Kim Garza

Garza is an experienced graphic designer and current educator. She has a long list of accomplishments and projects that was almost overwhelming, but definitely impressive. She spoke about the creation of Eventurist, a travel inspiration app with travel and airline deals. I actually told my sister about it, since she loves to travel, and she said she would download it and let me know what she thinks. My favorite part of her presentation was when she talked about Till the Clouds Roll By. It was such an interesting idea, and the execution was amazing. I loved the music (I wish I could download it…) and the imagery fit it perfectly.

Tammie Rubin

Rubin is a ceramics sculptor with a very distinct point of view. She talked about the legendary chimera, and how that concept of a thread between real and imaginary translates into her work. Her art is very interesting and whimsical, especially the cones she created. I loved how she spoke about her environment and how it shaped her creative eye. Sometimes I feel like my environment overwhelms my creativity, so it was refreshing to hear someone else’s view on it. I don’t know much about ceramics and sculpting, but her work was amazing.

James Lam Sheeran

Sheeran had a very interesting point of view and presentation. His photography is very well thought out and thought-provoking. His explanations were delivered with a very dry wit, which added to the intrigue created by his photographs (ex. “Northern Renaissance shitty paint job”). I really liked the abstract quality of his work, and how it played with perception and interpretation. His photography has a nostalgic feel to it, almost like I had seen these spaces before but the pictures were capturing it in a new light. I didn’t necessarily understand everything he said, but I was very interested in Sheeran’s artwork.

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Since this was my first semester in college, it was definitely a roller coaster ride. This seminar was something that gave me insight into the art world and helped me feel more prepared for the rest of my time here as a Visual Studies major. I loved hearing all of the guest speakers and how art has shaped their lives. The blog posts were definitely a pain in the butt to do at times, but looking back in a few months or years I know I’ll be happy that I did them. The seminar also made me look at different opportunities in the art world that I had previously overlooked, like internships and the EAST Austin gallery tours. I think the seminar was very successful, and I personally feel like I learned a lot.