Jessica Cochran: On Curating, Feminism and Supporting Chicago-based Artists

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I first met Jessica Cochran when I organizing a conversation series this past summer with Rebuild Foundation on non-traditional archives. Although she has been in my own backyard working at Columbia College Chicago, our paths had never crossed before then. It was through what always seems to be a circular grapevine of mentors and friends here in Chicago- Amy Mooney and Tempestt Hazel– I was introduced to her practice.

Jessica’s exhibition Social Paper, co-curated with Melissa Potter opens this evening along with tons of other exhibitions at Columbia. Jessica will be presenting during Friday’s panel From Paper to Practice: Tactics and Publics in Socially Engaged Art and is the organizer of a panel within The Feminist Art Project’s day long presentations on Saturday titled  Motherhood and the Exhibitionary Platform: Considering the Implications of Maternity through the Curatorial Lens

La Keisha Leek: Who is Jessica Cochran?

Jessica Cochran: I am a curator and arts administrator, and I am currently the curator and acting Assistant Director at the Center for Book and Paper Arts. Besides that I teach courses in contemporary art and arts administration at local colleges, and do various freelance projects that range from writing catalog essays to art collection management.

LL: Tell me about your curatorial practice?

JC: Through my curatorial work at CBPA I have developed an interest in interdisciplinary artist publications, paper and craft, and the role of text and activity of reading in relation to contemporary art. In my broader curatorial practice, I am really interest in generative projects—those that facilitate the production of new work—and creating opportunities to show Chicago-based artists in relation to artists from elsewhere. That doesn’t happen enough in this city, and its important that curators are constantly creating new contexts for artists.

Jessica Cochran presenting artist books from the Center for Book and Paper Arts and Dorchester Projects. Summer 2013.

Jessica Cochran presenting artist books from the Center for Book and Paper Arts and Dorchester Projects. Summer 2013.

LL: When did feminism enter the discourse for you and how has that continued to inform the ways in which you approach exhibition making and thinking about contemporary art?

JC: For me feminism runs pretty deep. I didn’t really grow up in a place where concepts of feminism were articulated with sophisticated language, however the importance of gender equity was constantly reinforced by my mother and father.  As a child, I knew there was nothing I couldn’t do! Through college and into my career I have really developed in terms of my own approach to feminism—and I am both energized by the opportunities that exist for women today, but also a bit disappointed with the way that women are still fighting for equity in so many ways, while constantly dealing with a lot of problematic essentializing and stereotyping from the media and institutions.  Today I am so fortunate to work with a group of individuals—women and men—who are committed to serious conversations about feminism in the workplace and in the arts in general—you wouldn’t believe the conversations I get to have on a daily basis with artists Miriam SchaerMelissa Potter and  April Sheridan.

Feminism enters my curatorial practice in several ways. First, I try my best to make sure that my exhibitions are diverse and expansive, and that whatever the topic they represent myriad ways of looking at and being in the world. The gallery is a place to be unmoored from your own subjectivity—gently and sometimes not so gently. Truly, I find myself working with so many women in exhibitions, Chicago has some of the smartest most interesting women creating just totally remarkable work.

LL: Having a curatorial practice that began outside of and continues to extends beyond your role at Columbia why do you feel it was important to work within arts education?

JS: I cannot even begin to articulate how incredible it is working in an academic gallery. The Center for Book and Paper Arts is embedded in an interdisciplinary arts department—meaning I get to work with and create programming for students and faculty interested in artists’ books, paper, media, performance, etc—and it is totally fantastic. The number one best part of my job is the relationships I build with students as they work by my side in the gallery and center. Through course opportunities in the gallery, student employment and their thesis exhibitions, I get to help students learn about the “white cube” from the point of view of an exhibition-maker and as an artist. From designing exhibitions to writing wall text to marketing, our students are part of it all. And of course, I learn as much from them as they do from me!

LL: What exhibition or program going on during CAA would you recommend to conference attendees?

JS: I have to promote Social Paper, an exhibition I co-curated with Melissa Potter. We look at hand papermaking in relation to socially engaged art. We have worked so hard on this how and want everyone to see it!

Jessica Cochran: On Curating, Feminism and Supporting Chicago-based Artists

I first met Jessica Cochran when I organizing a conversation series this past summer with Rebuild Foundation on non-traditional archives. Although she has been in my own backyard working at Columbia …

BA Art History '14 La Keisha Leek, La.Leek@loop.colum.edu
600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

Rashayla Marie Brown: On Her Intersectionality Critique Initiative

 

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Harper

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Harper

Rashayla Marie Brown is an interdisciplinary artist, writer and curator who also leads the Multicultural Affairs department at the School of the Art Institute in her role as Assistant Director. Her work, both as an artist and administrator, primarily negotiates race, sexuality, spirituality, politics, and popular culture in the formation of subversive narratives. She has been awarded numerous fellowships and grants, including the Anna Louise Raymond BFA Fellowship, Chicago Artist Coalition’s BOLT Residency, SAIC’s Archibald Motley Grant, and the Propeller Fund. She holds a BA in Sociology and African-American Studies from Yale University and a BFA in Photography and Video from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

La Keisha Leek: What is an Intersectionality Critique and where did the idea to create this at SAIC come from?

Rashayla Marie Brown: An Intersectionality Critique is a safe, open, and engaging environment for discussing art across disciplines, identities, and with students and alumni from several universities and departments. Students are encouraged to share works in progress and consider how cultural topics such as race, class, gender, and politics intersect with each other and are inseparable from art. The term “Intersectionality” is used in tribute to black feminist writers such as Kimberlé Crenshaw and Patricia Hill Collins who proposed how various categories of identity interact on multiple and simultaneous levels. By talking with students of differing disciplines and schools that they might never normally interact with, students learn to integrate concepts of inclusion and awareness into their broader educational experience and post-graduate lives.  I designed this program with social practice techniques of community outreach and collaboration to enhance the development of academic success and skills of cultural competency.

SAIC is an interdisciplinary school in that there are no majors; however, students still need formal outlets for having their work critiqued by those who may have additional knowledge in other fields outside the 2-3 departments where they focus their work. Opening the notion of diversity to interdisciplinary education fosters equity and inclusion of differing voices. I think it’s important for students to discover significant ideas such as critical race theory, feminism, and queer theory in practice and in dialogue on appropriation, collectivism, surrealism, and the like. Through this model of an educational social practice, students are invited to have productive conversations around identity and difference through a creative lens they have an interest in as artists and scholars.

 LL: Why do you feel that now was the right moment for this initiative to exist?

RMB: There is no prevailing method of critical arts engagement conducive to the building of inclusion and awareness of diversity issues. In the past few years, SAIC has implemented a diversity initiative, and through student forums I’ve found that even students who focus in several disciplines sometimes become siloed in their departments and seek alternative means to have their work critiqued and in consideration of both their identity and the work’s formal qualities. A design critique is different from a photography critique which is different from a painting critique, yet all these fields are intimately linked to each other, just as race, class and gender operate in tandem. The MFA students at our school get this type of critique during inter-departmental “Critique Weeks” at SAIC, but those environments are at times combative or non-productive for the artist because there is no sense of community or support. Also, the same students tend to gravitate towards diversity-themed courses, which leaves a large population of our students unexposed to them and the powerful ideas they put forth. I personally saw quite a bit of work produced by advanced level students that had clearly not considered how society functions in relation to art, so the need was there.

LL: Who have you engaged in the initiative so far?

RMB: I have engaged D. Denenge Akpem, Delinda Collier, Lisa Vinebaum, Daniel Tucker, Cheryl Pope, Maria Gaspar, and Nicole Marroquin, Theaster Gates and Hamza Walker. We are also looking for faculty and artists who work with gender, sexuality and faith to lead as well. We have had students from UIC, Columbia College, and even visitors from University of Iowa and RISD participate along with our students at SAIC from almost every department, from the first-year undergrad to the grad level.

Rashayla Maria Brown with Theaster Gates and Hamza Walker at Critique on the theme of Sustainability.

Rashayla Maria Brown with Theaster Gates and Hamza Walker at Critique on the theme of Sustainability.

 LL: What has been the response from those who have been a part of the Critiques in some capacity?

RMB: The most powerful response was that this was the first time some students have discussed work and felt like it was not a defense, but more like sharing in that they didn’t feel afraid to share some very heavy and in-progress ideas. They felt freer to explore and have a dialogue, because a sense of respect and collaboration was there. Also, they met people that they would have never encountered otherwise and made new connections that they hope will grow into artistic partnerships. Lastly, they learned about a topic that they were interested in but afraid to explore due to lack of knowledge or fear.

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LL: As a practicing artist why did you feel it was important to work within education?

RMB: When I started as an artist, I felt very alone and unsure that my type of art, the kind that critically engaged my identity and cultural theory, was valued and appreciated. That feeling often directly relates to one’s success – if you don’t have role models or peers to safely share ideas with, you might take much too long to explore and articulate your ideas. As a student at SAIC, I re-started the group Black at SAIC to fill this gap for myself. After participating in open critiques and shows with friends from this group, I realized that if it weren’t for them I probably would not have thrived the way I did. I wanted no one to have to go through that experience on their own, for them to know there is strength in community. The canonized art world is immensely segregated and tends to gravitate towards safe artworks that don’t challenge existing paradigms of power. Since art schools are where the art fair, the museum, and the gallery often go to look for new talent, I thought that real change could start in the realm of education and the art students themselves.

 LL: What exhibitions or programs going on during CAA would you recommend to conference attendees?

RMB: I would recommend seeing Strange Bedfellows at Columbia College’s A+D Gallery, The Ladydrawers Comics Collective at Uri-Eichen Gallery, Heidi Norton at Monique Meloche Gallery, SOFT DRUGS at DfbrL8r and the Chicago Artists Coalition’s current exhibit of works from their residency programs.

Rashayla Marie Brown: On Her Intersectionality Critique Initiative

  Rashayla Marie Brown is an interdisciplinary artist, writer and curator who also leads the Multicultural Affairs department at the School of the Art Institute in her role as Assistant …

BA Art History '14 La Keisha Leek, La.Leek@loop.colum.edu
600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

A Conversation with CAA Keynote Jessica Stockholder

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Day one of CAA is finally here! I am sure we are all somewhere between hunting down our first cup of coffee and making our way to the Hilton for our first sessions of the day. I am eager to attend several opening sessions this morning but am finding myself even more excited to hear from our keynote this evening.

Leading up to CAA I sat down with Jessica Stockholder, artist and Chair of the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Chicago. Attending my first CAA conference, I was interested to learn from Jessica about CAA and her life as an artist in academia.

La Keisha Leek: As a first time attendee at CAA what are some of the things that I should expect from the conference?

Jessica Stockholder: CAA is a way for people to say hello to each other, people who teach particularly in art history but also in studio art. It’s also a job fair and networking tool. I haven’t experienced a lot of the papers but that part is a real treat!

LL: As an emerging art historian, who sometimes thinks like an artist, so it’s really interesting for me to not only see art historians deliver papers but see how artists are talking about their work alongside the presentations of art historians.

JS: Definitely some of the panels and events bring art historians, artists and critics together so you get an overlapping way of thinking about things

LL: How long have you been in arts education and what made you decide that education was something that you wanted to pursue?

JS: I think I was 35 and I was showing in New York a little bit and somebody from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) said, “you would be a good teacher” during a studio visit. So, she offered me a job and I taught in the undergraduate department. And then David Shirey in the graduate program offered me a job. I had just had a baby and I said, “well maybe in a year”, and he said, “you have to do it now!”, so I took the job. I was doing a little teaching at SVA and New York University (NYU). Jack Risley who was a classmate of mine at Yale, offered me the first job I had teaching a course at NYU and then I was wanting to leave New York. Somebody called and told me there was a job at Yale so I applied for that job because I was looking for a way not to be in New York – I didn’t want to be there my whole life.  That was the first job I had that was a real job with a commitment to a place.

So I guess I didn’t decide I wanted to be an educator. I was and am an artist. Teaching is a more predictable way for an artist to earn money, but also its nice to have a foot in the education world and foot in the commercial world because the two encompass different sets of values and ways of thinking and talking. I took the Yale job when I turned 40. I think at that age if I hadn’t taken that job I would have gotten more set in my ways. I wouldn’t have needed to be looking at other people’s work as much and gotten more self-involved. Teaching is a really nice way to stay involved and see what younger people are doing, how the world is changing and what questions are being asked as time moves along. So, I really appreciate my students in that way and I learn a lot.

LL: That’s also something I learned for my instructors, which is that we teach them quite a bit. That makes me feel like I can do this and go in to education!

JS: It’s a nice place to explore things- whether you’re teaching or studenting!

LL: I agree! You’re giving the Keynote for CAA, are you excited?  Do you have anything special planned?

JS: I definitely have something planned. I’m excited! It’s an honor and also daunting. But I’m going to talk about being an artist in academia and what my experiences have been.

LL: Awesome, I can’t wait! One last questions- are there any exhibitions up during CAA that you would recommend to conference attendees?

JS: Dieter Roelstraete’s show at the MCA The Way of the Shovel.

A Conversation with CAA Keynote Jessica Stockholder

Day one of CAA is finally here! I am sure we are all somewhere between hunting down our first cup of coffee and making our way to the Hilton for our …

BA Art History '14 La Keisha Leek, La.Leek@loop.colum.edu
600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

////WARNING: SYSTEMS APPROACH///

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This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Jon Cates and Shane Mecklenburger about their CAA panel, Approaching Systems, sponsored by the New Media Caucus and taking place on Wednesday morning. (9:30 AM—12:00 PM, Hilton Chicago, 2nd Floor, International South, 720 South Michigan Avenue.) Check out the websiteCAA session page, & Facebook event for more.

I, along with my InterArts colleague Grayson Bagwell, got to ask them some questions about systems aesthetics and tomorrow’s panel, and I’ve compiled some highlights from their answers below. Click the “Read More” link below (if you’re viewing from the main page) to gain knowledge about things both invisible and visible.

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////WARNING: SYSTEMS APPROACH///

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Jon Cates and Shane Mecklenburger about their CAA panel, Approaching Systems, sponsored by the New Media Caucus and taking place on …

MFA Candidate, Interdisciplinary Arts & Media Sid Branca, sid@sidbranca.com
600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

Interview: Dr. Esra Akcan and Dr. Mary L. Roberts

One of the sessions I am eagerly anticipating is “Restructuring the Fields: The ‘Modern’ in ‘Islamic’ and the ‘Islamic in ‘Modern’ Art and Architecture”, which is chaired and organized by Dr. Esra Akcan, Associate Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Art History Department at University of Illinois at Chicago, and Dr. Mary L. Roberts, John Schaeffer Associate Professor of British Art at University of Sydney.  Having personally developed a research interest in the contemporary art of Iran and Iraq, I am excited by the diverse topics of the papers covered.  Dr. Akcan and Dr. Roberts were kind enough to answer a few of my questions concerning their panel.  There session will be on Wednesday 2/14 from 2:30 to 5:00 in the Astoria Room, Hilton, 3rd Floor.  Here is our discussion:

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Interview: Dr. Esra Akcan and Dr. Mary L. Roberts

One of the sessions I am eagerly anticipating is “Restructuring the Fields: The ‘Modern’ in ‘Islamic’ and the ‘Islamic in ‘Modern’ Art and Architecture”, which is chaired and organized by Dr. …

Conor Moynihan, conor.g.moynihan@gmail.com
600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

Let the Blogging Begin!

“Release the lions!” Okay… maybe a little dramatic.

Image courtesy Lincoln Park Zoo

Image courtesy Lincoln Park Zoo

Release the Bloggers…!

A team of writers and I will be covering the 2014 College Art Association Conference taking place in Chicago at our very own Hilton Chicago. Our team consists of undergraduates – with backgrounds in Interdisciplinary Arts and Media, Art History, and Arts Management – graduate students, and star alumni; lead by Dr. Amy M. Mooney and Duncan MacKenzie OBE.

There are many items and tasks on my checklist even before we begin our media onslaught:

Brain. Check.
Canon Rebel Camera. Check.
TASCAM Sound Recorder. Check.
Trusty Tripod. Check.
Weather appropriate dress. Check?

 Most importantly…

Time. Check.
Dedication. Check.
The Blogging Buddy System. Check.
Chromebook. Check.
Learning to balance the three OS I commonly use. Check.
Contemporary Art Hard Hat. Check.

Our coverage topics are wide-ranging. Need help deciphering The Rise of Artist-As-Curator or Surrealism and Counterculture, 1960–1980? Throughout the course of the four day conference we’ll be insiders to the many panels, exhibitions, professional development sessions, and Chicago haps – you can be right there with us.  In addition to conference coverage, find referrals to our favorite free spaces, opening receptions, restaurants and coffee shops in Chicago and exclusive interviews.

You will find this blog invaluable as you wade through the storm of academia and design discourse.

Let the blogging begin!

 

 

(Correction 1/9/14: Mr. MacKenzie is not ordained by the Order of the British Empire. However, he is Bad At Sports).

Let the Blogging Begin!

“Release the lions!” Okay… maybe a little dramatic. Release the Bloggers…! A team of writers and I will be covering the 2014 College Art Association Conference taking place in Chicago at …

Arts Management/ Art History Matt Robinson, matthew.robinson1@loop.colum.edu
600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605