Karen Johnson, the Executive Director of Communications at Finlandia University, posted a press release for the 2011 BFA Diploma Works Exhibition where myself and 18 fellow graduates are displaying our senior projects. Yesterday the Associated Press picked up the press release, and now newspapers across the country have posted the AP article! You can find the press release on the websites for USA Today, The Washington Examiner, Tree Hugger, The Chicago Tribune, just to name a few!

Many thanks to Karen Johnson for her great work in promoting the Art and Design events during my last four years at Finlandia Univeristy!

The press release can be viewed on the Finlandia website.

On Friday,  Finlandia University's 19 BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art) candidates hung their senior Diploma Works in the Finlandia University Gallery. Some stayed for 15 minutes to hang a presentation board, others had multiple paintings to hang, and other still returned on Saturday for a second day of hanging. Myself and my fellow fiber/ fashion designers Susie, J.R., and Audrey all returned Saturday to complete the hanging of our senior pieces. After much laughter and hours of work I am happy to say that the show has been hung!

There is a fantastic amount of diversity in the show this year with everything from t-shirt designs to Silk Kimonos and WWII illustrations to Lord of the Rings upholstery fabric. There is something for everyone in this show!

Come to talk with the artists and see their work during the exhibition's opening Saturday, April 30 from 7-830pm at the Finnish American Heritage Center 435 Quincy St, Hancock, MI.

I will post pictures of the show after the opening so that I do not spoil the surprise for those of you attending the opening. See you there

With an hour to spare I placed the last lace brick on the first of two of my BFA Diploma Works project sculptures; I also turned in both copies of the binder for my sculptures titled Delicate Strength on a chair next to the lace bricks. Twenty minutes later I hung the last of my clay forms for the mock-up of my second sculpture which will not be fully hung till the pieces are in the gallery. 

It is such a relief to have finished these pieces after many doubts (by others and myself at some points), knowing that my sketches and ideas, which began over 6 months ago are standing right before me, are completely possible.

Myself and 18 fellow Finlandia University BFA graduates will begin hanging our Diploma works projects in the gallery space on Friday. Some only have to hang one board or a few images, but others, including myself, will be in the gallery for hours perfecting the placement of our work.

The opening for our show is Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 7-830pm at the Finnish American Heritage Center 435 Quincy St., Hancock, MI 49930. Please come if you are able!

Less than a week to go till my project is due!

I now have 197 bricks covered in lace, the brick structures are all finished, the last of the clay forms are in the kiln which started at 8 am this morning, and the clay hanging structure is painted and drying! I can see an end to the tunnel, but it is going to take a full week of non- stop work to get there.

I am off to work on my paper today. As the kiln firing continues I will be checking the temperature every hour to gently guide the kiln to cone 9 temperatures.

Mark your calendars... the opening for the senior Diploma Works exhibition is Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 7-830 pm at the Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy St, Hancock, MI. I hop

Another week has come to an end, which means I have two weeks left until my project is due! I am so glad it is the weekend because that means I have no scheduled events to get in the way of productivity! Lets hope this weekend proves to be as productive as the last!

I now have 150 brick structures, 26 of which are covered in lace! I am using all different types of lace to cover the bricks including curtains, women's shirts, and even a wedding dress. I am excited that I have enough of these lace objects in order to use entirely reclaimed lace. It is wonderful to think of all the women who used and washed and made these objects, and I am really thrilled that these unknown stories will become a part of  my sculpture.

Yesterday Phyllis stopped by the studio and took a picture of me gluing the lace to some of the 10 inch bricks. On the left side of the table you can see piles of lace that I cut out for the 4, 6, 8, and 10 inch bricks.

I am attaching the lace using a tacky glue and weights to ensure that the lace sticks well. This method has cut my brick covering process down to about 10-15 minutes per brick!

This weekend I will continue covering bricks and constructing brick forms. I hope I can find enough space on my table in the wood shop to put the next 150 bricks, but this could be difficult considering I could barely fit the first 150. Wish me luck!