ARTiclesARTicles is a student-driven publication of the Chaffey College Center for the Arts. It is published twice each semester by a consortium of students with a passion for the arts, entertainment and culture. The content reflects a diverse sample of the current life at the college. ARTicles is generously supported by the Chaffey College Marketing Department.

Suzanne EricksonBharti Shaadi (Indian Wedding)InstallationCourtesy of Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art

Issue 2, March 2010

Bharti Shaadi: The Spiritual Journey of Suzanne EricksonJackie GornbeinTake a deep breath: inhale, feel your ribcage expand, hold it, keep holding, and now let it out. It only takes a few moments to put your life on pause and set aside time to recognize the intimate simplicity of the air that keeps us alive. The breath is a symbolic release, a way of liberating what we keep inside. Living in the hustle and bustle of Southern California, we often take the simplicities of life for granted without realizing it.

Artist Suzanne Erickson focuses the majority of her work on the human experience. In her latest installation Bharti Shaadi (Indian Wedding) at the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art, Erickson reflects on her personal experience of releasing. Bharti Shaadi began when Erickson traveled to India to explore ritual and healing. The rich cultural traditions of India are recognized worldwide. With the help of local Indian women, Erickson created an individual and personal ceremony. Erickson explains, “I wanted to take the time and make a ceremony not with anyone but to celebrate change and a new beginning. Like dressing for a wedding and going to the temple but this time on my own. It was a life-changing time for me, most of all because I made it that important.”

The Indian wedding ceremony is elaborate, full of rituals and traditions that span back generations. One of the most characteristic elements of Indian weddings is color. In Bharti Shaadi, Erickson showcases the vivid colors of Indian fabrics. Erickson’s mother assisted in constructing modern Western-style dresses from fabric traditionally used for Indian sari dresses. These fabrics are rich not only in color, but in Indian tradition. The dresses are hung from the ceiling of the gallery, with puddles of resin beneath each dress. The color of each puddle corresponds with the color of its dress, creating an effect that feels as if the color of the dress dripped directly onto the gallery floor. This dripping not only holds a deep personal meaning for Erickson, but also relates to the broader human experience of releasing, cleansing, and reflecting. The dresses are beautiful both visually and symbolically.

Bharti Shaadi is the visual representation of Suzanne Erickson’s personal spiritual journey. The installation challenges viewers to take a step back and examine the individual changes and drama everybody faces, to savor the essence of life. A visit to this installation is sure to evoke reflection of your own personal life experiences. Bharti Shaadi runs from January 25 through March 6, 2010 at the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art. Visit www.chaffey.edu/wignall for more information.

ARTicles

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Visual, Performing and Communication Arts Complex: Center for the ArtsExtending Beyond the Classroom ExperienceFariyal BillahChaffey College presents its newest building on campus: the Center for the Arts, a $23,320,619 million dollar project, taking the final form of a three-story, rectangular structure (46,000 sq. ft) that dominates the northeast site of the campus.

The exterior structure successfully resonates the echoes of the modern spirit, despite its predictable box-like simple appearance, while the interior is programmed for maximum functional space to accommodate an array of classes dedicated to the arts. At the same time, the interior architectural planning creates an institutional setting that has the potential to be artistically defined by the faculty and student body of Chaffey College.

Chaffey’s northeast corner of the Rancho Cucamonga campus has begun to transition into an art village with a total of six buildings. In addition to the recent opening of the Center for the Arts building A (CAA) in January 2010, there are two Studio Art buildings (CAB and CAC), a Music building (CAE), the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Theatre, which also includes the Communication Studies wing.

The Center for the Arts (CAA) was designed by Hammel, Green & Abrahamson (HGA) Architects and Engineers, whose design is influenced by the Bauhaus International Style of architecture founded by Walter Gropius, a democratic form of modern architectural style characterized by the rectilinear shape, geometric simplification, and rational form enhanced with the use of industrially mass produced building materials, such as steel, glass, and concrete. Consequently, the Center for the Arts imitates the Bauhaus vision of the rectilinear form, with its symmetrical array of glass facades, windows and structural support of steel columns clad in solid concrete painted white.

Photography classrooms, darkroom, studio and the digital media classrooms occupy the first floor of the Center for the Arts (CAA). The second floor, which is level with the north parking lot, has a large lobby that Director and Curator of the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art, Rebecca Trawick says “will soon house rotating gallery exhibitions featuring student artwork and creates a gathering place for students to congregate.” This leisurely environment will nurture student social, intellectual and artistic ambitions.

Art History and Archaeology student, Carla Carrillo comments that the open and raw space of “the gallery is like a blank canvas” waiting to showcase student artworks, where each generation of students should leave their artistic mark of contribution to inspire the next incoming students who will use the space. Currently, the gallery space is occupied with contemporary furniture meant to

be interactive and open up opportunities for artistic dialogue. The high ceiling of the gallery will also provide a space for site-specific hanging works on the third floor.

Beyond the large lobby in the second floor is a hallway that branches out to an art history lecture room, interior design classroom and lab, an expansive dance studio with mirrored walls, a fine arts studio, broadcasting and cinema post-production lab and screening rooms, and the Chaffey College radio station studio.

The third floor is dedicated to faculty, staff and administrative offices, with alcove spaces of contemporary furniture and benches for students, and a hallway that displays reproductions of timeless artwork. All classrooms, labs and studios are fully furnished with complementary classroom furniture and new computers where applicable. The Center for the Arts will be fully occupied by the end of Summer 2010.

Vera Dunwoody, Project Manager of Interior Spaces, describes her involvement with the Center for the Arts as a “labor of love.” For Dunwoody, the variety of seating amenities throughout the building has been inspired from museum visits, intense catalog browsing and collaboration with artists, while simultaneously being in compliance with state building code laws that require institutional furniture to be fire resistant. Dunwoody rejected the idea of having uniform, monotonous, and standardized furniture in the Center of the Arts (CAA), and instead choose to enhance the spirit of the place with colorful, chic, practical and hopefully lasting furniture that students will encounter in daily use.

Certainly the level of thought and effort that went into the furnishing choices and the overall design of the interior environment is meant to stimulate creative thinking in an intellectual space that is often found at universities.

One challenge that the new Center for the Arts will face is maintenance, as cleaning services will only occur twice per week due to budget cuts. It is up to Chaffey students, faculty and staff to respect the interior and exterior surroundings, in order to preserve the building from degradation.

The well-deserving students of Chaffey College can now pride themselves with ownership of a building that invites, embraces, and welcomes artistic contribution and involvement of all students.

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Valyoued.org with Cynde MillerKelly Jerski“My philosophy is that EVERYONE has something amazing that they know about, have experienced, witnessed, lived through or just plain has a passion about. VALYOUED celebrates the fact that everyone should learn and everyone can teach and the best learning moments are when teacher and learner switch positions”. - Cynde Miller

Have you ever wanted to learn something, but couldn’t find an instructor or class to fulfill your curiosity or educational desire? Or did you feel like you wanted to find others for whom you could teach a skill? Well, now this is your chance! Bring out those brilliant, creative, outrageous or crazy ideas and post them on Valyoued.org!

This website is the brainchild of Chaffey College Art Professor, Cynde Miller, whom I recently interviewed. Miller explained to me that the name for the site was derived from a combination of three main ingredients: the terms value, you, and education that together form the title VALYOUED, which literally means “value your education.”

Miller stated that one of the primary inspirations for her idea was based on the book, Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time, written by Gregg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, which is Chaffey’s choice for the One Book/One College program this year. Miller went on to state that her love of the Fluxus art movement was also a motivation as well as her love of teaching. To quote Miller, “This project is out of a deep respect and love for students who prize education above all else.”

Miller explains, “The Fluxus art movement, originated in New York in the 1960’s and was developed as a reaction to the traditional way of thinking about art by blurring the lines between art and everyday life. It was meant to be accessible to everyone.” Fluxus’ philosophical stance is organic, inclusive and iconoclastic in nature. In this respect it has a relationship to Miller’s project. Valyoued.org is inclusive by asking “anyone” and “everyone” to participate. It is outside the traditional system of learning and will grow organically based on what is posted. Miller was surprised by which subjects were the most popular and attracted the most people, which differed from what she had predicted.

Miller explains this web-based project is intended to do many things. First, it can be a strange surreal space to post incredibly crazy ideas, or a place where one can request a teacher for something they want to learn, or where one can offer their services to teach something they know. Second, it can serve as a repository or cultural archive recording the desires and interests of Valyoued.org users. Miller states, “I envision the website hosting communities all over the country and the world…it would help teachers and learners find a local place to hold workshops or help them create virtual Skype-based classes and the site could fundraise for any supplies needed. Finally, the ideas that receive the most interest will become real, actualized events or workshops, which will occur March 29 through April 3 at the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art on the Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga campus.

Although Valyoued.org originates in cyberspace as a virtual reality testing ground for exploring ideas from the extremely practical to the most extravagant, it is only the first stage of development. The website serves as the nucleus where the ideas are formed and then branch off to generate real-world projects. Rebecca Trawick, Director and Curator of the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art explains, “Extending beyond its web presence into real-time activities, gatherings, workshops and events Valyoued.org presents opportunities to expand the ideas of community and education in a unique way. The Wignall Museum will be the site for these happenings as Valyoued.org changes the space into an alternative classroom environment.”

We are fortunate here in California to have an assortment of community colleges and universities to choose from. It is wonderful for those whom have access, but as the budget crisis takes hold the government is providing less and less funding for traditional campus resources leaving many outside the system of education. This fact has made it necessary and even beneficial to take the classroom out of the classroom and move it into the community by expanding the definitions of teacher and student. Miller is providing the alternative learning experiences and space to those left in-between and those that want to have more of an active role in creating a new curriculum. Miller states, “Valyoued.org can’t offer you units or degrees, but it may offer the most valuable gift - the realization that learning is beautiful, fun, and wondrous…learning with others in your community can make each of us feel a little less alone in the world.”

If you want to find a community that embraces anything your imagination can conceive or if you would like to become an official volunteer, go online to www.valyoued.org to sign up. There you can post your ideas of things you would like to learn or teach. Also, you can browse the list of the extraordinary ideas already posted! The ideas with the most people signed up will be made into live workshops! See you there!

All in the Timing Opening in MarchAlex WalperPhilosophers, monkeys and Russians, oh my! The Chaffey College Theatre Department presents All in the Timing, a comedic play by David Ives dealing with none other than - you guessed it - time. Directed by Christa Havenhill, this quick paced play is in five acts; each act is an individual story dealing with time and its many implications. From Russia revolutionaries to literary monkeys to composers heading to the store, this play is filled with something to appeal to every interest and taste. In the spirit of changing things up even more, the play is double cast, meaning all of the actors switch each night, guaranteeing a different show every time you come! Opening March 4, 5 & 6 at 7:30pm and March 6 & 7 at 2:00pm, all tickets are at the 2010 Special All-Seat rate of $10, so come and enjoy this fun and delectable comedy while you can! Call the Theatre Box Office at 909-652-6067 for more information.

ARTiclesart writers and criticsFariyal BillahJackie GornbeinKelly JerskiBritany LeeAlex Walper

photographerChristine Smith

graphic designerBrooke Irish

advisorsJohn MachadoRebecca Trawick

ARTicles seeks creative students with writing, photography and graphic design skills to participate in the production of an exciting new publication on the visual and performing arts at Chaffey College. This is an excellent opportunity for students with aspirations in the arts, with emphasis on writing, criticism, publishing, photography, graphic design, art history and museum studies.

Interested students contact John Machado, Professor of Art History and Coordinator, john.machado@chaffey.edu, 909.652.6110

Rebecca Trawick, Director of the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art, rebecca.trawick@chaffey.edu, 909.652.6493

ARTiclesChaffey College Center for the Arts5885 Haven Avenue Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737www.chaffeyarticles.comcontact@chaffeyarticles.com

Center for the Arts presents…Join the School of Visual, Performing and Communication Arts for a celebration of the arts, culture and entertainment at 5:00 PM on the last Tuesday of each month in the new Center for the Arts building “A”. Each month enjoy a lecture, presentation or performance by a faculty member and/or their students from a different VPCA program. A reception with light refreshments sponsored by the Associated Students of Chaffey College will follow each event.

Spring 2010 schedule:February 23, 5:00pm, CAA-211The Federal Stimulus Programs of the 1930s: Federal Arts Programs in Southern CaliforniaLecture by Orville Clarke, Jr.

March 30, 5:00pm, CAA-211Sweeping Away The Fluff: the arts and the economy Discussion panel led by John Machado looking at the cultural and economic importance of the arts and entertainment in our society.

April 27, 5:00pm, CAA-218Broadcast & Cinema Student Showcase 2010hosted by Daniel Jacobo

Bari Ziperstein: Challenging Domestic Objects and SpaceBritany LeeOn view at the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art until March 6th is Bari Ziperstein’s installation, which consists of everyday furniture and knick-knacks that have been playfully distorted in a way that forces viewers to rethink their significance.

In the piece entitled For Display Purposes Only VI, Ziperstein rearranges a large thrift store mirrored headboard and handmade ceramics in a way that is not seemingly practical to the everyday person. The headboard is reassembled to create shelves that hold three handmade ceramic figurines, which upon closer inspection reveal some absurd qualities. One figurine in particular has the body of a ranch style cowboy but instead of the body being long and lean, like a stereotypical cowboy, the body is short and portly. Instead of a head, the figurine is topped with a large hat that shows only the muzzle of an animal poking out above the brim.

Each of the objects in Ziperstein’s installation stem from the same basic knick-knack type items that go unnoticed in ones daily life, but they have been altered to challenge the basic associations made with them. The objects, at first glance, reminded me of the types of ceramic figurines and furniture that I would find in my grandmother’s home. After further inspection I concluded that these objects could not have possibly been found among the merely decorative collection of ceramic dogs, cats and frogs in her home. Ziperstein facetiously alters these same types of knick-knacks in the installation so they seem to demand a double take and become more than just decorative.

Bari Ziperstein For Display Purposes Only VI (Black Lacquer Mirror), 2009 Thrift store mirror, headboard and handmade ceramics Courtesy of the artist