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The summer is over, the semester has started, and I have wrapped the first week of classes of my second year in the Interdisciplinary Book and Paper Arts program. I’m mildly overwhelmed with my schedule this semester, but am sure that once I work out a routine, it’s going to go pretty smoothly.
Here’s the breakdown of what I have going on this semester:

I’m taking four classes; Directed Graduate Projects, 21st Century Aesthetics, Graduate Teaching Seminar, and Multiples. On top of that I have this wonderful Ambassador job where I get to connect with the happenings around Columbia College Chicago and you. I also picked up a work study position and am observing/TA-ing a figure drawing class. It’s a crazy full schedule. Crazy full.

After having made it through my first week, I can say that 21st Century Aesthetics is going to be my hardest class. There is a LOT of reading for it. Thankfully, the readings all look very interesting and the teacher, Tiffany Funk, is pretty amazing.

Directed Graduate Projects is essentially studio work with bi-weekly one-on-one critiques. I’m very excited about this, as I will have a bunch more studio time than I’ve had in a while and a lot of really good feedback to help me move forward with my body of work.

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The figure drawing class that I’m observing is probably what I’m most excited about this semester, though. I’m really looking forward to teaching when I finish here at CCC and since my background and main area of interest is in drawing, this was the perfect placement for me. In fact, my first time in the classroom, I found it really hard to not step in and try to give pointers to the students in there. Apparently I want to be a teacher more than I realized. For the first few weeks though, the instructor wants me to take notes and observe while the class gets comfortable with me before I get to step in. I cannot wait.

Though I’m super busy, I have a good feeling about this semester. It’s definitely going to be challenging, but isn’t that part of the reason that I chose graduate school? I’m still committed to finding cool things to recommend to do.  At the end of the week, I was able to stop into the Packer Schopf Gallery on my way home. It’s a great one for me since it’s directly next to the exit stairs at the Morgan Green Line station, about half-way home. There are some book sculptures by Brian Dettmer in the basement that every Book & Paper student should go check out, along with some fantastical maps and ethereal paintings upstairs, too. I’ll write a bit more on them next time, but until then you should definitely check it out. Above all, have a great semester and welcome back!