Ox-Bow Summer School of Art and Artists Residency

For Ox-Bow’s third winter program, we have designed two exciting courses and an unrivaled opportunity for MFA students to take advantage of Ox-Bow's unique setting and small classroom environments. Free from most distraction, these classes are ideal for the serious student who needs the time and space to take their art to the next level. With only seven students in each course, those enrolled will have unparalleled access to faculty for guidance and critique. The Ox-Bow environment is made for experimentation, these courses allow students a safe and nurturing environment for pushing boundaries. The three courses are designed to complement each other, to allow for unprecedented collaboration and exchange. Faculty members Michael Andrews, Mark Dion, Katy Fischer, Chris Kerr, John Parot, and Yutaka Sone will create an environment for learning that you can't experience in the traditional classroom. Each course is designed specifically to make the most of Ox-Bow's unique landscape and attitude, as well as to offer students the opportunity to look at those issues in artmaking that are most important to them.

The 2009 Winter Course Offerings at Ox-Bow:

MFA 6009 003
Graduate Projects For currently enrolled MFA students only
Visiting Faculty: Mark Dion January 4-January 10, 2009 and Yutaka Sone January 10-January 17, 2009
3 credit hours

Ox-Bow will offer 4 currently enrolled MFA students the opportunity to an independent study at Ox-Bow over the winter session. Students will have their own studio and can work on a project of their design, either in response to the specific environment of Ox-Bow or to prepare for their thesis show. Mark Dion and Yutaka Sone will serve as Visiting Faculty for the independent study, offering one-on-one and group critiques, and extracurricular activities for the group.

Due to the limited number of studios available, Ox-Bow will only offer 4 independent studies. Those interested are asked to submit 5 samples of work, as well as a short paragraph describing your proposed project, what hope to accomplish, and what you might get from working with Dion, Sone, and at Ox-Bow in particular. Applications are due on October 24, 2008 and can be dropped off at the Ox-Bow office at 36 South Wabash, Room 1209 or emailed to sworkn@saic.edu.

Students will not be able to use Ox-Bow's classroom studios (ie. printmaking, ceramics, metals) during the Winter Interim and should plan to work independently of those facilities.Questions about facilities, equipment, tools and the Ox-Bow landscape can be directed to Amy Stibich, ox-bow@saic.edu. Financial Aid may be available to help with the cost of tuition, fees, and room and board. Please Note: Enrolling in this session will not affect Graduate Advising credits and can be used as elective studio credits.

SCULP 626 001
The Thrifty Winter Task Force
Instructor: Mike Andrews and Chris Kerr
3 credit hours
$100 Lab Fee

We are looking for team members to aid in the design, fabrication and installation of large-scale outdoor constructions. In the lead up to final construction, the team will follow a daily regimen of experimentation and play, consisting of drawing exercises and material demonstrations that focus on humor and the absurd. Research and development team members will develop individual projects in advance of final construction with materials like hi- tech weather resistant papier mache, crochet camouflage, plastic inflatable sculptures and various wood and canvas shelters. Team members must be mentally and physically prepared to work in a variety of extreme conditions both outdoors and indoors. We will rely on group discussions and the Brigade’s resource libraries to generate the plans for each endeavor. The Brigade’s extensive research library contains the following materials for education and inspiration: survival manuals, contemporary art catalogues, The American Boys and Girls Handy Books, tourist trap brochures, and craft encyclopedias. Our Audio-Visual department carries such titles as: Psycho, Swiss Family Robinson, EraserHead, Alive, Martha Stewart, and This Old House to name a few.

PAINTING 623 001
White Out: Painting and Drawing in the Void
Instructor: Katy Fischer and John Parot
3 credit hours

Artwork created in isolated, barren environments often bears the mark of obsessive repetition ranging from the manic behavior of Jack Torrance in the Shining to the delicate intricacy of sailor's scrimshaw. In this course, we will use painting and drawing to explore winter's extremes from the dismal: cabin fever, survival instincts, coping with the elements, boredom, and seasonally affected depression, to the sublime: meditative stillness, hermetic austerity, and expansive spaces. Students will develop a body of work that experiments with conveying winter's focused intensity through painting and drawing. We will discuss topics including Agnes Martin, Joseph Beuys, Shaker gift drawings, Inuit carving, medieval manuscripts and Chinese scroll painting to inform our practice.