Open-Ended CTA: A Collaboration
Themed Portfolio Exchange organized by Shelley Gipson
Description
The “Open-Ended CTA: A Collaboration” portfolio began when senior printmaker student Rachel Flippen proposed a collaboration stating: “Alongside posters, videos, and other means of advertisement are the voices and minds behind the matrix. The idea of art and voice working side by side is a concept I have been experimenting with.
In the past, I found a button that said “Eat Right America” in a thrift store. The statement was there, but the voice and information behind it was not. My favorite part about finding this button was the realization that its vague text left without explanation was an opportunity for me to make it mean anything I wanted. I also realized that its message could mean anything depending on who wore it. The unspecific text was the perfect segue for me or anyone to take the lead and define it vocally. By creating prints with stimulating phrases, I can create messages that make people think, create an opportunity to voice my own beliefs, and let it also be a tool for others to voice their own specific beliefs. My goal would be to make prints that I can stand behind and explain, while also making it a resource for others to use to speak on their own specific ideas.” Participants in the portfolio were asked to create a Call to Action that was both personal and timeless, and specific and universal. Preference was be given to collaborations between a mentor and a first-generation college student, sheltered student, or first-time MAPC member/attendee. By choosing a Call to Action (CTA), working together to design and print an edition, and (possibly) attending the conference together, these first-timers got a jump start on their potential as artists.
About the organizer
Shelley Gipson is a printmaker and teacher living and working in Arkansas. She
is a Professor of Printmaking at Arkansas State University. She is currently a peer
reviewer for HLC, and has served as a Member-at-Large in Mid-America Print Council.
In 1997, she received her MFA in printmaking from TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. She
received her BFA in printmaking from SFASU in Nacogdoches, Texas.
Her work has been shown in more than one hundred exhibitions, including solo shows in Los Angeles, Houston, and Fort Worth. Her work has been exhibited in the United States, Canada, Poland, Ireland, China, Turkey and Japan and can be seen in Printmaker’s Today, editor Jeffrey B. Snyder.
Participants
Stephanie Alaniz & Dean Fry, Laura Bentz & McKensi Webel, Joseph D’Uva & Ashley Vaughn, Shelley Gipson & Rachel Flippen, Heidi Goldberg & Celeste Cone, Karla Hackenmiller & Marlee Chute, Amanda Maciuba & Jamie Capps, Kathleen O’Connell & Demi Johnson, Johanna Paas & Courtney Annuschat, Meredith Setser & Alejandra Carrillo, Rachel Singel & Katherine Watts, Melanie Yazzie & Maddie Sturm, and Donald W. VanAuken & Tyler Thenikl
Hours
9am-6pm Thursday-Saturday
9am-12pm Sunday
Reception
1:30-3:30pm Thursday October 13
Location
JME Corridor
Center for Visual Arts 2nd floor
Kent State University
Wearing face coverings and being up-to-date on Covid-19 vaccinations are strongly recommended at this location.