Proposal for Artifact [BOLD] 2023 and Kelli Anderson Residency
This is an example of a Cultural Enrichment Grant proposal that was funded for the 2023 – 2024 academic year. Some of the information, such as the line item budget, has been redacted.
Visitor Information:
Bio: Kelli Anderson (www.kellianderson.com) is an artist, designer, and self-described “inveterate tinkerer.” Anderson’s work pushes the limits of ordinary materials and formats by seeking out hidden possibility in the physical and digital world. Her books and projects have included a book that transforms into a pinhole camera (published by the Museum of Modern Art in 2016), a pop-up paper planetarium, and a working paper record. By opening “black box” concepts up to the poetics and playfulness of the senses, her projects function as a lab space for collaborative through, there by broadening accessibility and the variety of voices at the table. Anderson’s work, which has garnered world-wide media attention, has been featured in publications like ‘Mashable, ”Wired’ and ‘Slashdot.’ She is currently completing Alphabet in Motion, an interactive book on the relationship between typography and technology with Letterform Archive. We are so excited to bring this exceptionally innovative and extremely well-connected designer to campus!
Proposed Event:
Artifact [BOLD] is an annual international exhibition of graphic design, new media, illustration, printmaking, and the expanded field, which will be held in the Sechrest Art Gallery March 20 through April 24, 2023.In addition to the exhibition itself, we are planning three days of activities around its opening reception. Kelli Anderson has agreed to be the exhibition’s juror, and she will travel from her home in New York for a brief residency on campus to work one-on-one with our students, conduct workshops, and present a headlining artist talk at the exhibition’s opening. We ask for support both for the exhibition itself and for Anderson’s residency on campus.
Impact:
Artifact [BOLD] constitutes an important moment of engagement between High Point University and the contemporary art and design sphere. The aim of Artifact [BOLD] is three-fold:
- First, we want to provide a platform for contemporary, innovative, thought-provoking work in Graphic Design, NewMedia, Illustration, and the Expanded Field.
- Second, we want to cultivate an exhibition space that is intentionally inclusive and that centers artists whose voices have not been equally represented in scholarly and professional discourses.
- Third, we want to honor the strong tradition of design innovation with which High Point University has been associated, and particularly the legacy of Allan Beaver, graphic design and advertising pioneer and High Point University’s Artist in Residence from 2007-2018.
Speaking specifically to the factors considered by the Cultural Programs Committee:
- How would the proposed event benefit students and/or faculty? Both the Artifact [BOLD] exhibition generally and Kelli Anderson’s residency specifically will give HPU’s students the opportunity to meet, work with, and receive feedback on their own work from a nationally- and internationally recognized star of design and innovation. Her willingness to work one-on-one with our students (through individual discussions/critiques of their work and through the presentation of a hands-on workshop) will provide them an important experience that will benefit their burgeoning professionalism.
- Would the proposed event raise the profile of the University? Kelli Anderson’s association with High Point University and its Sechrest Art Gallery and Department of Art and Graphic Design is a coup: Maria Popova(journalist and author of the popular blog ‘The Marginalian’) has called her “one of the most talented, thoughtful, inspiring young designers working today, bringing to each project an artist’s flair, a scientist’s rigor, and a philosopher’s deliberation”; she is a sought-after speaker; she 120K followers on social media; and she has professional ties to major art and design institutions and publications.
- Is the proposed event interdisciplinary? While elements of this event will primarily engage students in the Department of Art and Graphic Design, its location in the Sechrest Gallery will broaden its appeal to the entire campus community. Additionally, Anderson’s interest in using design to reconceptualize scientific and technological instruments (cameras, planetariums, etc.) has sparked conversations around making her available to students in other disciplines (specifically to the Natural Science Fellows). While plans for this collaboration are yet to be finalized, discussions have been initiated. Additionally, Kelli Anderson’s high professional profile will likely attract interest from professional communities in Greensboro, Winston Salem, etc. We are already working with those areas’ chapters of AIGA (the American Institute of Graphic Arts) to invite design professionals to campus for Anderson’s artist talk.
- Does the proposed event have implications for teaching? Anderson has already agreed to spend time in Graphic Design classes to review student portfolios and provide instruction/mentorship. Students in Graphic Design, Art, and Art History classes will be required to attend events related to her residency.
Evaluation:
Students will be asked to reflect on Artifact [BOLD] and their work with Kelli Anderson through a class reflection assignment (there will be approximately 60 reflection assignments). The Sechrest Art Gallery will also evaluate the effectiveness of the event by tracking attendance at all of the events related to Anderson’s residency, an through metrics related to our public profile (mailing list subscriptions, Instagram/Facebook followers, etc.).