Arts Administration students engage with the City: Knowing the Keys to Audience Development

The new group of Arts Administration students are, as always, a special group of individuals. They come from divergent backgrounds. The major factor they have in common is their desire to work with people in the capacity of arts management.

To date, they have been on a Walkabout around all of the major arts organisations in Cork City. This team-building exercise allows the students to begin their writing about the arts, in earnest as well as their interest in photographing people, each other working as well as the vibrancy of the city - including working as management volunteers with the City Arts Office for CULTURE NIGHT; visiting Civic Trust (Festival) House and each individual student being placed in Work Placement in one of Cork's major arts organisations including Cork Opera House; Glucksman Gallery; Art Trail; Cork Film Festival; Civic Trust House; Backwater Artists Group and Wandesford Quay Gallery.

The students are in the process of planning, organising, staffing and working on the 11th Annual Exhibition of CSN student Art Work at Cork Vision Centre @ St. Peter's, opening Thursday 2nd February 2012. The exhibition is entitled Mind's Eye, and the interpretive planning we are working on includes the "Mind's Eye" concept of creativity, studied by great philosophers and thinkers, such as Albert Einstein. We all see the world through our "Mind's Eye".

Updates on the event will follow. We are dedicated to keeping the public informed about the progress of the Art and Design Department and the participation of the public in our events, exhibitions and open days.

Carol White, Arts Administration, Course Director

Photo - Lucia Creedon, AA student 2011-12

c.white@csn.ie

Creative Ceramics students' work 2010-2011

Last years students : Ciara Crotty, Sam Schulz, Elisabeth Heffernan, Patrick Galvin,
Celia Murray, Nicholaas Bester, Yestin Reboul and Deirdre Fitzgerald produced
exciting ceramic pieces ranging from large and small scale sculptures over functional
and decorative vessels to wall pieces. Here some samples from the end of year show
at CSN.

View more examples here

Multimedia 2nd yrs recent work

Here are 2 of the highlights of this years Multimedia students work at CSN:

Leigh Walsh: 3D Modelling, Lighting & Rendering

Arthur O' Regan: TV Commercial

Flow- TV commercial from Arthur O'Regan on Vimeo.

"The 7 Characteristics of a Good Exhibition: The Moving Edge"

'the moving edge', CSN's May Summer Art and Design exhibition had something for everyone. This year, as always, we followed the exhibition design process that begins with "7 Characteristics of a Good Exhibition".

it must be safe and secure - health and safety of the audience, as well as the work on view, is the first priority in exhibition design. This characteristic is similar across the arts, music, theatre and dance, adapted for each art form.

• it must be visible - a good exhibition has impact pieces at focal points of the route. The eye of the viewer might be caught by something in the distance, something up front and objects throughout the route of the show. Objects are placed for their technique, colour, balance, and excellent craftsmanship. A crowded exhibition confuses the visitor. "Less is more" for a first exhibition for visitor's who come to view work in a friendly environment.


• it must catch the eye - work selected for the CSN exhibitions are selected by tutors and industry specialists. Like any art form, exhibition design focuses on the very best of work created during an academic year in several disciplines.


• It must look good - a freshly painted area is the most appropriate for the good exhibition. Plinths, platforms and accessories are painted in colours that enhance the topic of the exhibition. Good label copy enhances the visitor's experience - and touches such as imagery and thought-provoking quotations carry each person along the route in a personalised way.


• it must hold the attention - predictable exhbitions are not educational or fun. Label copy related to the theme of the exhibition helps the visitor to understand how the artist or designer creates the work. Humour can be used in moderation as well as shock value for some exhibitions. Educational activities might be added along the route of an exhibition - to engage the visitor in the experience.


• it must be worthwhile - because CSN has dedicated annual exhibits in February and May, our intention is to keep each experience FRESH and interesting by showing a variety of changing themes and work from each course involved in the show. Music and educational aspects are always added in CSN exhibition programmes. We include informative guided tours, on-hand staff who can answer questions and provide participatory elements.


• it must be in good taste - when an exhibition is in a college environment, we endeavour to both educate and entertain our audiences of potential students, the general public, the VEC management and the college community. A good exhibition should not offend an audience - we enter into a contract of trust when a show is presented, with the public's permission.

CSN maintains an in-house Student Collection, at Tramore Road, of work from all art and design courses in the college - maintained by Arts Administration.

For information about the Art and Design Department see the website. http://www.csn.ie/

Facebook: CSN Arts Administration (Community)

Carol White, Course Director, Arts Administration c.white@csn.ie

the moving edge, art and design exhibition - opens 26th May 2011, 7-9 PM

Art and design, created by students at CSN during the 2010-2011 academic year, will be on display at the college from opening night, Thursday 26th May 2011 (7-9 PM); Friday 27th May; Monday 29th May through Thursday June 2nd from 10 AM - 4 PM, daily.

The exhibition will be officially opened on Thursday evening, 26th May, at 7:20 PM by Orla Flynn, Head (Acting); CIT's Crawford College of Art and Design, Sharman Crawford Street

The opening will include music in the landscaped CSN garden, under a marquee. Students of Music, Management and Sound at CSN will provide the entertainment.

The best work, selected by course teachers, will grace the ground floor of the college building in an exhibition design created by Arts Administration, for viewing pleasure.

Work will include Art, Craft and Design; Creative Ceramics; Creative Textiles; Access with Design; Multimedia 1 & 2 and Furniture Design 1 & 2. Interactive elements will engage the viewing public, including origami workshops to create 1000 Origami swans, which will be formed into a lantern, dedicated to the victims of the February tsunami in Japan. The swan-folding workshops will be led by students from Arts Administration and Art, Craft and Design.

Group tours will be organised for the public on Friday 27th May; Monday 30th May through Thursday 2nd June (between 10 Am and 4 PM), by checking in with the Information Desk in the CSN foyer. All course areas will be invigilated by students from the individual courses for people interested in the college for both coursework and on-going exhibitions.

For further information, contact: Carol White c.white@csn.ie, (021) 4961020 http://www.csn.ie/

Portfolio Course Emphasises Good Practice - Art, Craft and Design

After six months of intensive work in the studio, workshops, lecture theatre and in sketchbooks - students of Art, Craft and Design are beginning the process of attending interviews for 3rd level colleges and making decisions about staying at CSN for Level 6 courses.

Art, Craft and Design at Level 5 facilitates students coming from Leaving Certificate, world of work, individuals changing careers, people re-training in studio areas after a period of raising families and travelling - providing a skills-based course tailored for the serious art student.

Level 6 Painting with Business is in the preparatory stages - with an eye to running an enhanced "skills-building" course, for the serious art student who wants additional training in preparation for professional practice or to attend 3rd level college with a broader base of specialisation.

CSN offers on-line applications via the college website: www.csn.ie Early interviews will be help in March and May 2011. An exhibition of work from all courses in the Art and Design Department will open in late May - to showcase the work completed this year.

For further information, contact: Lucy Phelan (Course Director) l.phelan@csn.ie

ACCESS with Design Students go into the Community

WoW!! 'Working out Weaving' with local secondary schools and Community groups

Access with Design facilitated three creative and lively workshops at the Tory Top Road Library in Ballyphehane. As part of the Work Experience in-house programme it was the students' remit to share the skill of weaving with members from the local community. The Presentation Girls Secondary School and the Ballyphehane Craft Initiative took part in workshops on table-top weaving using recycled clothing and salvaged bed linen. The work produced was inspiring and the Access with Design students were thrilled with the results - most importantly all of the participants took away a new skill that we hope they will use in craft work in the future.

Hair Raising! - a wig-making day created pieces for the 17th century Restoration play 'She Stoops to Conquer'

Another interesting collaboration was the bringing together of two courses from Coláiste StiofáinNaofa . The Access with Design students organised and assisted in the wig making with the Theatre Production course for a day at the Tory Top Road Library. The buzz and energy was there from the offset and the groups worked well together using an array of materials to produce some really wacky results, as you can see in their up-coming production, 'She Stoops to Conquer'.