The SPLIT ROCK ARTS PROGRAM announces its roster of summer workshops and retreats, all of which may be taken for U of M undergraduate or graduate credit. Discounts are available for University of Minnesota employees through Regents Scholarship. Also, University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts, College of Design, and College of Continuing Education alumni and students are eligible for a tuition discount, as are Alumni Association members. For complete program details, visit the Split Rock Web site or call 612/625-1976.
WORKSHOPS ON THE TWIN CITIES CAMPUS
Split Rock's three-day and weeklong workshops earn one or two academic credits, respectively, and take place at the University's Twin Cities campus. Three-day workshops begin Wednesday mornings; weeklong workshops begin Monday mornings; and all workshops end Friday evenings. On-site accommodations available.
Three-Day Workshops
Risk and Reward: Writing About Family
June 22-24, 2011
Instructor: Sun Yung Shin. What are the possibilities for writing about the intimacies and intricacies of family? And what is at risk, what are the rewards, when we write about our own families? With these questions, and others, in mind, participants will read work from a variety of genres, in order to learn the many techniques and approaches writers use when writing about family.
Bandhani and Lahariya: Introduction to Indian Tie-Dye
June 29-July 1, 2011
Instructors: Hazel Lutz and Barbara Otto. This intensive offers participants the opportunity for intimate study of Indian resist-dyed turbans, saris, and veils, which can serve as source material for making contemporary cloth, from garments to art quilts. Specifically, participants will be introduced to the South Asian binding and dyeing techniques of bandhani and lahariya.
Stitching My Heart's Desire: Bengali Kantha
July 13-15, 2011
Instructor: Hazel Lutz. This intensive offers participants, anyone familiar with needle and thread, the opportunity for intimate study of textiles that reflect the stitching styles and rich personal imagery of kantha, a type of quilting-cum-embroidery popular in Bangladesh and West Bengal State in India.
Useful Beauty: Scandinavian Spoon Carving
July 20-22, 2011
Instructor: Del Stubbs. Spoon carving has a long history in Scandinavia, where the craft is imbued with a philosophy and deep knowledge of nature, as well as with the tenets of sculptural form and function. Useful Beauty provides an introduction to these aspects of the Scandinavian spoon-carving tradition, and the tools, techniques, and materials of the craft.
Weeklong Workshops
Wood Covers, Mica Pages: The Book Reconsidered
June 20-24, 2011
Instructor: Daniel Essig. Developed as early as the fourth century, the book-binding style known as Ethiopian Coptic, has withstood the test of time. In this workshop, the elegant sewn-binding structure, combined with the use of traditional wooden covers and alternative mica pages, will introduce a range of creative possibilities for the beginning, the intermediate, and the advanced bookbinder.
Creative Upcycling: Reinvigorating Textiles
June 20-24, 2011
Instructor: Heather Allen-Swarttouw. If you have a stash of cloth or old textiles, than upcycling is for you! Upcycling is the environmentally driven process of converting discarded materials into useful products of better quality and value. In this workshop, fabric enthusiasts of all skill levels will invigorate and redesign discarded, unresolved, or simply forgotten textiles into new art works.
The Infinite Range: Collage to Painting
June 20-24, 2011
Instructor: Josette Urso. This workshop explores the interrelationship between collage and painting. Participants will use collage as a means of sketching and as a springboard for ideas in painting. The aim is to invigorate artistic vision while introducing the painterly possibilities of alternative media.
ABC: The Illustrated Abecedary
June 27-July 1, 2011
Instructor: Nancy Carlson. Creating an abecedary is the perfect starting place for anyone interested in learning how to create a picture book and all one needs is a good dictionary, an active imagination, and a strong interest in making pictures. The week will be spent fueling ideas, developing ABC concepts, and learning the elements of a successful picture book.
Sumi-e: The Art of Black Ink
June 27-July 1, 2011
Instructor: Shazo Sato. Sumi-e is an art form and philosophy in which artists endeavor to capture the essence of an object, person, or landscape. From composition planning and material preparation, to painting, Sumi-e involves mindfulness and contemplation. In addition to the tenets and techniques of the form, participants will study composition and the elements of painting.
Imagination and Integration: Advanced Digital Printing on Fabric
June 27-July 1, 2011
Instructor: Susan Brandeis. This workshop is for intermediate and advanced participants who are proficient in Photoshop basics, have experience with digital printing on fabric, and may be wondering, "what next?" The workshop is designed to help artists push the range of imaginative possibilities while better integrating digital printing into their regular studio practice.
Watercolor
July 11-15, 2011
Instructor: Cheng-Khee Chee. This workshop is for watercolorists who would like to explore the medium as a means of visual expression. Participants will work and experiment with a variety of traditional, contemporary, Western, and Eastern concepts and techniques while developing a personal approach to watercolor.
Drawing Words and Writing Pictures
July 11-15, 2011
Instructor: Jessica Abel. Comics is a complex medium that requires a grasp of drawing and storytelling, as well as the tools and technology required to prepare artwork for print. Great cartoonists wield a variety of skills in the service of creating engaging and memorable narrative art, and this workshop is ideal for beginners who want to jump off the deep end and learn the basics in one week.
On Seeing What's Right in Front of You: Photographing Daily Life
July 11-15, 2011
Instructor: Joanne Dugan. Daily life is rich with interesting subjects, and this workshop will emphasize how to mine that inspiration and use specific technical and aesthetic practices so that moments captured on camera reflect the photographer's personal vision.
Drawing Pathways
July 18-22, 2011
Instructor: Clive King. This workshop for participants of any level of drawing skill, explores a series of directions in contemporary drawing. While finished work will be created, emphasis will be on encouraging participants to intensify their engagement with their work, heighten the fluidity of their work style, and consider new approaches in creative thinking and image making.
Containing Space: A Closer Look at the Cup
July 18-22, 2011
Instructor: Mel Griffin. This introduction to pottery making will focus on learning to see and feel as much as it will focus on learning to make. Participants will investigate the nuances of form and function, while making ceramic cups that are both a joy to look and a joy to use.
From Manual to Digital: Screenprinting Today
July 18-22, 2011
Instructor: Robin Schwartzman. This workshop is for anyone who is new to printmaking or interested in experimenting with stencils, drawing, and digital technology to create a series of prints. While the primary emphasis will be on process and technique, participants will also receive instruction in drawing and image production.
RETREATS AT THE CLOQUET FORESTRY CENTER
Split Rock's weeklong retreats earn two academic credits and take place at the University's Cloquet Forestry Center in northern Minnesota. Often referred to as the University's "hidden treasure," the Center's 3,400 acres combine the peaceful seclusion of the forest with the convenience of a retreat facility. All retreats begin Sunday and end Saturday. On-site accommodations available and encouraged.
Summer Solstice: Photographic Technique, Technology, and the Natural World
June 19-24, 2011
Instructor: John Gregor. This weeklong intensive, which includes shooting in various conditions of light and exploring proper digital technique and workflow, will help photographers of any skill level to realize their photographic visions, from field to finished print.
Courage Revisited: Drawing for the Once Terrified
June 19-24, 2011
Instructors: Sally Brown and Sally Nystrom. This retreat begins with an overview of the development of drawing, and revisits such drawing fundamentals as composition, proportion, perspective, movement, negative space, and value. The instructors will also introduce a variety of materials and encourage participants to experiment with distortion, abstraction, drawing from the imagination, and more.
The Heart of the Story: Writing Memoir
June 26-July 1, 2011
Instructor: John Hildebrand. The challenge for the memoirist isn't just remembering the past, but rendering it into a compelling narrative using the same tools as fiction writers. Why we remember something is as important as what we remember because it's often the first step in discovering an underlying theme or meaning to the story.
Forest Still Life: Oil Painting
June 26-July 1, 2011
Instructor: Wendy Rouse. For oil painters of all skill levels, including those new to the medium, this retreat encourages participants to take an intimate, personalized look at nature while learning the various philosophies and techniques of the still-life genre. Creative inspiration will come directly from the forests of the Cloquet Forestry Center.
All I Want to Do Is Paint
July 3-8, 2011
Instructor: David Feinberg. If you have always wanted to paint but have never quite gotten up the courage, or like to paint but can't seem to make the time, or paint regularly and want to take your work to the next plateau, this retreat is for you! It offers an entrance to painting, an opportunity for renewal, a chance to develop confidence, and a community in which to gain new skills.
Writing Unforgettable Characters
July 3-8, 2011
Instructor: Gregory Orfalea. It's no surprise that character is considered to be the driving force of most stories--where do these characters come from and what is it that makes them so memorable? Participants in this retreat will write sketches, or parts of stories, that consider elements of fiction. However, these elements will be developed in relation to character, the retreat's primary focus.
Organic Investigations: Making Nature-Inspired Sculpture
July 10-15, 2011
Instructor: Rebecca Krinke. The work of many contemporary sculptors involves the "organic." But what does this mean? Retreat participants--those with or without sculpture experience--will consider this question as they use nature as a starting point for making sculpture. Forms and textures found outdoors will guide participants' studio work.
Short Fiction Boot Camp
July 10-15, 2011
Instructor: Shannon Olson. Got a story that's out of shape? Sagging in the middle? Barely making it to the finish? Send it to boot camp where a solid week will be devoted to studying the structure, demands, limitations, and possibilities of the short story.
The Musicality of Poetry: Sound and Rhythm
July 17-22, 2011
Instructor: Brenda Cardenas. In this retreat, writers will train their ears to listen to the presence of sound so that it inspires, serves as an undercurrent for, or simply helps to tune and torque language in a way that enriches both sound and sense in poetry.
The Mindful Knitter
July 17-22, 2011
Instructor: Rebekah Younger. This retreat explores knitting, both its design and process, as a contemplative practice. Whether you are a novice, familiar with knit, purl, cast-on and cast-off techniques, or an expert with years of experience, The Mindful Knitter offers an opportunity to deepen your knitting practice with meditative awareness.
