Cultural Expressions

Victoria TimpoMaryland Institute College of ArtCuratorial Practice MFA Candidate ‘14March 26, 2013

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Table of Contents

Introduction …………………………………………………………. 3

Mission of Thesis ………………………………………………….... 3

Partner ………………………………………………………………. 3

Goals ………………………………………………………………... 4

Art/Artist …………………………………………………………..... 4

Programming ……………………………………………………….. 7

Anticipated Audiences ……………………………………………… 9

Community Engagement …………………………………………… 9

Accessibility ………………………………………………………... 9

Marketing …………………………………………………………... 10

Publication ………………………………………………………….. 10

Sustainability ……………………………………………………….. 10

Assessment/Evaluation …………………………………………….. 11

Timeline …………………………………………………………..... 12

Preliminary Budget ………………………………………………… 14

Research ……………………………………………………………. 16

Addendum ………………………………………………………...... 17

Curator Biography

Curator Resume

Curatorial Practice MFA Summary

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Introduction

Launching in summer 2013, Cultural Expressions presents a collaborative African Book

Arts exhibition with Baltimore City Community College’s Refugee Youth Project (RYP)

students, established international and emerging regional book artists from Baltimore,

and concentration book arts students in the Printmaking Department at Maryland Institute

College of Art (MICA). Since 2003, the RYP has provided quality after school programs

for youth in pre-K through 12th grade in the Baltimore metropolitan area. Students have

arrived in Maryland after fleeing more than 17 different countries including Nepal,

Bhutan, Burma, Iraq, the Congo, Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Over the course of a year, the RYP’s students will develop storytelling techniques and

bookbinding skills through summer and after school workshops. Visiting artists will give

bookbinding demonstrations with an aim to encourage creative self-expression and

promote cultural exchange in Baltimore. The artworks inspired by different cultures of

the RYP students will be exhibited in April 2014 at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of

Maryland African American History and Culture (RFLM).

Mission of Thesis

Cultural Expressions aims to encourage creative initiatives for refugee youth in

Baltimore. In addition, it will create a safe place to develop artistic self-expression and

embrace cultural traditions. Maintaining emphasis on the specific cultures represented at

the RYP is an important criterion for a sincere connection with students. The RYP

students’ cultures will be preserved through book arts. The bookbinding workshops are

an opportunity for RYP students to develop literacy skills and learn a new artistic

practice.

Partners

A partnership with the RYP and the RFLM will provide the support, resources and

audience engagement needed for the actualization of my thesis.

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Initiating a partnership with the RYP provides a facility to allow students to explore their

cultures during the workshops. The RYP offers insight into the sensitive nature of

students’ varied experiences and the best practices to encourage engagement. The RFLM

seeks to preserve, interpret, and exhibit the rich history of the African American

experience in Maryland. The RFLM values of community engagement and education are

similar to my thesis mission of cultural exchange. Also, its incredible exhibition space

lends itself to displaying book art. There is also potential for programming with the RYP

students at RFLM.

Goals

Curatorial Vision: I strive to show diversity in artists and open dialogues between

marginalized communities and art. Cultural Expressions will celebrate the unique

qualities of culture through curiosity in the traditions of various countries. Its goals are to

embrace traditions and promote cultural exchange in Baltimore.

Audience Consideration: Programs will encourage unity amongst RYP students from

different countries who often remain isolated within their communities. Collaboratively

creating books will inspire cross cultural appreciations. Creating an open environment

where foreign and Baltimore residents can share their cultural distinctiveness will lead to

a robust experience.

Sustainability: I aim to foster connections between RYP students and artists through the

workshops. Ultimately, these relationships developed will raise awareness about the

growing refugee population in Baltimore and offer a platform for RYP students’ voices.

Artists/Artworks

John Hyde is a mixed media artist from Ghana, West Africa. He received a degree in Fine

Art from Ghanatta College of Arts focusing on abstraction and caricature. He often

incorporates cultural elements in his work such as African cloth and beads.

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UntitledJohn Hyde2013African cloth, beads, board12 x 10

Jenny O’Grady lives in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2006, she received her MFA in Creative

Writing and Publishing Arts at the University of Baltimore. She is currently editor of

Light Ekphrastic, an online literary journal that pairs writers with visual artists to inspire

new work. She is the 2013 B-grant Baker Arts Award winner for her book art.

UntitledJenny O’Grady2012Yellow sculpey clay, rainbow color pages, string1inch squar

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Joyce Wellman is a native New Yorker who now lives in Washington, D.C. In 1996 she

received a MFA in Mt. Royal School of Art at MICA. She works in various mediums

including screen print, book arts, mixed-media paintings and drawings. Joyce uses

vibrant colors and symbols that referenced mathematics and her personal experiences.

UntitledJoyce Wellman1999Mixed media book on wood panel5 x 7

Linda Yvonne McNear, also known as Mama Linda Goss, is the co-founder of National

Association of Black Storytellers and part of the Griots Circle of Maryland. The Griots

Circle of Maryland is the Storytelling Headquarter in Baltimore. Mama Linda draws

stories from personal experiences and folktales in her performances.

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Programming

Bookbinding workshops and public events will explore the complexities of different

cultures while connecting communities in Baltimore. From June 24 through August 2,

2013, West African, Ghanaian mixed media book artist, John Hyde, will facilitate weekly

workshops using innovative bookbinding techniques. The Ghanaian artist offers a unique

opportunity for RYP students to learn rare bookbinding methods from Africa. John will

serve as a mentor to students and relate to their experiences as foreigners to Baltimore.

Creating an open and encouraging environment will be ideal for mutual trust and

understanding to develop. MICA’s book art student concentration and volunteers from

RYP will assist in the workshop.

Baltimore based artist; Jenny O’Grady and, storyteller Mama Linda Goss will visit the

workshop and present one-day demonstrations. Jenny will teach the RYP students how to

incorporate poetry and text in their books. Mama Linda will perform storytelling methods

that inspire new book art forms. Students will also develop writing skills through sharing

and writing stories.

The summer workshop will occur two days a week for two hours on the Bio-Park campus

at Baltimore City Community College. The workshop is part of the RYP Summer

Learning Program. The summer learning program also focuses on college preparation,

job acculturation, grammar and reading. A total of 20 students ranging in age from 14 to

21 years old will participate in the workshop.

The summer workshop allows for a cultural exchange where students can connect with

art professionals in Baltimore. Through this exchange insight into the sensitive nature of

a refugee experience can be learned. Throughout the summer workshop RYP students’

cultures will be embraced and highlighted through book art. Projects will incorporate

African materials, such as beads and wooden masks, as well as textiles important to RYP

students’ cultures. For example, in the symbolic bookbinding week, students will be

asked to bring in objects that have symbolic meaning to their lives. These objects will

inspire the creation of new books. Students will present their books to the class after each

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project for discussion. The final project will incorporate lessons learned from previous

weeks and create books using individual student’s favorite bookbinding technique.

Students will also be asked to think of materials that are important to their cultures to use

in the final project.

A Friday field trip to visit the RFLM over the summer will allow students to view the

traditional African art collection in the museum and serve as an opportunity for team

building where students can explore each other’s cultures. A trip will also be arranged to

view the Asian art collection at the Walters Art Museum. The summer workshop will

culminate in an exhibition showcasing students’ work at the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s

Central branch (EPFL). The EPFL’s easy access to the public and collection of books

provides an ideal exhibition space. The exhibition will display student’s book art for the

Greater Baltimore community and celebrate RYP students’ traditions.

Beginning January 2014, the second bookbinding workshop facilitated by D.C. artist

Joyce Wellman, continues the skills previously learned during the summer workshop.

This workshop will examine the students’ experience as a refugee in Baltimore. This

workshop will take place at Patterson High School, one of the RYP’s after school sites.

Students will create an artist book or memory box and decorate it using mixed medias

and found objects. Inside the box students can place narratives taken from interviews of

family members or close friends about their cultures. Nepalese musician Prem Raja

Mahat, who lives in Baltimore, will visit and share his experiences as a way to connect

RYP students to creative professionals from their home countries. The Thesis exhibition

will open April 2014 and include selected RYP student’s book art from the workshops.

During the thesis opening, Congolese artist, Evodie Ngoy, from Wide Angel Youth

Media will present her latest animated film The Golden Tongue, which explores the

power of words to change the world. Wide Angle Youth Media provides Baltimore youth

with media education to tell their stories and become engaged with their communities.

Evodie will give an artist talk about her experience as a refugee to the students and give

demonstrations on incorporating media and storytelling. A public film screening of The

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Paradise that Wasn’t that documents refugee youth experience in Baltimore Schools

followed by a Q & A session with Evodie will take place at MICA’s Black Box Theatre.

A panel discussion on the immigrant and refugee experiences in Baltimore followed by a

Q & A section will be facilitated by selected artists, professionals, and community

members to be determined. The moderator of this program will also be determined. This

event will be open to the public at the RFLM. RYP students will be arranged

transportation to attend this event.

Anticipated Audiences

African and Indian communities in Baltimore

RYP refugee students’ families

RYP volunteers and staff

University of Baltimore community

MICA community

Enoch Pratt Library visitors

Community Engagement

Through the bookbinding workshops, RYP students will have the opportunity to meet art

professionals in Baltimore. These interactions will allow the RYP students to feel

connected to Baltimore. In addition, it provides Baltimore residents a better

understanding of refugee experiences in order to open dialogues. Through the Ghanaian

artists, the RYP students will embrace their cultural traditions through art. A mentorship

will be developed between the RYP students and art professionals involved in the

workshops. In order to facilitate a formal mentorship, RYP students’ interests will be

matched with artists.

Accessibility

All wall labels in the exhibitions will be in regular and large font. The text will be clear,

direct and easily understood. It will include the languages of the RYP students who

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participated in the workshops. The translation of the languages will be determined. The

exhibition sites and programs will be accessible to wheelchairs or other visitors who need

to avoid stairs, and to public restrooms. It is also important that exhibition hours and site

locations are tailored for the convenience of the targeted audience. Workshops will allow

for creative freedom and expression and be accessible to all levels. Consent forms will be

provided for all minors who are participating in the workshop.

Marketing

A MICA graphic design student will be commissioned to handle all branding for my

thesis including a logo, catalogue, postcards, flyers, website, and press kit materials. A

wide range of social media (facebook, radio announcements, blog, twitter, instagram)

will be used to engage different demographics and communities in Baltimore. Press

releases will be sent out to local newspapers, universities, MICA Juxtaposition, and

church bulletin boards that are connected with RYP students and the larger immigrant

community in Baltimore.

Publications

The catalogue for the exhibition will primarily consist of documentation of participant’s

experiences through interviews, process images, testimonies and final artwork created in

the workshops. Interviews of RYP students and all the artists who participated will

provide insight on the process and experiences. If permitted, interviews of RYP students’

families will also be taken. Essays will include reflections from the Ghanaian artist about

his cultural exchange in Baltimore. To be determined key Nepalese and Ethiopian artists

in Baltimore will also be featured in an essay. Baltimore community leaders and artists

who have immigrated or are foreigners to Baltimore will also be sought out for the

catalogue in order to have a strong immigrant voice in the catalogue. MICA students who

participated in the workshops will also be included.

Sustainability

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Through community outreach and educational programs this exhibition will bridge gaps

between the refugee population and Baltimore artistic community. This will include

MICA book art students maintaining relationships with the RYP through volunteering or

initiating future workshops. The workshops will also provide networking opportunities

for RYP students with Baltimore art professionals. These formed relationships can be

used for continual support and resources for the RYP students and their families as they

continue to adjust to their lives in Baltimore. Documentation of the workshops and

student’s art will be placed on RYP website, as well as created Thesis website and blog.

Ultimately, the book art will be featured in the permanent collection of EFPL or Research

Center at RFLM.

Assessment/Evaluation

Thesis Review Committee

George Ciscle, Director of MFA Curatorial Practice at MICA

Michelle Joan Wilkinson, Director of Collections and Exhibition at RFLM

Kursten Pickup, Coordinator of Refugee Youth Project

Kursten Pickup, Michelle Wilkinson, and George Ciscle will be the evaluating committee

for the African bookbinding workshop. As mentors and partners, they will have spent

considerable time with me on the project and can evaluate its strengths and weaknesses.

Front End: The two workshops will serve as evaluation methods to learn the need and

desires of the RYP students as well as increase student’s comfort in creating work. There

will also be formal meetings in which the evaluating committee will discuss the mission,

goals and final outcomes of my thesis. In order to document my experience I will write

personal journal entries documenting my research and planning of the workshop. The

entries will work as reflections on the progress of the workshop and will be included in

the final written analysis. Photographs taken of projects in progress during the workshop

and all events including the exhibition at Enoch Pratt library will also be recorded.

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Formative: The final project at the end of the workshop will measure the level of

achievement for students and their learned bookbinding skill set. As the workshop

progresses the student’s books should improve. Writing stories in books offer

opportunities for students to practice writing and increase their vocabulary. An increase

in RYP student’s writing abilities is another measure for the workshop’s success.

Ultimately, the success of this workshop will be future art initiatives organized for RYP

teenagers.

Summative: A formal written analysis will be done at the end of each workshop using

information taken from collected surveys and evaluation meetings. The RYP students,

Ghanaian artists, volunteers and MICA interns will also complete evaluation forms. A

formal analysis and casebook of slides and photographs will be presented at the end of

thesis.

Timeline

November 2012Write/Mail interest lettersMeet potential Partners Look for funding Confirm Ghanaian artists

December 2012Write Proposal draftConnect with Enoch Pratt LibraryFind Baltimore/DC Bookbinding artists

January 2013Confirm Bookbinding artistsFind backup African artists in BaltimoreFind/Confirm housing for Ghanaian artists

February 2013Artist meetingsContinue looking for funding sourcesWrite invitation letters

March 2013Confirm MICA concentration student’s internshipGhanaian artists apply for VisaFinal Thesis ProposalLesson plan for summer workshop

April 2013

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Continue to prepare for summer workshopLook for essayist for publicationConnect with graphic designer

May 2013Final budget for exhibition, programming, publication, marketingArtist’s contracts and stipends Buy supplies for summer workshop

June 2013Ghanaian artists fly into BaltimoreLaunch summer bookbinding workshopFront end evaluation

July 2013Trip to RFLMVisiting artist’s demonstrationsInstallation needs/fabrication

August 2013End of summer workshopGhanaian artists leave BaltimoreEnoch Pratt library opening

September 2013Continue Formative evaluationsPreliminary catalogue budgetConfirm essayists

October 2013Confirm Nepalese/Bhutanese artistsCreate brand/logo

November 2013Finish catalogue designFinish website/blog

December 2013Lesson plan for fall workshopConfirm site/participantsBuy materials for workshop

January 2014Start Second bookbinding workshopEvodie Ngoy visitInstallation needs/fabrications

February 2014Final artwork listReception detailsDesign/ exhibition layout complete

March 2014Press kit

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Press ReleaseFinal curatorial statement

April 2014ProgramsOpening Cultural ExpressionsSummative evaluations

Preliminary Budget

ITEM QTY Cost Income GrantIn-Kind/

Other Sources

TRANSPORTATIONRoundtrip ticket 1 $1,785.02 $0.00 $0.00 $1,785.02

HOUSINGMICA Host 2BR 1 $545.00 $0.00 $0.00 $545.00

PERSONNELPer Diem Expenses 1 $1,750.00 $0.00 $0.00 $1,750.00Artist stipend 3 $300.00

PROGRAMSSummer workshop 1 $5,000.00 $0.00 $1,500.00 $3,500.00Fall Workshop 1 $2,500.00Film screening 1 $200.00Panel Discussion 1 $500.00

MATERIALSBookbinding Workshop 1 1 $1,500.00 $0.00 $1,500.00 $0.00Bookbinding Workshop 2 1 $1,000.00

GALLERYEnoch Pratt LibraryReginald F. Lewis Museum

INSTALLATIONCases 3 $220.00Printing $500.00Wall text $300.00Insurance $150.00

ACCESSIBILITYExhibition designTranslator fees 1 $500.00

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PUBLICATIONSWeb hosting 1 $50.00Web design 1 $500.00Catalogue 2,000 $7,000.00Photographer 1 $500.00Essayists 4 $250.00

MARKETINGPress kitPostcards 1,000 $5,000Brochure 2,000 $3,500.00Buttons 1,000 $250.00Posters 50 $275.00Brand designer $500.00

SUSTAINABILITYRYP websitePermanent EFPF collection

ADMINISTRATIVEInterns 3 $150.00StaffPrinting/CopiesEvaluations/Survey

EVENTSRefreshments Summer workshop 1 $150.00Refreshments Fall workshop 1 $150.00Enoch Pratt Library Reception 1 $300.00RFLM Reception 1 $500.000

TOTALS $35,825.00 $1,500.00

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Research

Past:

Erin Zamrzla, At Home with Handmade Books, Boston: Trumpeter, 2011

Mary McCarthy, Making Books by Hand: A Step By Step Guide, Massachusetts: Rockport Publishing, Inc., 1997

Carole Kismaric, Forced Out: The Agony of the Refugee in Our Time, New York: The Fund for Free Expression and The J.M. Kaplan Fund, 1986.

Current:

Paul DiMaggio, Art in the Lives of Immigrants Communities in the United States, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 2010

The Green Box Striped Bare: Marcel Duchamp 1934 “Facsimiles” Yield Surprises

Workshop SourcesFootscray Community Arts Center (Mulburne)’Baltimore Independent Library826 National, National Literacy Program (DC Chapel)

Future:

Dukem restaurantEthiopian church

ContactsMartha Edgerton (EPFL) Gracie Xavier (MICA) Gail Deery (MICA)

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Addendum

Curator Biography

Victoria Timpo is from Chicago, Illinois. She received a BFA in Painting at the

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As an artist, her paintings investigate aspects

of African lifestyles and identity. She currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland where she

will receive a Masters in Fine Arts in Curatorial Practice. As a curator her focus is on

empowering marginalized communities through creative expressions.

Curator Resume

Education2014 MFA Curatorial Practice Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Baltimore, Maryland2010 BFA Painting University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

Administrative/Gallery ExperienceJanuary 2013-Present Crystal Moll Gallery Intern, Baltimore, Maryland

. Operational duties including prepare literature for mailing

. Update website, generate exhibition blog, and maintain gallery records and art

. Send out promotional material through social media

December 2012-Present Attitudes of Abstraction Internship, Leslie King-Hammond, Baltimore, Maryland

. Extensive art historical research of artists and potential partners

. Plan and promote programs for opening exhibition at MICA Fall 2014

. Research permanent collections of artist’s work to curate 30-40 pieces

February- May 2012 Continental Africa Chamber of Commerce, Chicago, Illinois7th, U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment Forum. Maintain registration records and membership forms in excel log sheet. Investigate grants and research sponsorships for Forum. Assist with all administrative duties including email correspondence, fax, and

copy

August 2009- May2010 Illini Arts Committee, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois. Plan, schedule, and research artists for upcoming events. Promote and advertise campus art events with a team. Organize and host exhibition openings

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June- August 2009 Exhibition Preparator Intern, Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC), Chicago, Illinois. Assist with Gallery installations and work with artists on site-specific

pieces. Update and archive HPAC exhibition Collection materials. Store and organize exhibition files and brochures

Studio ExperienceApril 2010-January2011 Painting Internship, Godwin Adjei Sowah, Ghana, West Africa

. Develop art practices and painting skills through formal mentorship

October-January 2011 Drawing Internship, Yaw Mensah, Ghana, West Africa. Expand figure drawing skills through 10 week formal mentorship

April 2010- January2011 Painting Apprenticeship, Larry Otoo, Ghana, West Africa. Visit local artist studios . Explore different cultures through trips to Cape Coast and Kumasi . Attend local events including Workshops, Exhibitions, Artists Talk

Volunteer ExperienceJanuary 2013-Present Refugee Youth Project, Baltimore, Maryland

. Assist with homework for youth at Patterson High school

August 2012 Association of African American Museums (AAAM), Baltimore, MarylandAnnual Conference, Commemorating Struggles: Claiming Freedoms. Sessions Monitor

Museum Specific ProficiencyGrant Writing, Install/De-Install, Art Handling, Collection Inventory, Academic Research

Information TechnologyMicrosoft Office (Word, Excel, Access), Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop

Awards2013 MICA Office of Community Engagement Grant2013 MICA Student Affairs Community Service Fund

Curatorial Practice MFA summary

MICA's new MFA in Curatorial Practice will prepare students to take a responsible

approach to the expanding role curators play in creating a vibrant cultural life in the 21st

century's global society. Designed to forge connections among art, artists, and the

community, the program's collaborative and individual curatorial projects allow students

to explore new methods of exhibition presentation-thinking outside of traditional models

and training to create relevant, timely and accessible exhibitions for their audiences. New

models will include considering the surrounding community or history of the venue as

inspiration when organizing exhibitions. This innovative graduate program is the first

MFA in Curatorial Practice in the United States.

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Combining intensive liberal arts seminars with ongoing discourse between mentors and

peers, the curriculum will complement the program's contemporary vision of exhibition

practice and audience engagement with active hands-on experience. Graduates of the

program will be creative thinkers committed to working in an interactive, collaborative

process, and will emerge with an understanding of the complex and evolving role

curators can play within cultural institutions, galleries, the marketplace, and their

communities.

* From MICA Curatorial Practice website