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This project is intended to show art & culture at Kalamazoo Valley's Center for New Media through the students perspective, with creative collaboration and contribution encouraged throughout the entire student body. The collective nature of this project is intended to encourage and entice students to become involved in the community that is CNM.

With over 35 artists participating and 150 entries, this magazine is a diverse collection representing the talent that is CNM.

Throughout the Summer of 2010, a blog was kept to update the progress of the magazine as well as showcase and promote the work of students who participated. You can visit the blog at cnmmag.wordpress.com to learn more about the project and the artists involved.

Cheers,

Melissa Al-AzzawiProject Manager

Greetings:

I am delighted to be able to offer a few comments about the Center for New Media for this outstanding premier publication.

I am so very proud of the work of students, faculty, and staff at KVCC’s Center for New Media at the Arcadia Commons Campus for many reasons. I will highlight just a few.

First, in September 2010, we will launch our new Art & New Media Associate in Applied Science Degree program. Several years worth of hard-work come to fruition with this new curriculum. This work will only result in our already talented students being even more competitive as a result of this state-of-the art curriculum.

Secondly, we have demanded more of our students and they have stepped up to the plate. From participation in Art Slams, to art competitions in our galleries, to fantastic student shows in our fifty-five show gallery season, our students time and time again deliver top notch work in technical expertise, craftsmanship, and content. You all amaze me every day and it is a pleasure to lead the Center for New Media for you.

Finally, this magazine itself is a shining example of the talent, enthusiasm, energy, and commitment of our students and faculty. I could not be prouder to lead this outstanding community of talented artists.

With great pride,

Grant A. ChandlerDean of the Arcadia Commons CampusDirector, Center for New MediaKalamazoo Valley Community College

Letters from the...

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CATEGORIES ARTICLES

FEATURES

6 Illustration

42 Graphic Design

48 Photography

68 Web

70 Animation

76 Fine Art

32 Cancer Sucks by Larisa Rozins

52 On a picture takin’ day... by Melissa Al-Azzawi

68 Web 3.0 Textures by Craig Pennings

70 The Inherent Awesomeness of Animation by Staci Gibson

104 The Cube

18 Bri Dumois

26 Sandi Wieleba

40 Chafe Hensley

46 Dale Abbott

70 Staci Gibson

72 Melissa Al-Azzawi

anmissue one 2009/10

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submit:cnmmag@gmail.com

group on facebook:cnm collective

the blog:cnmmag.wordpress.com

flipbook:issuu.com/anmone

to purchase:magcloud.com/anmone

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Illustration

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Owl, Lauren Ellis

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Self Portrait, Ashleigh Young

Bjork Poster, Ashleigh Young

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--, Jade Stevens

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Otis, Ryan Hunt

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Gravitational Force, Jennifer Leigh

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American Pride, Jennifer Leigh

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Snowmobile, Andy Peninger

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Anne, Chafe Hensley

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Fall Tree, Jaron Maddock

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Free Burma, Jaron Maddock

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Bri Dumois

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Spelunking, Bri Dumois

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You Are Here, Bri Dumois

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Come On!, Bri Dumois

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Les Paul, Nicole Allen

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Self Portrait, Danielle Caise

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Commercialization, Brian Carey

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The Tortoise and the Hare, Brian Carey

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Straight and to the Point, Sandi Wieleba

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Without Complications Galore, Sandi Wieleba

Following Pages...And I’ll Never Be Alone, Sandi Wieleba

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Firelight, William Hays

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Untitled, William Hays

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My family and friends have been struck down by a terrible collection of cancers. My earliest memories are of one grandparent, or another, being in the hospital over the Christmas season for thirteen years in a row. In October 2009, my grandmother died of com- plications due to colon cancer. In March 2010, her closest friend died of lung cancer. The anniversary of my mother’s death on April 5th,the day after Easter, both when she died and this year, kept cancer and DNA, white blood cells, red blood cells on my mind. DNA is also significant since my sister had said that I’d gotten the ‘good genes’. I am no longer sure that is really a blessing. Through the hospitalizations, treatments, and deaths, people have asked “How have you survived all those challenges? All those losses? All the pain?” My answer is, “Hope and Faith.” I hope there really is something after this challenging life, so that I may be rejoined with my loved ones; Faith, for without it the joys of life, and holidays have no meaning.

This composition addressed a challenge to use Scale Confusion with Surrealism and Cubism influences, while applying the Golden Rectangle format. In researching these styles I was captivated by the work of Albert Gleizes, Fernand Léger, Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, René Magritte, and Salvador Dalí. I recently saw a video documentary on Salvador Dali., which outlined his philosophy, approach to art, and interests in science. I was fascinated. Dali often incorporated elements from the latest scientific discoveries including the DNA double helix, nuclear fission and fusion concepts into his art workThe emotion of the piece is to convey sorrow, pain, loss, confusion, worry, grief, anguish,

A Design Analysis by Larisa Rozins

love and loss. The desired perception is intended to make one think and look deeper into the emotions surrounding living with and surviving cancer, and understanding the loss of loved ones to cancer. The audience is cancer patients, caregivers, their friends and relatives.

The various elements include cancer cells, red and white blood cells, DNA, lungs with tumor, and the cross, to represent faith and hope. Remember, the challenges of cancer and its treatment are maintaining sufficient red blood cells, white blood cells, T-cells, and stem cells. The red and white blood cells fight infection, exhaustion, while T cells and stem cells build and repair cells and organs. Images of various cells were collected and reinterpreted to create the compositional elements. The various elements were developed in Autodesk 3d studio max, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator.

The development of the assignment required applying the golden rectangle format to the composition. These thumbnails mapped out the various ways to assemble the various significant elements.

Cancer Sucks

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Untitled, William Hays

Following PagePhantoms, Ian Deshong

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Spotted Dolphin, MJ Oakes

Previous PageUntitled, Bethany Caccamo

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Hanging Around, Amy O’Donnell

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Dream Girl, Amy O’Donnell

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Since I started taking classes at the CNM, I’ve wanted to spend as much time down here as possible. I am mesmerized by the facility, the instructional quality and the amazing amount of talent that emerges from the depths of this place. The CNM has an environment that is conducive to creativity and all things great about graphic arts of all styles and professions. My situation is unique. In 2007, I went from being enrolled as a student taking one class a semester, to becoming an active member of CNM’s faculty a few years later. My desire in becoming a vital part of this organization is a very important passion for me. I have a wealth of knowledge in the graphic design workplace and I felt that my services could be of great value to the CNM. Combined with my excitement for education and my tireless pursuit for all things artistic, I thought I could be a welcomed member of the CNM community. So I decided to jump right in … with no teaching experience. Teaching is a completely different ball game than working as a full-time graphic designer or artist. As a graphic designer I spent most of my days behind a computer screen. There were times where I interacted with people in meetings, photo shoots and other design related work scenarios, but most of my time was spent by myself, behind my monitor. I needed a change. I wanted more interaction with people. I loved my job as a designer, but the desire to further my education and become an instructor proved greater. The academic environment inspires me. The energy and creativity at the CNM made me want to spend more time here and contribute. I feel that my role as instructor/student is a huge asset to the CNM. I am gathering experiences from both

sides of the aisle. I get to see what it’s like to be a student first hand, gain perspective as I watch my instructors facilitate learning, and incorporate these observations and knowledge into my own classes that I teach. I feel very fortunate. It’s extremely hard work being on both sides of the situation, but I welcome the challenge as it helps me become a stronger student, teacher and designer. I am taking on the challenge to benefit myself and my students. I feel like I can establish a great connection with students because I can relate to what they are going through. I know first hand how difficult it can be at times and how much work is involved in all of the days, weeks and months engaged in projects at the CNM. This connection is immensely beneficial in tightening up the divide between instructor and student, something that I believe is of great need. The most exciting thing about the CNM is the incredible artistic talent

of its students and faculty. The CNM provides a nurturing environment for creative expression while providing a discipline for its students that mirrors real-world challenges within design, fine art, writing, photography, animation and other time-based mediums. Talent is discovered, harnessed, refined and appreciated here at the CNM. There are so many opportunities for students to showcase their work, to receive valuable constructive criticism and to work within structures that mimic the world of art, design and business. The possibilities for personal growth at the CNM are immense. I am honored to be a part of this place.

Chafe HensleyInstructor & Student/KVCC CNMImage, Vector and Graphic Design

Chafe Hensley

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Graphic Design

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One Step Closer, Andy Peninger

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Rooney, Ian Deshong

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Logos by Galen Lockwood

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Dale has partnered with Fair Food Matters, a non-profit organization focused on raising awareness and availability of fresh, local foods, to produce this book, “From Plant To Plate.” The book is one element in a three-part project that is aimed at taking the intimidation of growing, selecting and preparing locally grown foods. The cover design pretty well says it all—by substituting eating utensils with garden tools at a place setting, the subject matter is immediately communicated. Dale has applied for a grant to help produce this book. It is scheduled to be released in March of 2011.

Winner of a statewide competition for a promotional design to be used on posters, T-shirts, and promotional pieces. Perhaps worth noting, this annual event, sponsored by the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts is held each year in Kalamazoo’s Bronson Park which has a huge, permanent topiary-like structure of a peacock that is planted in blooms each summer.

Dale Abbott

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This flier was used to promote a community drumming event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Full Moon Drum and the coincidence of a Blue Moon on New Year’s Eve. The solid black background reinforces the night atmosphere, and provides a strong contrast to the primarily white text. A single line of yellow text draws attention to the prominent entertainment, while slight shades of blue and yellow in the moon accentuate the “Blue Moon” theme of the event. Silver/gray “confetti” aded to the background adds a appropriate sparkle to occasion.

This was a response to a call for entries for a design to be used on a beer glass sold as a fund-raiser for a mountain bike club in Oakridge, OR. The promotion is being sponsored by Ibis Mountain Bikes; along with other information provided about the club and Ibis, was the fact that the Ibis Mojo frame has a very distinctive look—it was this piece of information Dale used for her design. The only requirements given were the file types accepted and that it be in a 3"X3" format.

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Photography

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Train Perspective, Andrew Weiandt

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Tree, Jaclyn Lantis-Buiskool

Following Page

Untitled, Annah Zantello

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I’ve been driving by an old junk yard for years. And for years I’ve wanted to stop and wander around with my camera. Today was a picture takin’ day – I grabbed a roll of film and my Lomo and set out…I ended up at that old junk yard.

As I slowly drove down the dirt drive, two very large ‘guard dogs’ (pit bulls, no less) intently circled my car while I rolled the windows up just a few inches. I came to a stop at the end of the drive and looked around for someone other than those overly happy dogs. Between the cars lining the drive I noticed a red polka dot hat, bobbing along in a not-so-curious manner.

“Hi, how ya doin’?” I yelled from behind the glass.

“Well, let’s see…I’m 80 years old, I don’t feel good, and all my assets are rusting away in my goddamn front yard…”

I smiled, and told him that that goddamn rust in the front yard has just been eating at me for years, and there was nothing more that I wanted but to see what was in the BACK yard.

“What you want with this old junk?” he teased.

“Junk, rust, peeling pain, broken glass, polka dots, and guard dogs – sir – I’m in heaven, can I just have 15 minutes?”

I asked for fifteen minutes. I took in all the texture – the layers and layers of conflict and chaos and organization and time and stories, and life, and death.

On a picture takin’ day...

I saw it all back there.He was saving everything. And it was falling apart beautifully.

by Melissa AL-Azzawi

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Send submissions to cnmmag@gmail.com

Stay in the loop at cnmmag.wordpress.com, the magazine’s blog!

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Whoos Looking At Whoo, Jaime Ryan

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Street Signs, Diane St. John

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Untitled, Rachel Flanigan

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Quiet, Rachel Flanigan

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Laura, Ian Deshong

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Cubist Portrait, Brittany Bauman

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Untitled, Lauren Klien

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Untitled, Diane St. John

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Blue Truck, Galen Lockwood

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Chruch, Galen Lockwood

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Untitled, Brittany Bauman

PreviousAlphabet, David Curtis

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Untitled, Brittany Bauman

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Web 3.0 Textures is a collaborative project between three current/former KVCC students Andrew Weiandt, Craig Pennings, and Galen Lockwood. Andrew and Galen were exploring the boundaries of HDR photography and photo manipulation and took a few textures that turned out well. After showing a few fellow students a couple HDR textures they had taken, they got a very positive response. Many mentioned a willingness to pay for such textures, and the idea of getting a website to sell their niche textures came about. They then brought in Craig to the group for his web expertise and search engine marketing skills. The site is starting out with 24 categories of textures, all of which will range from $1-3 depending on file size. There is even a free textures page with random textures to download a gift for visiting the site. There is a blog set up on the site as well in which design competitions will be hosted and updates will be given. The site is not only

geared towards selling HD textures, but is made to be a tool in helping individuals learn new design techniques to be able to become more equipped in the design world. The textures on Web 3.0 Textures stand out from other sites due to the attention to detail, and the quality of the high resolution textures. They are made to be used as a tool to give designers an edge in the competitive market. The official launch of the site is July 30th, 2010. Web 3.0 Textures plans on expanding their texture library continuously and plans on making an impact in the design community. You can check out the site, purchase textures, and keep updated on design competitions now at http://www.web30textures.com.

3.0 Texturesby Craig Pennings

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Web 3.0 Textures, Craig Pennings

Article PhotosTextures, Galen Lockwood

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Making art is hard. Making people look at art is even harder. Making people look at art for more than five seconds is nearly impossible.

After five years studying art in college and four years struggling to keep at it afterward, these were the harsh truths I came to know. While on some level all artists make their work for themselves, fulfilling some innate need to create, art is about communication. It’s meant to be shared and to forge some sort of connection with its audience. Never have I felt like this was more possible than when I started making cartoons. As an artist I am concerned with not only how and why I make what I do, but with whom and to what extent my work will be shared, and also how that work is perceived by or affects the people who view it. Animation, inherently different from other fine art mediums, has allowed me to explore these concerns most completely.

In terms of the how and why, I feel it’s my responsibility as an artist to use my medium of choice to its fullest. I try hard to examine what the realm of animation offers as a creative outlet, to use those aspects to bring to life something powerful and worthwhile, and to try to constantly expand the boundaries that define my medium, either on a personal level, or if I’m lucky, on a larger scale. During all phases of my creative process, I am posing and answering questions. First it’s determining what I have to say. What is my story, and how can I say it best? I have to choose an idea that lends itself to being communicated in animated form. Then I’ll consider an idea’s potential for creative innovation or personal growth. What don’t I know how to do that this project can teach me? More than anything right now I am interested in learning, and especially since time-based media is so new to me, I choose projects based on what skills or practice I think I can get out of them. Once I’ve settled on something, it’s a matter of attacking the project in a way that takes advantage of its offerings and keeps my mind open to unexpected opportunities that will likely arise. What I’ve learned about being an animator, is that this medium gives me a great deal of freedom. Its casual and unintimidating nature lets me approach even the silliest of ideas with great artistic intent. I can make something sad or funny, profound or seemingly stupid without feeling the need to justify it or worrying how it would fit in the context of a gallery setting. In the past that was something that I struggled with.As a beginning artist, I was fairly convinced that art was expected to be serious in order to be taken seriously, but with animation, that is very obviously not true. It is within this realm of unguarded playfulness that I seem to thrive.Concerning the with whom factor, cartoons are approachable to a large and diverse audience of all ages, who are willing to watch and consider their content without hesitation. As I said earlier, it’s not only what I make that

I am concerned with, but how I can share that work with others. From the vastly creative to the artistically oblivious, people are familiar with and watch cartoons. As an animator, I have the opportunity to bring a real art experience and communicate ideas to an audience of people who otherwise may not be interested in art or don’t make time for it in their lives. Everyone knows someone who has never been to a museum. My own parents have rarely if ever visited a gallery and certainly do not make a habit of discussing any art they might accidentally encounter. Cartoons, like movies and other time-based media are, as I mentioned, unintimidating. While my parents are uncomfortable considering art that hangs on a wall in a museum or the like, and they don’t know the first thing about art history or any movements associated, they are more than willing to watch something on the television and will even draw conclusions about its meaning and discuss it’s relevance to their lives. I feel like animation is universal and for everyone in ways that other forms of art struggle to be. Viewers are willing to be engaged for a measurable amount of time and allow themselves to be immersed in the show. This is the sort of ideal scenario that artists across the board hope for in exhibiting their work but don’t always achieve. It’s a perk that I don’t intend to take for granted and something that is important to my process. I want to make art that anyone can enjoy or be affected by and I want people to see

The Inherent Awesomeness of Animated Art

my work and feel like it is for them and that it is something they are allowed to have an opinion about regardless of their past experience or inexperience with art or what they think they know.

In further regards to the audience aspect, there are difficulties associated with the exhibition of traditional artwork that I, as an animator, don’t have to address. With a medium like painting or drawing or something more typically associated with the gallery setting, upon completion of a body of

by Staci Gibson

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work, an artist prepares to show that work to the public. Every exhibition requires an artist to assess a gallery space and install their work considering the unique layout of each environment separately. The way in which anaudience views art is affected not only by the space in which it is viewed but by the order and arrangement of the works in that space. Artists try to ensure that each exhibition is laid out to present their work according to its needs and their intentions. Not only is my medium of choice more accessible to more kinds of people, but my work can be shown in a wider variety of settings with little effort on my part and with no loss of concept or meaning to the work.

Whether my animations are viewed in a movie theatre, on a computer screen, a mobile device, or a dated television, by groups of people at a time or by individuals, my work is hardly affected. Each timesomeone sees my cartoons it’s like a new exhibition, often arranged by the viewers themselves to watch in whatever formal or informal environment they choose. While a large high definition screen with a quality sound system would be ideal, my artistic intentions aren’t necessarily compromised by less. In this way, my art can be spread across great distances to more people without a budget for renting professional spaces and without installing, uninstalling, considering and reconsidering the display of my work. For this reason, my animated art is being viewed and generating dialog on a scale that the sculptural and drawn work from my first go at college was never able.

It’s my hope that I will continue to pursue animation as an art form and push the limits of my creative process to make work that is challenging technically and conceptually. For now, I will continue to question myself along every step and maintain the position of uncertainty while I work that helps me grow. There is a lot to learn within the confines of the animation medium and even more as my definition of it evolves. While I have wild goals concerning the profundity of the work I intend to create one day, I am taking it a step at a time, making each successive piece better or more complex than the last.

For more on Staci and her work, visit

.com

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Melissa Al-Azzawi

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Free Bird, Melissa Al-Azzawi

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The Revolution is Just Around the Corner, Melissa Al-Azzawi

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Nervous Energy, Melissa Al-Azzawi

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Fine Art

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Untitled, William Hays

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Untitled, William Hays

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Proud, Amy O’Donnell

Untitled, William Hays

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The Cube

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Patrick IrelandDiane St. John Joan VanSickler

Aiden BoyleAmy O’DonnellAndy Peninger

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Melissa Al-AzzawiBrian Carey

Melissa Al-AzzawiBrittany BaumanAmy O’DonnellAndy PeningerChad Sutton

Staci GibsonBethany Caccamo

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Amy O’Donnell, amyamybobamy.wordpress.comDale Abbott, ten8ious.com/

Melissa Al-Azzawi, mazawi.com

Brittany Bauman, deeplychilled.com

Aidan Boyle, boylecreations.com

Jaclyn Lantis-Buiskool,pastforwardphotographydesign.blogspot.com/

Bri Dumois, breezyink.deviantart.combreezyink.wordpress.com

Lauren Ellis, flickr.com/photos/ellislauren

Staci Gibson, peapodsoup.com

WIlliam Hays, nicevibe87.wordpress.com

Jennifer Leigh, www.wix.com/jenniferleigharts/portfolio

Galen Lockwood, gkldesign.comweb30textures.com

Andy Peninger, andypeninger.com/

Craig Pennings, CraigPennings.comweb30textures.com

Ashleigh Young, etsy.com/shop/oldgoldvintageoldgoldvintage.tumblr.com/

Chad Sutton, bluerisestudio.comazurega.deviantart.com

Andrew Weiandt, web30textures.comweiandtphotography.com

Sandi Wieleba, bellatulpa.wordpress.com

Ashleigh Young, etsy.com/shop/oldgoldvintageoldgoldvintage.tumblr.com/

The Directory

Nicole Allen

Bethany Caccamo

Dainelle Caise

Brian Carey

David Curtis

Ian Deshong

Rachel Flanigan

Chafe Hensley

Ryan Hunt

Patrick Ireland

Lauren Klein

Jaron Maddock

MJ Oakes

Jaime Ryan

Larisa Rozins

Jade Stevens

Diane St. John

Jean Van Sikler

Annah Zantello

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