m i a d
m a g a z i n e
November issue:
Contents features
2 812 eco fashion
Letter from Editor
Miad in Milwaukee
This i believe
the last page
A Journey Through Life, Art and Passion by Eric White
Volunteering at the LGBT Community Center by Nick Torklson
Rock and Roll Dreams by Emily Marshall
All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy
letter from editor
A Journey Through Life, Art and Passion by Eric White I was 15 when I was first busted for vandalism. I didn’t care much; to me, art was an expression of my anger and frustration, my urge to act out against authority. I figured art classes were a waste of time. Why would someone be subjected to artistic scrutiny? How can you grade someone on their artistic talent? My goal was to get my art on a wall without their approval. I wanted attention, but not in a positive way.And sure as shit I got attention. I also got arrested. Like I said, I didn’t care much, but it dawned on me that a career in art may not necessarily need to go through jail. Maybe I could take these skills and this passion and make something of them. It was as if my solitary lifestyle of ducking through fences into train yards, and running through dirty alleys could lead me away from those dank and dreary surroundings. So I made a decision to take my art off the walls and on to paper, canvas, and computer. If my art was an island, treacherous and distant, I wanted to build a bridge to the rest of the art world. My first step, learning graphic design. At the age of 22, after years of “valuable life experience,” (my term for fucking off and drifting from job to job) I signed up for school at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). My artistic skills flourished behind the scenes, but my design skills left me wanting. I received my degree by the age of 26, but my passion was not design. In 2006 my focus switched from art to music. I began a monthly residency at one of the hottest underground clubs
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in Milwaukee, and my crew and I started a weekly club night as well. Being part of the underground scene gave rise to my urge for artistic vandalism, but I knew I was not the same kid as I was a decade earlier. I also wasn’t as fast. I kept my hands clean, and focused that artistic energy back into design. It was then I rediscovered my passion for graphic design. I was given a job at the machine tool company I worked for as their full time in house designer. I created websites, brochures, fliers, diagrams, interactive ads, email fliers; you name it, I had to design it. Things were going well until the fall of 2008. The sting of the economy finally hit home and I was laid off much to my dismay. That feeling of floating from job to job was back, and I hated it. So, instead of wasting time trying to find a shitty web design job, I was advised by my counselor at MATC to check out Milwaukee Institute of Art&Design. And here I am now. I look back to the times that I shut out the world, when I was an island, and I am so happy that life forced me to build bridges. I no longer wish to act out to get attention. My goal now is to make a name for myself with pixels, and not spray paint.
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As a MIAD student you are obligated to complete Social Learning course during junior or senior year of college. How did you feel about volunteering and community before taking the actual course? I felt I should have been volunteering already but I didn’t know where to go to actually start my hours. Telling the truth I have never make a time to volunteer. How did you first hear about TRUE Skool? The first time I heard about TRUE Skool was from my good friend who already completed Social Learning course and TRUE Skool was where she volunteered.
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Could you talk a little bit about TRUE Skool and what it does to improve Milwaukee community? TRUE skool is an organization that works with kids from ages of 14 -19. The kids are usually introduced to the program through the government for their community service hours. TRUE Skool teaches the youth different arts based on the four elements of hip-hop. The four elements of hiphop are Graffiti, DJ (scratching), MC’ing (rapping), and break dancing. TRUE Skool does a few different things in the community, for example we do community clean ups often. We do this at least once every two weeks. TRUE Skool also teaches the students how to be responsible by giving them the responsibility of working on full mural projects along with other well-known graffiti artists. The main focus of TRUE Skool is to focus on the positive elements of Hip Hop and use them as a way to get through to the youth, and inspire them to do better than what they experience on a day to day basis. Keeps them out of the streets, gives them something to do when they are not in school.
After completing your volunteering hours in TRUE Skool you decided to continue to work with kids from this organization. Why is that? I decided to work with TRUE Skool and the kids because volunteering made me see what the organization was about. It was easy for me to want to continue to work there. The kids said that they learned a lot from the classes, but I can honestly say that they impacted my life in more ways than I can explain. I saw myself in a lot of them, we were all growing as people while working at TRUE Skool. What do you think TRUE Skool brings to community? TRUE Skool brings more positive out look on the community. With the community cleanups we achieved cleaner streets. TRUE Skool also organizes different events through the year that bring people from different communities together. For example, the MAM after dark show that they do with the Milwaukee Art Museum. TRUE Skool also has an annual block party that brings the community together through music and art.
Most of the students that attend to TRUE Skool are kids from bad neighborhoods and some of them have trust issues. How did you manage to work with those kids? Well it was hard, but like I said before I saw myself in a lot of them. So it was easy for me to relate to them and give them the respect that they deserved. Without judging or embarrassing them as other people may have done before. It was also exciting to work with them because they were not only talented artists, they all have a big heart underneath their tough exterior. If you had to give advice to someone on how to deal with trouble kids, what would it be? This may sound cheesy but give them the respect they deserve, let them know that you are both at the same level. When you talk to them look them in their eyes and never raise your voice at them. When dealing with someone acting up or, for example someone did something random just for attention, pull them aside and the first thing you should do is ask them what made them think it was okay to do what they did. This way you are giving them a chance to explain themselves without judging them.
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Do you believe that more organizations like TRUE Skool should be out there? Yes I definitely think that more organizations such as TRUE Skool should be out there. It is a positive organization that is real with the youth, and lets them express themselves for free. The youth are given a different out look on life, once they come in contact with this organization. How did your thoughts change about Milwaukee community after working with TRUE Skool?
In your opinion, why is volunteering so important? Volunteering is important in my opinion, because with out volunteers a lot of positive things would not happen in any community. It takes people that care enough to say or do something for other people to see them and want to do the same. Volunteering is contagious and one should spread it around. Life is too short to sit at home and watch TV or do other things, why not volunteer and make a difference and appreciates the important things in life.
I knew that Milwaukee was segregated, so I went in thinking kind of negative about the es the h c Milwaukee community. a e t ool After working for TRUE TRUE Sk ifferent arts Skool I realized that youth d the four for every person killing n based o s of hip-hop: someone or selling dope g), t elemen , DJ (scratchin there is a person cleaning i up the streets, there is a Graffit rapping), and ( person that is spreading the MC’ing ncing. word about being united and ak da e r b helping each other out, there is a person looking into a teenagers eyes and telling him “you can do it, where there is a will there is a way�
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n a v o n o d Bob vs l o o k s E TRU On July 17th Milwaukee alderman Bob Donovan attacked TRUE
Skool with allegations of crime and corruption of Milwaukee’s youth. His ranting was captured by Fox 6 news and created quite a media frenzy in town. TRUE Skool issued a media statement clearing their name, and repeatedly showing how alderman Donovan was false in his accusations. Here are Alma’s feelings on what happened.
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Q:
I’m aware of the issue that TRUE Skool went through this summer, protecting their right as part of the community. Could you explain a little bit more what the issue was about?
AA:
We had our annual block party, and we had already received permission to do a temporary mural on one of the buildings of that block. Bob Donovan though didn’t agree with the mural, he said that graffiti was a crime and that the organization is promoting violence and more graffiti in the south side. When in reality we are doing the complete opposite. He went on the news and was literally screaming all these horrible things about TRUE Skool.
Q:
Bob Donovan believes that TRUE Skool’s program is promoting violence teaching kids about public art. What’s your response, consider that you are an art student?
AA:
I was highly offended but more than anything enraged by the way he acted in front of the youth. He pretty much said that public art was crap and it was not art. As an art student I know that this is false, so I brushed it off. We made sure to reinsure the students that graffiti based murals is art.
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What are your thoughts about conflict between TRUE Skool and Bob Donovan?
AA:
I think that he was just trying to show his face on the news. The election is coming up so he wanted to make the citizens of the south side community think that he is fighting crime. He should focus on issues like prostitution or drug dealing, instead he decided to pick on kids just because they use spray cans instead of acrylic or oil paint.
Q:
How TRUE Skool’s students feel about the whole issue with Bob Donovan?
AA:
They surprised me, they kind of understood that what he said was ignorant. One of them said “I love my haters… motivation” he broke the ice, made me realize that maybe it was a blessing in disguise because after the incident we got more people wanting to donate time or money.
Q:
Is there any conclusion when it comes to this subject?
AA:
Yes we said what we had to say and he said what he had to say. The final letter that explains everything could be found at
trueskool.org
How do you feel about Bob Donovan’s words he chose when he talked about kids that were involved on the local news? Well first of all he said, “We should hang them by their buster browns from closest light pole.” At first I was confused, then I got mad because who says that grown people should hang kids by their shoes from the closest light pole? Even though his true colors came out when he stated this I was still mad, because he was saying this about my students.
AA:
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eco fashion How to outfit your life so you can feel as good as you look Illustrations by Muneera Gerald Story by Vanessa Wainwright
It’s
the simple things in life that make a world of difference. From the food you eat to the clothes you buy everything we use on a day to day basis effects the world around us. From organic, eco, to fair trade; what you’re wearing can make a difference. When looking around MIAD it’s not too hard to notice that many of the students have decided to support this environmentally healthy lifestyle too. Many students are making an impact through the artwork they make and the clothing they wear. Before you consider this the next fashion fad, consider how they’re helping out around Milwaukee.
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This isn’t about what kind of canvas you’re using, although it could be. Buying and wearing eco-friendly clothing can not only help you, but it also helps the world around you in a variety of different ways. Hemp or bamboo fiber clothing leave less of a carbon footprint and require less chemicals to produce. As young artists we like to make a statement through our fashion style. Not only do many MIAD students try to make artwork that is in support of being eco-friendly, but they are also wearing clothing brands like Levi Strauss and American Apparel. Both of these brands make sure their products are produced in healthy safe environments from fabrics that are helpful to us and the planet. Imagine all of the t-shirts in your closet; are any of them organic? By buying organic clothing you can help the environment they were produce in.
Not only does it matter whether or not you’re clothes are hurting the environment; but also whether or not they’re hurting the people producing them. Many clothing companies such as American Apparel have taken action to produce clothing that follows labor laws. In some cases workers are too young to be working or working too long to take care of their families. They are making next to nothing for the hours they spend producing t-shirt after t-shirt. Knowing that someone was paid honestly for their work and treated properly can give you a piece of mind when you’re looking at something fair trade or not. 9
make a difference Another factor that students at MIAD consider with their clothing is whether or not it’s vegan or animal friendly. Knowing this can be beneficial to a vegan or someone who cares about animals. When looking for vegan clothing make sure you’re buying fake leather or thick fabrics and simulate heavy materials. Tanning animals skins is harmful to the environment and the workers as well. Many toxins are used in the process of making a pair of leather shoes or purse. Wool sweaters aren’t just itchy for us, they are actually needed to keep the animal warm in their natural habitat. MIAD students have taken a stance against animal cruelty in many of their works, now many of those students are wearing clothing that they know isn’t made from animals. Take a step to make a difference for the things you care about.
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As students, many MIAD students want to be ensured that they’re buying a quality pair of shoes that won’t fall apart. In general, most organic or eco-friendly clothing is made to last. Many companies today are using recycled car tires for soles and hemp for the canvas of their shoes. Brands like TOMS and Simple are making an impact with their either recycled or organic materials. As a student if you want to give to a charity through your clothing purchases, go ahead and order a pair of TOMS. For every pair of shoes you buy, they’ll give a pair to a child in another country. Although they might not fill this seasons fashion trend; they’ll keep you warm or cool.
Another simple step you can take is to buy used. Not only is it cost effect for a college student, it helps keep anything from sitting wasted in a landfill. Many MIAD students shop at thrift stores like St.Vincents and Yellow Jacket. Also, many thrift stores give their profit to different groups around their community like Goodwill. You’ll leave with bargains and something a little more unique than what you’d find from Boston Store.
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Take a look around you and you’ll see many of the students at MIAD have on a pair of TOMS or an American Apparel t-shirt with a custom design. Before you think it’s the next fashion trend consider the fact that buying eco-friendly clothing could not only benefit you but also benefit your own community, like MIAD or Milwaukee. Like MIAD students, make an impact everyday through simple things like the shoes you put on your feet. Help make a change in your community like our students have done by supporting your local fair trade clothing stores and thrift shops. Find your nearest Goodwill or American Apparel store to make your closet a little bit more green and help Milwaukee’s habitat.
For more information about how you can stay eco friendly and fashion forward, visit:
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to Milwaukee High Schools
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How does a high school student find a career in the arts? MIAD Pre College program can be the answer. Photos courtesy of VR Archives Story by Eric White
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a student of the Milwaukee Institute of Art&Design, I have learned what a school can do to create a community within its walls. Classes, programs, majors, minors; they all combine to build report between individuals and groups. This idea of building and growing is what MIAD does within its walls, but it doesn’t stop there. MIAD continually reaches out to the greater community and helps to build relationships that are equally important. Of these outreach programs, MIAD’s PreCollege, creates a bond with high school students and gives them an opportunity to view art as a profession, and not just a hobby or a meandering daydream. Creating bonds between high school kids and MIAD starts in the fall of any given school year. MIAD sends out individuals who give a brief lectures at area high schools about what programs are offered, and how a student can register and sign up. There are resources online as well, but MIAD knows the best way to get in touch with someone is face to face. Once registered, the kids have a range of classes they can choose from depending on their particular interests. These classes vary from simple figure drawing, to a more in depth and focused class, such as drawing for portfolio, advertising design or photography. >>>
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miad precollege programs Here are three of the most popular Pre College programs offered by MIAD during the summer months. More courses and information are available at miad.edu
Advertising Design Through a recreated working environment, students learn first-hand the role an advertising agency’s staff has in making a creative connection between a client and its consumer audience. Students receive an ad assignment from the client—to create storyboards for a TV commercial to be run on Super Bowl Sunday. Working as creative teams (creative director, art directors, copy writer) and as solo designers, students compete for the client’s business while learning key elements of creative advertising design through a series of quick turnaround challenges.
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Architecture Preliminary Design Phase This course provides an overview of the architectural profession and develops fundamental visual skills through an understanding of the elements and principles of art and design. Instruction will lead students through the steps of the preliminary design phase of architecture, and will culminate in a collective body of work that demonstrates the intent of a three-dimensional form.
Figure Drawing This course offers an introduction to drawing the human form. Students work from unclothed models. Instruction develops drawing skills and provides figurative work for portfolio development. A supply list will be sent to registrants. Prerequisites: Basic high school art skills. Parental consent required for students under 18 years of age.
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Often times these new interests or developing talents grow into a larger desire to pursue a career in the arts. MIAD’s curriculum is set up to transition incoming students from their studies in high school to their college career. Freshman foundations classes are the first step on the bridge between high school and the real world. Many of the skills previewed in pre-college are focused on in foundations studies, and continue to help the youth decide on a particular field of study. Majors include such disciplines as Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Illustration, Photography, Interior Architecture, Industrial Design, and Communication Design. One excellent example of the process from high school to precollege to college is MIAD senior Kelly Gest. Kelly started art and drawing in high school, and when given information about pre-college, she was very interested. Nervous about being in an adult college setting, and even more nervous about working with nude models, Kelly entered MIAD with understandable apprehension. But this apprehension rarely continues once students enter the classroom, and Kelly was no different. Her figure drawing class instructed by Joe Boblick helped to change her views on subjects and environment and how to accurately render them in drawing. This class also helped her create a portfolio that eventually lead to her admission into MIAD’s bachelor of fine arts program. Kelly is now a senior in the Communication Design program, and she thanks her experience in pre-college for helping to develop her career in the arts.
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Kelly is just one example of MIAD’s dedication to reaching out to the Milwaukee areas’ high schools. The pre-college program has been helping students find themselves and careers for over a decade, and the program has been growing ever since. Hundreds of high school students are exposed to MIAD’s dedication to their curriculum and learning environment, and many of these students go on to pursue art at a higher level. MIAD offers a great resource online at www.miad.edu for more in-depth information about pre-college courses and how to register. Application forms, permission slips, information about scholarships, and even movies and galleries of past work make the website an excellent place to begin the pre-college process. Whether you are a high school student interested in pre-college, or a parent looking to expand your child’s horizons, consider MIAD’s summer or fall pre-college courses.
The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design is a fully credited four year college that offers Bachelor of Fine Art degrees. Students learn about more than just art; science, humanities, creative writing and extensive art history. Pre college is the just the beginning of a fulfilling career in the arts.
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in milwa Miad
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Volunteering at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center by Nick Torkilson In the curriculum at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design there is a lot of room dedicated to helping the community. The class is very open ended letting you explore whatever point of community service you wish. I deiced to explore a side of the lesbian gay bisexual transgender (LGBT) community I do not see often. I decided to expand my horizons and look into the LGBT community center. At the LGBT community center in Milwaukee there are a lot of programs put into place, dealing with everything from alcoholism to coming out and the programming is targeted towards each age group. The LGBT community center is located near downtown. It consists of a large red brick facade building at 315 W. Court Street that used to house a bank, right across the street from a public high school. The inside is decorated very modestly and is separated into little rooms that were at one time offices and boardrooms, but now house a LGBT focused library, a community meeting room, small kitchen and a youth center. People from Milwaukee’s LGBT community bring in artwork to hang in the public rooms and hallways.
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As far as the community goes I had never seen anything like this. In the youth group there was an idea that the kids should know about safe sex, respect, tolerance, and the community around
them. I think all of these points are very important to know about in LGBT life. When you introduced yourself you first would say your name, sexual orientation, and finally what you would like to be referred as I.E.: him or her. Sometimes is it no always clear. Being my first time in the situation where I got to chose what I wanted to be called left me feeling a little
odd and I was expecting the guys to want to be called girls and women to be called guys, which wasn’t the case. The types of people in the club where also very different. There where a lot of inner city kids from across the street at the public high school, while some of the people where from local collages. Most of the volunteers were from local collages either trying to earn a bachelors degree in public service or working towards their masters degrees in sociology. Not only did we help the youth of the LGBT community in Milwaukee but we also helped their siblings. The brothers and sisters of the children that came to the youth group where more than welcomed to come to the youth group activities with their brothers or sisters and from there we tried to help them accept the fact that their sibling was a part of the LGBT community. If they still needed help there was a plethora of other support groups or therapists available. I learned that by volunteering there for my service learning not only helped me to achieve my credits for my class but helped it allowed me learn more about the realities of the LGBT community right here in Milwaukee. n
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This i believe
Rock and Roll dreams by Emily Marshall I believe that if my mom hadn’t taken away my gameboy in 6th grade I would have been the ultimate pokemon master. I believe in babies. I believe in camp songs and singing them around a fire with friends. I believe in corny song lyrics. I believe in a thing called love. Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love. Love love love. I believe in corny love. I believe that there are hundreds of kinds of love. I believe in cliché’s. I believe that sunrises are still the most beautiful things I will ever see. I believe that the only reason I turned out alright is because there was never a doubt in my mind that my mother loved me with all of her heart. I believe in the loch Ness monster. I believe in dinosaurs. I believe in the possible existence of extra terrestrial beings and that we should stay away from them. I believe in puppies. I really really really believe in puppies. I believe that time moves both fast and slow. I believe that hard work is always much better when you do it with a friend and a boombox. I believe that you should help people with out expecting to hear please and thank you. I believe in going outside and that rain and sunshine makes the lowers grow. I believe in life after love. I believe that it is important to accept people the way they are and give second chances. I believe that there are stereotypes and it is
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impossible not to generalize, but I also believe in being yourself even when everyone thinks they have you pegged. I believe that it is ok to cry even if you are trying to be the tough kid. I believe that love stinks, but it stinks in a bunch of different ways. I believe that people can change, but cannot be saved from themselves unless they do it on their own. I believe that being a good example is far far better than being a nag. I believe that These two lanes will take me anywhere. I believe in waking up early. It doesn’t always happen with me, but when I do I feel a sense of pride and exhilaration at being awake on a Saturday while the rest of the city is sleeping off their hangovers. I believe I get by with a little help from my friends. And that the good ones are worth holding onto. I believe that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. I believe that America is a great country. And although it is pretty popular to hat ethe U.S.A.. I believe that people make mistakes. To err is human, to forgive is divine. I believe in the beach and the sun and a place called Cocomo. I believe that the best way to make friends is to be yourself. I believe that honesty is the best policy and a good smile can get you through numerous situations. I believe that little kids know whats up and they could all become the president or a superstar, or a famous artist or a banker if someone just believed in them. n
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p ag e the last
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy word jumble 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
race levibee gesdin veiscer hanoisf voondan
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ces spot 8 differen No man is an island if he has a: (unscramble the shaded letters)
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Bridge Riddle
Another Bridge Riddle
A farmer returns from the market, where he bought a lamb, a cabbage and a wolf . On the way home he must cross a bridge. The bridge is weak, so he can’t bring more than one item with him at the same time. He cannot leave the lamb alone with the cabbage (because the lamb would eat it), nor he can leave the lamb alone with the wolf (because the lamb would be eaten).
A long, long time ago - before airplanes were invented, a suspension bridge was being built to span the gorge near Niagara Falls. However, there was no way a boat could carry the necessary suspension cables across the violent water, and the bridge could not be built until the cables spanned the river. In desperation, the builders staged a contest, open to the public, as a way to solve their problem. The contest was won by a young boy. Soon afterwards, the cables spanned the water.
How can the farmer get everything to the other side without breaking the bridge?
How did the boy span the river without a boat?
draw your own bridge
Answers in next month’s issue. bridge.miad.edu
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