No Food, Just Innovative Art: The Kitchen
Oct 08, 2017With the support of the Arts Alumni of Antioch College (AAAC), current Antioch students have had the opportunity to co-op at The Kitchen Contemporary Art Center in New York City. Forest Humphrey ’15, Eric Rhodes ’16, Cristian Perez-Lopez ’17, and Todd Ennis ’18 have formed part of The Kitchen’s team in recent years, honing their professional skills in the arts. Cristian reflects that his time at The Kitchen was “an incredible experience. Not only did I gain more experience in the New York art scene, but also received essential knowledge and advice on the political and business side of art.” During his time at The Kitchen, Cristian worked on a range of projects that broadened his understanding of art and the necessity of collaboration. Cristian as well as Eric during his co-op term were part of a massive project that consisted of digitizing hundreds of archives, files and prints from the 1950s to the 21st century, before sending a copy of all the physical archives to the Guggenheim Museum.
The past co-op students have also had the privilege of witnessing innovative moments in art history. An exhibition that Cristian assisted in constructing and curating was Anicka Yi’s “You Can Call Me F,” a forensic site in which the artist gathered living material (fungi, mold, etc) as an allegory to the enduring patriarchal fear of feminism, hygiene, and contagion. There are gaps when art is displayed, though.
During those gaps, interns are given a range of opportunities to explore their interests and use their skills and talents. Such opportunities include assisting in the sound booth during performances, creating files using Adobe Suite for marketing and press purposes, researching forms of archiving, and networking with neighboring galleries and art spaces in NYC.
Working at The Kitchen is not only an amazing way to be integrated in the innovative art world, but it is an eye opening opportunity for artists and admirers of art, where one can begin to think for themselves what has yet to be discovered and accomplished. The Kitchen is not just for art majors, but for people who want to learn to think beyond reason and test the limits society has placed on itself.
*All photos generously provided by The Kitchen
The Voices that Shape Society: Creative Time
Sep 14, 2017With the support of the Arts Alumni of Antioch College (AAAC), current Antioch students Hannah Priscilla Craig ’17 and Odette Chavez-Mayo ’18 have had the opportunity to expand the artistic team of Creative Time, located steps away from the Brooklyn Bridge.
Ambitious in scope and demanding in content, the work showcased at Creative Time is guided by three core values: art matters, artists’ voices are important in shaping society, and public spaces are places for creative and free expression. Antioch students, both working with the organization or visiting New York City, have gotten a glimpse of the larger picture at work. Hannah had the opportunity to work on Kara Walker’s “A Subtlety,” a large-scale piece that is an homage to the unpaid and overworked.
In reminiscing her second co-op, Hannah explains that one of the reasons she cherished her time there was thanks to the organization’s approach at hands-on work for all employees including interns. Not only has the organization allowed co-op students to work in the field, but it has also inspired them to use art as activism. Creative Time strives to engage broad audiences that transcend beyond geography, culture, race, and other social barriers implemented in society over time; a key in winning victories for humanity.
*Photos generously provided by Creative Time
Where the World Comes to Meet: International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP)
May 08, 2017Current Antioch students Cristian Perez-Lopez ’17 and Coco Gagnet ’18 have had the opportunity to participate in administrative internships at The International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP), one of New York’s most prestigious residency programs as well as the fourth largest in the world.
Tailored for professional growth, the programs serve as an active mediator, creating visibility and immersion for all of its residents in New York City. ISCP’s programming is conceived to facilitate dialogue and collaboration. Talking about her experience at ISCP, Coco says ISCP “helped to confirm that my primary passion might be creating accessible spaces in which this dialogue can occur.” Integrated activity areas including the Residency Programs, Exhibition Program, ISCP Talks and Offsite Projects, make ISCP an unparalleled platform for producing, presenting and contextualizing contemporary art through a diverse range of international perspectives. ISCP masters the act of social engagement, opening up its doors to the Brooklyn-based community with exhibitions, offsite projects, talks, and an annual event called Open Studios.
One of the greatest aspects of doing a co-op with ISCP is the abundant networking that takes place every day. Such opportunities occur with residents from all over the world who specialize in various mediums including videography, photography, visual arts, painting, sculpture, and multimedia, critics who come and visit once or twice a month, gallerists from all over NYC, and art lovers. There are opportunities to expand your networking beyond the art world with the NYC-based consulates, federal departments, and more. Cristian re-evaluates his time at ISCP, claiming that “interning there helped [Cristian] establish connections and expand [his] networking skills” to a degree he never imagined.
To be able to work in an organization like ISCP is not only a great opportunity, but undoubtedly a blessing in disguise. Undergraduate and graduate students only dream of opportunities like this, and Antiochians are only a cover letter away from having it.
*All photos generously provided by ISCP’s archives and remastered by Cristian Perez-Lopez