VIRTUAL Prague Research & Teaching Conference

Abstract

Teaching students how to make it possible to live, learn and pursue their personal work after design school is integral to their success. The loss of studio community, space, and equipment to work on personal projects, as well as how and where to learn new skills is a loss I personally felt after school. I adamantly want my students to have the knowledge and resources to be able to seamlessly transition from being a professional student to a young professional. What that boils down to is how and where do you find your people in terms of living and learning and what do you then need to do to reach your living and learning goals. To negotiate these issues, I teach students what artist housing, live workspaces, residencies, and adult continuing education are and how to find these opportunities and apply for them. In my Design Perspectives course, we look at different historical periods, theories, and designs through sociological, psychological, and cultural lenses. The students use what they learned to frame their design practices and contextualize their work in artist statements which they can then use to apply for residencies for passion projects and a Boston Artist Housing Certification which they will use to apply for artist housing. Last, I show them where to find residency opportunities as well as adult education offerings in the area where they can continue to do personal work, learn, and hone their skills with like-minded artists and designers.