tom in korean pavilion

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Hey Everyone!

My name is Caitlin Gilbride and I will be entering my senior year at New Paltz this fall. I have never been abroad and I couldn't tell you the amount of excitement and anticipation I have for this upcoming trip. I'm sure you all feel similiar though... :) I am an art education major and I recently I have been toying with the idea of pursuing my BFA in painting after I have completed my student teaching in the spring of 2008. I know, i know that's like 2 more years of school-- but i'm in no hurry!! At this point I don't feel quite ready to teach, however maybe this fall will help me feel otherwise.
Art has been a constant love and interest of mine throughout my life. My family is all very artistic and I have always been surrounded by their ongoing creativity and love for learning. Painting and drawing is what I find myself being more involved in, however I took ceramics this past semester and loved it. The amount of time spent in the studio was quite intense but overall I felt I learned a ton and I really discovered what I am capable of. My work is mainly abstract. Lately, I have become really interested in the microscopic- cells, spores, pods, weird growths and such. It's sort of my own interpretation of the world not so apparent to us. I kind of just let myself create and then explore from there.
I just spent an extra month and a half in New Paltz after the semester ended and I had the greatest time. It was actually my first summer there and I worked and spent a lot of time both with friends and alone. It was exactly what I needed after such a hectic semester. I couldn't wait for my days off because I looked forward to my long walks alone and being able to sit and read and sketch in the sun. It was a beautiful month and coming back to Queens (which is home for me) was a difficult adjustment. I'm considering moving up there after school permanently because of the positive experience I had!

Oh and I am soooo looking forward to the food in Germany and Venice!!! I love to cook and food just in general fascinates me and interests me. I cannot wait!!!

I am anxious to meet all of you and I am sure it will be an amazing trip! See you all very soon!
Caitlin Gilbride
gilbri79@newpaltz.edu"

Hi Everyone,

Hi Everyone,
My name Sofia Petsoulakis and will be entering my senior year at SUNY New paltz as an art major with a minor in psychology. I always wanted to go abroad for a semester, but since I transferred here I figured a summer abroad would be more suitable.
I love art and I often visit museums when I am home from New Paltz (home to me is the city, The Bronx to be specific). I am very excited for this trip because I can't wait to be overwhelmed with art. The fact that we will be in Germany and Venice is not so bad either. During the winter of 2005 I went on an Art History themed trip with my old school (DePauw U.) for about 2 weeks in Rome and Paris, which was one of the best experiences of my life. The previous trip definitely movtivated me to apply to On-Site Art History.
Besides art, I love music and going to shows. I will be seeing Mirah in the city before we leave for Germany. I was on the radio station at NP for two semesters, but not anymore because I don't have the time. I also like to eat food, and plan on seeing what Germany and Venice has to offer.
I'm looking forward to meeting everyone soon and doing lots of walking.

See everyone soon!,
Sofia Petsoulakis

Hellooo!

Hi everyone! My name is Aleida... pronounced: uh LEE duh...

Wow, I am really excited for our trip! Guys, it's gonna be here so soon! Time is flying and we'll be in Europe before we even know it. Well let's cut to the chase... a little bit about myself!

I am a senior at SUNY New Paltz and I actually only have one semester of school left... awesome. I am an art education major, with a concentration in painting... oil painting. I will be student teaching this fall. My minor is in art history, and I am also looking to get my master's degree in art history. I absolutely love art and art history! Art geek, I tell ya. I used to take all of these art history classes and couldn't figure out why everyone hated it and I was getting A's on tests and papers... turns out I really really love the stuff. I can't get enough of it. Last summer I travelled to Europe for the first time with New Paltz's study abroad program with the one and only... Beth Wilson! (and 12 or 13 other girls) We basically hung out in France for the whole month of July and looked at art the whole time and did all that Fontainebleau stuff. It was a great experience travelling and learning so much about art history and art in general. I enjoyed the whole time there and I miss it quite frequently... it was the best combination; big museums, small museums, art, art history, awesome american friends, cool new french friends... plus i went for a ride on a vespa with one of cute french boys. Best time ever.

Let me just say that I, too, love all things European. My mom keeps asking me, "why do you want to live so far away!?" because I keep telling her I'm moving to Europe someday... only joking sometimes.
Sidenote: There's an art history program that I am looking at for my master's right now, where one semester is at the university in syracuse, while the other 2 are in Italy... my mom is freaking out I think.
Anyways...
Aside from being in France, the only other foreign country I have been to is Canada, but it's a frequent visit, as it only takes about 2 hours for me to get there. I really don't know any German or Italian but I almost majored in Spanish and that really means nothing except for the fact that I can (usually) pick up languages fairly quickly. For right now, I at least know what bratwurst is and I like the word "wiener schnitzel."

I have been pretty busy so far this summer...Between babysitting, coaching soccer, and working on a bunch of commissioned projects it's been hard to find time to sit down and actually realize how soon the trip is. Currently this summer I am working on a series of abstract landscapes (I think they are definitely inspired by last summer's study abroad even though it took me a year to figure it out). I've been oil painting almost everyday and I'm excited to work on some paintings inspired by our trip. I am really into artworks of every kind, but I absolutely love works from the Renaissance and I love French Impressionism. I don't really know a whole lot about contemporary art. I am familiar with a lot of work, but I don't know how I feel about it or what to think about it quite yet. I have learned about contemporary artists more through my painting classes than I have from the one contemporary art class I've taken. My personal artwork is getting more and more abstract by the day and I research a lot of contemporary artists while I'm working. With that being said, I am extremely excited to see these exhibitions, I love learning.
Ahhh well that's a little bit about me... feel free to contact me :)
email: foulk91@newpaltz.edu or aleida233@hotmail.com
aim sn: oh leids
and I've got all that myspace and facebook stuff... just search "Aleida Foulk." It's a pretty unique name and you shouldn't have a hard time finding me.

See you all soooo soon!!!
-Aleida

hey

Hi, my name is Elizabeth Rosenkranz (Liz) and i will be starting my second year at SUNY new paltz in the fall. I'm planning to major in Art Education and either Art Studio or Design. I love all things art and I couldn't live without it. I'm always drawing something somewhere. I'm hoping to someday be an art teacher and to teach at international schools around the world.

I'm really looking forward to being exposed to all this contemporary art at the these exhibitions. I've been reading about the exhibitions and i'm really exited to see the venice bienalle and expecialy the artist featured in the american pavilion.

I actually grew up in Frankfurt, Germany. I graduated from high school in Frankfurt and my family still lives here so I've been home for the summer. Before i lived in germany i lived with my aunt in Italy for awhile and went to high school there as well, so i'm fluent in both German and Italian (although my italian is much better). I've also lived in ohio, michigan and Rochester NY just to balence things out a bit. I've actually never been to Munster of Kassel (after living here for 4 years! the shame!) so i'm looking forward to going there.

I don't really know what else to write...

Hello

Hi, my name is Joelle Hopf and I will be a junior at SUNY New Paltz in the fall. I am double majoring in Art History and Management. Though I'm enjoying studying the art history more than my other major, I felt it would be in my best career interest to add something that could help me in finding a job and help give me more options. I'm also on the New Paltz swim team, which I absolutely love. (So once our season starts come check us out, we're pretty good!) I'm not exactly sure what I would like to do once I graduate, though I'm pretty sure I will continue on to get a masters degree... in what, I'm still deciding..I'm trying not to panic yet!
The type of art that really interests me is ancient art all the way up to Renaissance art. I'm a big fan of history and I love to learn about how and why certain art was created in certain periods and areas. Though this trip wont be focused on my favorite artwork, I hope it will help me further appreciate, learn and understand contemporary and modern art. I think the more I learn about it and the more I see it, the more I can appreciate it, enjoy it, and like it.
And what better place to learn about contemporary art than in Europe! I have never been to Europe, though I have always wanted to. I have traveled to South America, the Caribbean, and some of the states, including Hawaii and Alaska. I'm very excited for Germany because in highschool I took 5 years of German and I'm wondering if I'll remember any of it! I have also bought a handy Italian phrase book to help me out with the Italian, which is kind of similar to Spanish which I took for about a year. We'll see how it goes!
Can't wait for the trip and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone!
If you'd like to contact me: hopf40@newpaltz.edu or on aim: swimmyjoe1
-Joelle

Hey everybody.

My name is Michael Haight. I have been a student at SUNY New Paltz for a year now. I am going for a Bachelors degree in the Science of fine arts, but my main focus as far as media goes is in photography and sculpture, although I have done other work such as web sites and other digital media and other miscellaneous projects. Outside of art, I am also an avid musician. I play guitar and have a keen sense for sound, which is another medium have used in my works.
I formerly attended SUNY Ulster, from which I graduated with an Arts Associates degree. I also spent a year at SUNY Albany studying computer science and art, but, eventually switched to New Paltz, amongst other reasons, because of its art department. After graduating New Paltz, I hope to take the experience I have gained and have a career in architecture as well as work with sculpture. I am in the early stages of teaching myself CAD, which is something I hope to use to envision the many works of art, whether it be a sculpture, a house, etc, that I plan to create someday.
I was informed of this summer program through my advisor Steven Bradford. I was always encouraged by my parents to someday spend time in Europe. I have yet to leave the East Coast. Having been to North Carolina and Florida, those trips were the farthest I have ever taken from home, so this one would be a major experience, outside of the curriculum, to get insight into the customs and culture of Europe. Almost everyone I have talked to who has gone to anywhere in Europe has said they had a phenomenal time.
I look forward to meeting and getting to know everyone on the trip. I have to admit though, I am currently behind on the reading, I just bought the “What Makes a Great Exhibition?” book and I am now, after taking somewhat of a personal summer vacation, fully in swing of getting ready. I had taken a class on Italian earlier in the year, so I will be brushing up on that somewhat before I go. Anyways, that’s all. If anyone wants to contact me, I have the following:
Email: “mikeal5@hvc.rr.com”
Myspace
Facebook
www.michaelhaight.com (still being worked on (will eventually serve as a portfolio web site))

Hey everyone!!

Hi guys! I'm very excited and SO ready to go to Italy and Germany with everyone. I know I tried to get in touch with people on Facebook, but it was a shoddy attempt. Anyhow, I'll introduce myself.

My name is Kirsten (like K-ear-stin) Ekelund and I turned 19 in May. I go to SUNY Albany, but almost went to SUNY New Paltz. I hated it at first, but it's definitely growing on me. I'm Art History and Anthropology major, not sure where I'm heading with it all yet, though. I'm not the best artist, though I dabble in painting and messing around with Play-Doh. Ever since I was little I've loved archaeology, stories of lost cities, etc, so I'm trying to work archaeology into the grand scheme.

I've been to France twice, and I love all things European. I'm nervous because I don't speak any Italian or German, but I have some trusty pocket dictionaries. One of my Art History teachers told me that Kassel is gorgeous, so I'm pumped to go there. I'm obsessed with museums, and I think I might want to grow up to be a curator, so this trip couldn't come at a better time.

Um, I haven't read up TOO much on the artists that are going to be in the 3 exhibits so I can't really say which ones I'm looking forward to. However, I'm sure that one of my favorite artists in the universe is Gustav Klimt. I have 2 tattoos on my body that come from Klimt paintings, and a third from the shield of a pre-celtic priestess (I LOVE tattoos).

I don't know what else to say except I am REALLY looking forward to being part of such an incredible experience with people I anticipate will be really interesting, fun, and different. And for everyone's information, I might seem shy at first, but when I come out of my shell, I really come out of it!


See you guys real soon!!!!!!!!!

A Biennial before the Biennale

Hi all--

I'd like to invite all of you to the opening festivities of a homegrown biennial--that I've curated myself! The Kingston Sculpture Biennial 2007 opens on Saturday, July 7, with guided bus tours of the show (from 1 pm to 6 pm), departing from the Arts Society of Kingston (ASK), at 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY. A featured performance takes place from noon-7 pm, a new work by historic performance artist Linda Montano, in a cell of the former Ulster County Jail on Golden Hill, where there will be a series of other sculptures/installations by other artists as well.

The show comprises 45 artists, and over 50 sculptures installed throughout the city of Kingston, which is located about 20 miles north of New Paltz, and 100 miles north of NYC, just off the Thruway.

The opening reception for the show will be divided between ASK and The Livingroom Gallery, located at 45 N. Front Street, from 5-10 pm. Check out our website at www.KingstonBiennial.org for more information....I hope to see you there!

Beth Wilson
Curator, Kingston Sculpture Biennial 2007
& one of your faculty companions on the Grand Tour

more introductions

Hello to my fellow Grand Tour travelers,
My name is Elizabeth and I will be joining you for the grand tour. Having spent the past 10 years or so working as a jewelry designer, making sculpture and raising my daughter, I will be starting the graduate program in ceramics at SUNY New Paltz in the fall. I am primarily a sculptor and work in a variety of mediums including metal, ceramic, glass. I also study dance and like to do installation work (incorporating performative elements) when I have the space. Landscape, memory and relationships are recurring themes in my work. I am very inspired by the work of Rebecca Horn, Ann Hamilton, Ana Mendieta, Anish Kapoor, Chen Zhen, Marina Abromovic and Meredith Monk. I have lived in Italy, Switzerland and England. In europe I have travelled in Hungary, Poland, Germany, The Czech Republic, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium and France. France is my favorite european country, and I have been visiting every year for the past 10 years or so to visit and collaborate with my closest friend who is a visual artist/filmmaker/dancer and lives in Avignon. I can speak a smattering of German, Italian and Czech, but am most proficient in French which I continue to study.

I live in the countryside with my daughter Sophie, my partner Douglas, 2 Border Collies, 1 guinea pig, 14 chickens and a fish named Fred. I love being in upstate New York this time of year, but am very much looking forward to seeing the exhibitions we are visiting.

If any of you are in NYC this weekend, my sister Sarah Peters is having her first solo show which opens tomorrow night at Winkleman Gallery in Chelsea. The opening is from 6-8 at 637 West 27th street. Perhaps I'll see you there.
Best,
Elizabeth Peters

Introductions

Hello Grand Tour 2007 Students,

We have started this blog as way for us to get to know each other before the trip. Please take a moment to introduce yourself and tell us interesting tidbits about yourself and travels. Submit your introduction before July 1.

I’ll start. My name is Emily Puthoff and I am very excited to be the co-instructor of the Grand Tour 2007. I am a sculptor and Assistant Professor of Sculpture currently entering my fifth year at SUNY New Paltz. My artwork includes all forms three and four-dimensional: installation, performance, video/film, new media, and artist books. I love road trips, having driven across the country several times. I came to NY State by way of Ohio, Atlanta, Tennesee, Chicago, and then Arizona. I have traveled abroad to England, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada, and Mexico. Next summer, I will be an Artist in Residence in the Netherlands at the European Ceramic Work Centre. I speak a bit of Spanish and I am presently muddling through my German and Italian lessons. In my spare time (?), I have been renovating my folk Victorian home/studio, rumored to be built in 1893 by an Indian Chief, in Kingston, NY. I am very much looking forward to viewing and discussing the artwork with you in these three colossal exhibitions. I am quite partial to the work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Emily Jacir, David Altmejd, Jeremy Deller, and Pierre Huyghe, to name but a few artists we will see.

tschüs, ciao
Emily