I’m curious… aren’t you? Well, with all these meetings, meetings, meetings that seem to be filling up the days of faculty and staff this first week back, you’d figure quite a LOT is in store for Spring 2010, eh?! While I’ve been asking around, these stealthy faculty members are holding their cards close, and surely some grand announcements are to ensue. However, I’m not one to wait idly by… and since mum appears to be the word, I’ve decided to engage a bit of conjecture and of course investigation to uncover what I can!

So, first for the not-so-secret scoop:

• InterArts has a great line-up of visiting artists, starting with multi-modal artist Diane Willow, followed by cultural explorer Laura Anderson Barbata, and finished off with New Museum Curator Eungie Joo. Barbata’s “Among Tender Roots” exhibition (curated by our own Mel Potter) is currently running at the Center for the Book, and with it comes a host of exciting programming, such as studio visits, a public lecture, and possibly the arrival of a Yanomami community member and leader of the papermaking project.

• Fast approaching is the how-great-that-it’s-in-Chicago-this-year College Art Association Conference! The secret within this secret is that while CAA may be out of your price range, the New Media Caucus (and all other affiliate groups) holds FREE panels and events throughout the week (look for full listing in our upcoming CAA preview post). Of specific interest is the New Media-meets-Entertainment Live Cinema/V-Jay extravaganza right next door at 1104 S Wabash on Thursday 2/11/10, 5-10:30pm.

• And to finish off the spring semester, our very own third year students will mount their MFA Thesis exhibits — prying eyes might catch a glimpse of these installations in progress if wandering by the Raw Space and basement studios of 1104, and select installation rooms in the 916 Building.

Now for the slightly-secret skinny that at just needs to get known:

• Up and running for another semester is the nefarious (as in wicked) Sound Lab in room 204! Students will be able to explore live sound production, electronics, audio software and utilize a fully-flushed out audio editing suite! Look for updates throughout the semester to a new Sound Lab photo album on the InterArts facebook page!

• The media program’s student group Image Unit is now accepting video work for programming at the 6-monitor array at 33 E Congress! Work will be played around the clock on six luscious screens! Get your submission in by Wednesday, February 3rd… email me for more details!

• Space Heaters has also awarded MFA student Nicholas Sagan a grant to install a sound piece in the 2nd floor hallway of 916 S Wabash! Perk up your ears beginning the week of February 8th!

And finally, the I-hope-you-know-this-already News:

• Opening THIS FRIDAY is “Dialogue”: presented by IRUS Art (an intercultural collaborative art show between artists in Iran and the United States). MFA student Morehshin Allahyari curated the exhibition which will be on display beginning January 29th until February 4th at Co-Prosperity Sphere. A panel discussion with five of the IRUS art artists will be held on January 30th, 5-7 PM.

• “While in Class,” an exhibition of student artwork at Chicago’s Woman Made Gallery is featuring work by Columbia College Interdisciplinary art-folk Laurie LeBreton and Kaitlin Kostus (book and paper), as well as Susan Kwon (media). The opening reception has already come and gone, but the show runs from January 22nd to February 25th, so make plans to check it out soon!

• Chicago’s twenty-first annual RhinoFest, with involvement from Jenny Magnus’ Curious Theatre Branch and many other Columbia InterArts Alumni, is currently running in venues around the city.

• The InterArts department won the student course evaluation return competition for Fall 2009 with the highest overall student response rate (62%)! Due to this success, the department will soon have a juried selection process to award two $500 grants. Details of how to apply are forthcoming.

So, that’s it for Week One. Stay tuned for more news tracking the heartbeat of CCC’s InterArts Spring Semester, and send YOUR news in today!