Art Jam Part 1: Success

I wanted to post some of my work now with my comments. Anything written in bold (like this paragraph) are my added comments. The first few pieces I am going to post will be a series that spans November 2007 to March 2008.

"Sheridan's creativity in spotlight at Art Jam" published in Sheridan Sun on November 29, 2007

For the first time the artistic community at Sheridan College came together for one of the biggest and most successful events in the school's history.

I learned about the event because, as it happened, one of the organizers was actually my roommate, Amanda Sheehan. While I am sure she was expecting the project to be as much work as it turned out to be, I don't think anyone really foresaw how big an event it would turn out to be.

The ConneXion was lit brighter than it had ever been when the event started at 8 p.m. last friday. Easels, mounted walls of plywood, canvases and other surfaces were on display. Other tables had objects ready to be custom-painted like vinyl records, wooden clocks, lamp shades and even the side-panel of a Ninja Motorcycle.

To add some context, the ConneXion was the new campus pub. The old pub was known as the Cage. I covered a story about the renovation. 1.2 million dollars went into the renovation and the school ended up with a very night club-style pub. Many people perfered the Cage.

The Liquid Lounge upstairs had paper sheets for dry media like pencils and graphite.

Farther context; the Liquid Lounge was, as the name emplys, a lounge area on a balcony level of the pub, which featured a bar and seating area.

The TV monitors located around ConneXion were used to play stop-motion art films. Hand-picked DJ, Tyson Dunitz, played music from the stage's corner as the Table of Elements (break dancing team) entertained onstage.

One of the reasons the renovations cost so much was a number of large LCT screens around the pub.

Tyson Dunitz provided the music, although really he is an illustrator. His work can be viewed at his website, here.

"I think the turn-out was a lot better than Tyrel (McNicol) and I could have ever hoped," said Amanda Sheehan, co-organizer with McNicol, "And I think, seeing the numbers like this will enable us to have another one next semester confidently."

A respectable number of people started making their way into the free show when it began, but by the end of the night more than 300 people had arrived making the event more successful than anyone had expected.

Ty Dunitz was part of the Art Jam team, but was, infact, not a Sheridan student, he was from OCAD (Ontario Colege of Art and Design) and he was not alone. Quite a few of the atendees, both contrigutors and guests, were actually OCAD students. The event was completely open to anyone who wanted to atend.

"I think it's fantastic. It's a great collaboration and a wonderful chance to meet tonnes of other artists," said Lauren Rowlands, a second-year illustation student.

Lauren Rowlands is another friend of mine in the illustration field. her art blog can be viewed here.

Students were not the only attendees at the event as several professors and guests in the illustrartion field came to collaborate with the young artists.

"I think Art Jam is absolutly amazing. It is an incredible experiance and beyond expectations," said Joe Mores, the illustration program coodinator, "They bring the community together. they show how relevant the arts are to our daily life."

Aside from being a respected professor of illustartion, Joe Mores is also a respected professional illustrator.

The artwork produced at the Art Jam was auctioned off on the following monday to fund the fourth-year illustartion graduation party. No word yet on the exact amount raised by the auction.

"I think this is the beginning of a new thing and it is certainly a tribute to the organizers that this is such a success," said Morse.

Although a success, the Art Jam seemed plauged by drama. Many of the pieces created at the event went missing when the artists took them home, and so much of the possible profits that could have been made from auctioning it off were lost.

Also Art Jam was the last pub event Sheridan held because of a secuity issue. The Art Jam was supposed to have a secuity staff for 200 guests, but they recieved none. A confrontation occured outside the pub that resulted in all pub events being canceled for several months, and a new bar manager being hired.