Hey folks, I talked briefly to a few of you about this, but I'd like to know people's thoughts on reviving weekly meetings for the Graphic Arts Council. If we want to reinstate the GAC as an official BU group, the deadline for SAO is January 26th. That would require electing some officers and picking and finding an advisor. The benefits of being an official group of course, would be the chance for us to apply for funding. With funding, well, comes fun, right? It'd allow us to cover travel costs if we want to organize trips to studios, type foundries, another New York trip like last year, or plan any other events. It'd also help to re-establish us and give a chance for the juniors to step in and take on some leadership roles for next year.
So, what I'm asking is, are you interested? Would you want to meet once a week, or every other week and what day? I'm sure the majority of us are booked for the week, which is why we had previously met on Friday afternoon/evenings. Who would you want as an advisor? What would you be interested in doing as a group? I'm thinking along the lines of trips to studios right here in Boston, portfolio reviews, outside critiques, bringing in guest lecturers, workshops, and putting together our own shows.
If we're going to do it, we have to get moving soon, so thoughts are welcome. Be as specific as you can in terms of what you want to do and what you would like to see happen in the short and long term. Restarting this group will be another step for us to create a stronger program and get the enthusiasm running again.
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Personally, I don't feel I have enough time to devote much of it to a design group. BUT, if there's a way to get funding as a club without having to hold weekly meetings, or even bi-weekly meetings, (I'm thinking once a month) then I'd be interested.
When the GAC was up and running last year, the priority was drafting the proposal of reform, but there were some other cool stuff too. Here's the thing: a design group that becomes nice and ESTABLISHED would be the kind of thing that could draw involvement from AIGA Boston, and garner even more influence in the CFA...to continue improving the program and get some huge name designers to come give talks, etc.
It would be cool to send out a group email to all the underclassmen design students telling them about the benefits of establishing a design group, but focusing on the story of how we were dissatisfied with some parts of the department and sent a letter to the administration and ACTUALLY got some things REFORMED.
Honestly, the only reason I'd give much of my time at the moment to the GAC would be with the idea that it could be carried on into a self-perpetuating thing in the CFA for years after we're gone-- something we could put in our resume to say "we freakin started this shizz and look what it's doing now...look at the design program now..." If the underclassment aren't inspired by the group email I'm suggesting, then I'll feel like this is a lost cause. I've felt alone on most of this stuff anyway and would need to hear support from others to give much of a care anymore.
Thanks for responding, Mike. I know that this semester is going to be hellish for us (and I think it will be a good thing), so I agree that monthly meetings should suffice. At this point, since the applications for "new" groups are due on Monday, it just seems too rushed to put something together officially. I was going to compose a letter so that Alana could send it out to all the design students about the group.
I feel like if we at least create some kind of presence this semester, that we can appoint a few juniors who will hopefully continue everything in the fall and register the group again. I'll actually be here student teaching, so I could probably check up on them and be an unofficial advisor of sorts.
I just feel it's really important that we take the lead and start this now, or it will become some lost memory like the old Art League...so it would be nice to cultivate some stronger relationships with our underclassmen. I've only been able to briefly talk to Donovan about the idea, and he seemed pretty into it, and I have little contact with the other juniors this semester.
Perhaps for the end of February we can try to come up with an event idea? A junior/senior portfolio review, more graduate student thesis presentations...even setting up a lecture by Purvis if he's interested. The event itself can be a meeting, and will hopefully get the juniors' spirits up.
My mind is a pile of mush from this busy week, but I think a group email will be a good start. I think if we have a tangible kind of event/meeting that it will make it that more real and encourage more people to get involved.
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