Our poster... in gif form!

Our final project: a poster for the Discovery Center at the Natural History Museum. It contained a wheel one could spin because the exhibit too was hands-on and interactive. I just thought it would be fun if I made our poster into an animated gif so it could perpetually spin on the interwebs.

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Trouble in Paradise at the Grammy Museum

Some of my friends in the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism had the privilege of assisting Communication Professor Josh Kun in curating an exhibit at the Grammy Museum during the Fall 2011 school semester. The Latino/a Student Assembly at USC organized a Power Trip to visit the exhibit in March. The exhibit was finally open to the public on February 22, 2012 and was made possible by the Grammy Museum in conjunction with the Getty initiative Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980. The actual exhibit title is Trouble in Paradise: Music and Los Angeles, 1945-1975. Kun said that his ultimate goal for the exhibit was to inform the public and break traditional thoughts on what happened in LA during the specified time period. Usually when people think back to the time between 1945 and 1975 in terms of music, they think Beach Boys, Elvis, and Rock and Roll. But they miss a huge chunk of history! In the exhibit, Kun and the USC students involved with the project managed to include installments of first hand references in the form of photos, news reports, record sleeves, etc. to show how Chicano Rights protests and important movements during the Civil Rights Era were reflected in popular music of the times. Important parts of the exhibit were the music stations where guests could actually sample music bits. The exhibit is still open, but only for a limited time, so check it out!

Sean Adams

Respected designer, Sean Adams visited Roski this past February to talk about his journey in the world of art. It was in high school that Adams first realized he had a knack for graphic design. His classmates and teachers turned to him whenever there was a school dance or event so that he could create posters and flyers. Reaching his senior year, Adams was faced with the fate-altering decision to choose to attend Cal Arts over Harvard University. Breaking the news to his family that he would end its legacy at Harvard was no easy task! But Adams knew that if he ignored his true calling he would regret it for the rest of his life. Getting up on his own two feet wasn't a walk in the park, but founding his own design firm, AdamsMorioka (now based in Beverly Hills, California), with his good college friend Noreen Morioka, was just the beginning. Sean and Noreen faced a sea of criticism and resistance when they introduced a cleaner, crisper, more modern approach to popular design methods. But their unwavering faith that they were on to something brilliant is what got them noticed. Two large projects Adams took on include rebranding The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and designing the core of his friend's project on the "ugliest Mexican Restaurant." Some of his clients today are Disney, Nickelodeon, and USC. In addition, Adams has served as the President for AIGA and now gives back to the community by teaching design. To wrap up, Sean Adams talked about the 3 F's he has based his career choices on: Fame, Fortune, and Fun. He believes that whatever it is that people choose to do in life, two out of the three F's must be the outcomes in order to truly be happy. To learn more about AdamsMorioka, visit http://www.adamsmorioka.com/.

Shelf Life!

Shelf Life 2012 was live! The courtyard by USC's Harris Hall at the Roski School of Fine Arts was set up Farmers Market-style and was packed with artists out in the working world. From animators to print makers to knick-knack makers to photographers, everyone had something to share. I treated myself to a copy of Scot Nobles pocket-sized picture book Laced (top photo). Ink drawings of Nike Dunks and Air Jordans all intertwined by shoe laces are inside this little book, perfect for every 'sneaker head'. Just around the corner in an adjacent courtyard, there were live storytelling sessions, book signings, and a silkscreening demonstration (bottom photo). Many people take artists' work for granted and underestimate the amount of skill and effort that goes into perfecting a masterpiece. I had the chance to practice my own silkscreening skills, and take my word for it when I say it was not easy! I had to get the hang of applying an even coat of ink to the press before my prints came out clean. Being efficient and making the most of your materials is another important part of being a skillful artist. Supplies and tools these days are expensive and if you're expecting to make a profit off of your work, waste is something you cannot do. I was happy to see many of my non-art major friends at Shelf Life because it shows that students around campus are interested in keeping up to date with creative projects---and creativity is crucial and relevant to a wide range of fields! Without creative thinking, we are not able to approach conventional aspects of life with fresh and innovative perspectives, so thank you Roski!

Shelf Life @Roski

The Shelf Life event at the Roski school was really fun and interesting. What I found most intriguing about the event was how each small press had its own set of beliefs and inspirations. I really enjoyed talking to people at each individual booth and learning about their work. I loved how the people working there were so passionate about their work and really demonstrated an intrinsic desire to create these things.
I felt that a lot of the designs in Shelf Life were really contemporary and appealed to a younger aesthetic. Most of the designs were playful and not very mainstream. Although the designs were unconventional, they were really trendy and showed that there was close attention paid to the aesthetics of the work.