FALL 2011 Seminar Series in the Arts

The Art Institute of Boston (AIB) offers a seminar series in the arts throughout the academic year. Workshops in the visual arts are designed to offer students of all ages and backgrounds an opportunity to take non-credit workshops in various visual art disciplines.

For additional information and/or to register, please contact Linda Harris at the Office of Extended Programs at 617.585.6724.

Courses/Workshops:

IXAHS 2200-01 Art Treasures of Medieval Aquitaine - Priscilla Baumann

The region of Aquitaine in southwest France stretches from the Loire River to the foothills of the Pyrenees. This seminar concentrates on the important medieval monuments found in Aquitaine, in and near the ancient cities of Poitiers and Saints. Students shall consider architectural innovations, sculptural decoration and wall painting in their historical context.

Topics for class discussion include the inventive exuberance of architectural sculpture, the unexpected tradition of domed vaulting, and the world-renowned frescoes at St. Savin-sur-Gartempe. Students will also examine Eleanor of Aquitane's positive influence on the arts.

Offered: September 6 - December 13, 2011

Schedule: 10:00 am - 1:50 pm

Location: University Hall 3-083

Cost: $500 Tuition + $30 Registration fee

IXFIN 2100-02 Drawing Essentials - Percy Fortini-Wright

This course will teach each student how to think critically about what they see and make by learning exercises designed to heighten one's sensitivity to visual stimuli. Students will focus on observational drawing but will also work abstractly to encourage a personal exploration of media. A variety of monochromatic media will be used. 

Offered: Wednesdays, October 5 ,12, 19, 26 and November 2 & 9, 2011

Location: The Art Institute of Boston, Room 314, 700 Beacon Street, (Kenmore Square) Boston, MA

Schedule: 6:15 pm - 9:15 pm 

Cost: $325 Tuition + $30 Registration fee

IXDSN 2100-02 Write, Print & Bind - Deborah Davidson 

This series of Saturday workshops is an exciting introduction to the world of handmade books, hand letterpress and poetry. The course will start an introduction to book forms and also work on writing.  This will be followed by one session of letterpress at Firefly Press in Boston, and end with the completion of an edition containing the printed poems of the class, uniquely bound in a hard cover cloth binding. Each participant will get a copy of this wonderful class experience expressed in a singular way. 

Offered: Saturdays, October 29 and November 5 & 19, 2011

Location: The Art Institute of Boston, Room 410/412, 700 Beacon Street, (Kenmore Square) Boston, MA

Schedule: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Cost: $325 Tuition + $30 Registration Fee

IXPHO 2100-02 Black & White Photography - Brian Unwin

This course is an introduction to the basic fundamentals of black and white photography. Students learn black and white film processing and printing techniques as well as the basics of using a manually adjustable 35 mm camera,including exposure controls and camera operation. Class time is devoted to aesthetic concerns of black and white photography and includes darkroom and critique sessions as well as a final presentation.

Offered: Tuesdays October 4, 11, 18, 25 and November 1 & 8, 2011

Location: The Art Institute of Boston, Room 216 & Darkroom, 700 Beacon Street, (Kenmore Square) Boston, MA

Schedule: 6:15 - 9:15 pm

Cost: $325 Tuition + $30 Registration Fee

IXDSN 2300-02 Introduction to Web Design - Richard Phung

The web has quickly become a common communication and business tool as well as a new opportunity for graphic designers to use their visual and conceptual skills. Students explore the use of basic design principles in the web environment and are introduced to new concepts in interactivity and site navigation. The course also covers basic technical aspects of page and site construction. 

Offered: Tuesdays October 4, 11, 18, 25 and November 1 & 8, 2011

Location: The Art Institute of Boston, Digital Lab 313, 700 Beacon Street, (Kenmore Square) Boston, MA 

Schedule: 6:15 - 9:15 pm

Cost: $325 Tuition + $30 Registration Fee 

IXNTD 2100-82 & 83 Online Business Skills for Artists and Designers -- Marlo Brooks

During this course, students will go through the steps of creating a for-profit business that ideally, is an extension of their personal art. Students must choose a commercially viable product or service to bring to the marketplace, i.e., custom illustrated snowboards, web site designs or professional photography services. Through this process you will gain knowledge in several key business areas including management (self/time/product), marketing and finance. The skills learned are easily transferable to any enterprise regardless of whether you ultimately work for yourself or within an organization. 

Offered October 24 - December 16, 2011.

Cost: $1,170 (3-credit undergraduate online course tuition) + $30 Registration Fee

Professor will contact students before course begins.

* * * Matriculated AIB and Lesley College undergraduate students MUST register online into IXNTD 2100-83. * * *  

Faculty Bios:

Priscilla Baumann, Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from Boston University, is particularly interested in medieval French art, architecture and cultural history. After completing a B.A. in French at Manhattanville College, and a M.A. in French at Middlebury College, Baumann was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Sorbonne in Paris. She has taught at Tufts University, Radcliffe Seminars and Lesley University. She has been a Docent at the Harvard Art Museum since 1983. Her extensive archive of slides photographed on site enhances her classes and offers unique details unavailable elsewhere.

Deborah Davidson received her M.F.A. from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University and her B.A. from Binghamton University. She is currently part of the core faculty in the MFA program at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University and also teaches Visual Books. She was the curator of exhibits and programs for the New Center for for Arts and Culture, Boston, for six years. Deborah is currently involved in independent curatorial projects and exhibits widely.

Richard Phung is an educational technologist and independent web designer/developer. He leads seminars in next generation web, social technology, and interactive game design. His discussions combine the principles of web/communication standards, cloud applications and standardization practices. 

Brian Unwin is a Boston-based artist. He studied at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. His photographs are primarily concerned with landscape issues focusing on the ever changing lines between rural, suburban and urban spaces and looking for evidence of how we live. His work has been shown locally and nationally. His work is featured in many private collections. He recently began making pictures in Detroit.

Percy Fortini-Wright received his MFA and BFA at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. His work is based around coalescing graffiti and representational painting, balancing perceived opposites exhibited within the public and private sphere. Merging fine arts and graffiti, Percy creates workshops and teaches a wide spectrum of classes from graffiti to figure drawing based on the interest of his students.

Marlo Brooks
coming soon

Images at left from top:
Beyrie-sur-Joyeuse, medieval ruins in Aquitaine
Fresco at St. Savin-sur-Gartempe: God talking to Noah
Deborah Davidson, Trace book, installation view, 168" x 72", mixed media on handmade paper
Deborah Davidson, Trace book, detail
Brian Unwin, Fisher Building, Detroit
Student observational work