and engage with our students,” Ambriz said. “As part of their visit, they’ll lead a 2-hr workshop and lecture on their practice, and conduct portfolio reviews with our students to help them create the strongest portfolios possible before graduation.”
Artists at all skill levels are encouraged to participate in Art + Design’s Fall Fest. Some featured activities include:
- Photography: Portrait sessions using color gels and Polaroid transfers
- Drawing/Painting: Create a collage and transform it into a personalized custom button
- Sculpture: Design a wire sculpture on a wooden base
- Fab Lab: Bring your drawings to life with the 3Doodler and laser etching
- Experience the Letterpress, Risograph and Printmaking studios in action and take a print to go from each
Northeastern has state-of-the art facilities including new student exhibition spaces, a Mac lab, a ceramics studio with multiple kilns and a raku firing area, a photography studio equipped for both analog and digital processes, a fully equipped printmaking studio, a letterpress studio, and a sculpture studio with dedicated areas for clay modeling as well as metal and wood shops. Additionally, the Fab Lab features cutting-edge 3D printers, a large-format CNC router, multiple laser and vinyl cutters, and a large-format laser cutter.
“Our Design Studio proudly houses two Risograph printers and the largest collection of Riso drums at any university in Chicago,” Ambriz said. “Northeastern has so much to offer artists and our Art + Design Fall Fest is a great way for people to explore our facilities and experience our incredible community for themselves.”
Top photo: A sample of projection mapping on the exterior of Bernard J. Brommel Hall.
