03 international school of loose affiliations by John W. Ford

ISLA International School of Loose Affiliations

This publication is intended to present a selected synopsis of ISLA (the International School of Loose Affiliations). As ISLA is based in the promise of shared ideas and resources, it is impossible to mention all activities, individuals, or groups that may have played a role in the positive outcomes of ISLA to date. ISLA is a shared community and team effort, and there is no limit to what may be accomplished. ISLA tends to have a ripple effect, and it is impossible to predict ripples. Of course, the matters of interest to ISLA maybe known in another context as pro-active citizenship.

The following is dedicated to ISLA co-organizer Suzanne A. Woods. An enormous debt is owed to her diligence and hard work, without which some parts of these ISLA projects could not have been realized. ISLA also owes much to those institutions and citizens who, by their material contributions or good will, have made the eco-system for art a better place.

ABOVE; John Ford and Lukasz Kierferling working with students from the High School of Art during execution of sitebased project VIEW WITHOUT BOUNDARIES, 1997; Galeria Krzystofory, Krak贸w.

ISLA The artist working as social contributor, organizer, advisor, consultant, collaborative curator, and facilitator of learning and cross-cultural experience.

ISLA is an attitude: an effort to promote continued learning across boundaries of discipline and specific interests, culture or language, with primary interest in those enterprises that must be realized despite potential limitations of imagination and material support. ISLA is realized primarily through combining good intentions, critical thought and decisive actions. ISLA actions are based in personal responsibility, autonomy as well as collaboration from a position of strength, the sharing of personal and professional resources, implementation of diverse ideas and intentions, and an extremely high premium placed on quality outcome at all levels, particularly those involving meaningful human interchange. ISLA intends to lay the groundwork for future collaborations and collegiality, then carefully nurture relationships that result in tangible activities. ISLA activity aims to serve the purpose of self-realization and micro-cultural betterment. We all have something to learn, and as well something to teach: we must be active in both. ISLA exists as an option along-side the paradigm of competitive commerce. It is understood that in collaborative work there are ways that we all may benefit, and that we each have the necessary resources to realize our dreams. Each creative practitioner must find a way to share their resources, even if it would seem our personal and professional resources are limited. Even with little, much is possible where will exists. ISLA aims for excellence in all endeavor, thereby raising the standard and expectation for larger potential in modern culture.

ABOVE; Site of original ISLA studio, rural residency program in Lomira, Wisconsin, USA; Home, studio, and garden of John Ford; Ford with visitors from Korea, 1999.

ORGANIZATIONAL, CONSULTING, CURATORIAL John Ford working as independent artist and facilitator of learning since 1986; Visiting artist, exhibitions and exhibition proposals, grant writing, publication design and production, curatorial and artistic liaison with public and private exhibition spaces, facilitation of projects for colleagues and non-profit organizations in the US and abroad. Developing physical plant for ISLA in rural Missouri Summer of 2002, constructed studio and exhibition facility on farm in southeast Missouri. Physical site will serve as publicaccess studio for John Ford and also guest resident artists, organizational center for ISLA activities, a conduit for information exchange at international level with exhibition and meeting spaces. ISLA will remain a private association with public interest (exposure of rural citizenry to contemporary visual art practice), working toward formal affiliation with Parks and Recreation Dept./City of Jackson, MO and other 501(c)3 organizations as a means of collaboration and fund-raising potential.

John Ford building ISLA studio/residency in rural Missouri, Summer 2002.

ISLA / UNCC - Charlotte, North Carolina John Ford has expanded the definition of the printmaking in the Department of Art, UNCC. Beginning in Fall of 2007, the redesigned Print Media curriculum will introduce students to traditional and alternate methods of print media, a broadlydefined approach to image-making that includes intaglio, lithography, monoprinting, serigraphy, relief, and digital methods of all types. Focus will be to develop young artists who employ print methods as a way to explore their ideas and career options.

Clockwise from top-left: Liliya Kerusenko, 4th year student, BFA thesis exhibition during Spring 2007 (two views); Jodie DeVries, lithograph and monoprint, student at McMcaster University, Canada, 2005..

Top: Luis Zepeda, monoprint with poly-plate photo lithograph, 2006. Bottom: Colleen Dreyer, monoprint with photo-copy and acrylic medium transfers, drawing, 2006.

Top: Sabrina Belanger, Photoshop collage and inkjet print, 2005 (McMaster student); Nathan Tucker, inkjet transfer on paper with drawing, 2006; Sarah Barker, xerox transfer and mixed-media, 1994 (UW-Stevens Point student).

Top: Darren Goins, 8â&#x20AC;&#x2122; square and 9â&#x20AC;&#x2122; square screenprint paintings; 2007. Bottom: Mark Farris, transfer and printed matter on found objects, installation, 2006.

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

SPECIAL PROJECTS - Charlotte, North Carolina As an Assistant Professor of Art in the Department of Art, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2006 to present), John Ford continues ISLA program to open international art experiences for his students. Ford worked with Japanese artist Ayako Aramaki to develop a print that will be published in 2007, and also took classes to visit Bosnian - American artist Endi Poskovic as he participated as artist in residence at the McColl Center for the Arts. In the future, the Print Media program at UNCC hopes to offer special topics courses that allow for collaborative exchange projects between young artists in Charlotte and art students or art communities in other parts of the world. Broad interpretation of Print Media to include virtual connectivity by internet as well digital output and photo-based work will allow for global communications, cross-cultural pollination of ideas, and new working methods.

Clockwise from top left: Ayako Aramaki, Japanese sculptor (in red coveralls), beginning work on a lift-ground intaglio print. Assisting with communication is UNCC student Shinobu Urita.

Clockwise from top-left: Endi Poskovic, California-based artist from Bosnia, speaking with advanced Print Media students from UNCC. Poskovic served as artist in residence at the McColl Center for the Arts.

SPECIAL PROJECTS - HAMILTON, ONTARIO While serving as Assistant Professor of Art in the School of the Arts at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario (2004-05 school year), John Ford continued ISLA extramural program to more fully synthesize the creative communities of the university and the town of Hamilton. Ford assumed all duties of the Visiting Artist Programme, including organization of guest artists, financial arrangements, and all public relations activities. These efforts led to several initiatives including collaborations and dialogue between SOTA and two community arts organizations. Other long-term effects include the institution of a Fifth-year program for new graduates of McMaster Art Department who, upon completion of their BA and by jury selection, go to work in professional artists’ studio collectives based in the town of Hamilton.

Clockwise from top-left: sTABLE, table with metaphoric map of translocation, 2005; WALK’MAN-1, Digital Print at transit gallery, 2005; Stills from Artur Tajber performance at Taipei Artists’ Village, 2005

Above: Invitation produced to advertize special performance at transit gallery (following page), a private commercial gallery in Hamilton owned by Priti Kohli and David Brace, ISLA collaborators.

Artur Tajber, 2005 (Poland) Tajber visited the city of Hamilton, Ontario as a combined initiative between ISLA, McMaster University School of the Arts, Center for Leadership in Learning, McMaster Museum of Art, Transit Gallery (commercial gallery in Hamilton), and the Hamilton Artist’s Inc. (non-profit artist-run organization in Hamilton). Tajber presented a public lecture, a public performance, participated in group exhibition of works on paper, and consulted with the School of the Arts about implementation of innovative learning strategies in third-level education. We were able to coordinate another performance by Mr. Tajber in Toronto, hosted by the performance collective FADO, and a year later Artur Tajber was invited back to the region to serve as visiting artist at the University at Buffalo (former SUNY-Buffalo, hosted by Reinhardt Reitzenstein, head of Sculpture).

Clockwise from top-left: Tajber rehearses and films for performance with projection; The performance “sTABLEABLE” at transit gallery; Gathering after the performance with Shirley Madill, Executive Director of the Hamilton Municipal Art Gallery and Reinhardt Reitzenstein, Head of Sculpture, University at Buffalo.

Organized public lecture at City of Jackson Town Hall by Romanian Artist Bogdan Achimescu In conjunction with Parks and Recreation and Jackson Public Schools, arranged by private and public support to bring Romanian artist Bogdan Achimescu for a public lecture at the City of Jackson Town Hall. Mr. Achimescu showed slides of Eastern Europe, his own artwork and influences, and images from his recent participation in Venice Biennale. Achimescu also visited First Grade classroom at Jackson Public school and spent informal time with community members as part of cultural exchange.

Bogdan Achimescu visiting First Grade class at Jackson Public School, and lecturing at City of Jackson Town Hall.

Curatorial liaison to Edward Krantz, Director of Gallery One in Elgin, IL In 1998, Artur Tajber (Polish artist) was introduced to Edward Krantz, Gallery Director at Elgin Community College. After negotiations with gallery curator Krantz, Tajber came to Elgin (near Chicago) in November 1999 to develop new work for site-specific installation. Also consulted for programming at ECC Gallery One (Don Stinson, Kevin Shunn 2000).

Edward Krantz, director of Gallery One in Elgin, Illinois with visiting artist Artur Tajber (1999); Exhibition of Artur Tajber drawings and sculpture at Gallery One, Elgin Community College.

Consultation with Jack Gron, University of Kentucky During visit to University of Kentucky as lecturer, John Ford suggested to Jack Gron that he should propose a special project to ArtsLink/CEC International Exchange for conducting a publicaccess Cast Iron Workshop in Krak贸w where no such project has occurred. Through connections in Krak贸w, and with support of ArtsLink, Gron, Rick Batten and others traveled to Krak贸w during summer of 2000 and built the facility, conducted the workshops, then donated all materials to the art community of the city.

Above: Images of Iron Pour conducted at the High School of Art in Krak贸w, Poland during summer 2000. (photos - Artur Tajber)

Installation/Work in Process (Austin Peay State University and Semantics Gallery, Cincinnati during 1998, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point during1999) John Ford worked with faculty member Gregg Schlanger conducting site-based installation short-course at Austin Peay State University, also developing his own work in open-access studio space. Invited by Visiting Artist Alliance in Cincinnati, where Ford conducted seminars at nine institutions in Cincinnati area, also developed work in open-access studio at Semantics Gallery. Finalized project at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in twoperson exhibit in Carlsten Gallery with German artist Renate Herter.

Collaborator Gregg Schlanger, Austin Peay State University; Student projects from short-course, Fall 1998; John Ford working at APSU, Semantics Gallery; Semantics directors David Dillon and Rob Delongchamps.

Exhibition for Renate Herter at Fassbender Gallery, Chicago (Fall 1998) Proposed to gallery director Ingrid Fassbender (Chicago) that she might develop first solo exhibition in the USA of Berlin artist Herter. Herter worked for one-month in Chicago at Fassbender Gallery Annex, then presented exhibition “Kopfräume/ Headrooms”, 1998

Renate Herter; “Kopfräume/Headrooms”, 1998 at Fassbender Gallery; Chicago, IL.

PREVIEW, PROCESS, AND ARCHIVE (Spring of 1999) Consulted and participated with curator Suzanne A. Woods to develop project PREVIEW, PROCESS, AND ARCHIVE at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Project was intended to explore the role of curator, artist, and audience in the formation of an exhibition meant for a specific site. Most of the work was public-access, and many decisions regarding the actual makeup of the exhibit were decided in consultation between all participants.

“PREVIEW, PROCESS, AND ARCHIVE”, 1999; Special collaboration with curator Suzanne A. Woods, Renate Herter, and John Ford; Carlsten Art Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

FlaxArt Residency, “Archetype” Exhibition FlaxArt studios in Belfast, a non-profit arts organization keen to develop links and residencies with artists and student artists globally. Ongoing discussions with FlaxArt to develop new exchange projects. Exhibition “Archetype” at Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast grew out of John Ford’s artist-residency at FlaxArt.

FlaxArt Studios in Belfast, N. Ireland, 1998; Two-month artist residency for John Ford, lecturing, and student tutorials. Residency resulted in three-person sculpture exhibition “Archetype” at Ormeau Baths Gallery in Belfast.

Summer University of Art (Invited participant) Meeting to consult, establish protocol for annual school of professional, contemporary art practice in National Forest near Kraków. Long-term objective is to implement regular summer activities for professional artists in Ojców (ongoing)

Lodge in Ojców National Forest near Kraków, Poland; Summer University of Art Conference, 1997.

Artist-in-Residence Projects for Artists at Illinois State University As past recipient of one-month fellowship at ISU (Fall 1996), John Ford nominated artists to ISU Department of Art for their annual one-month Visiting Artist programs (each of six artists annually teaching four evening seminars, free lodging and $3,300.00 remuneration). Of nominations to the department, three of six artists chosen in 1997-98 were ISLA nominations (Bogdan Achimescu, Romania; Artur Tajber, Poland; Karen Baldner, Germany/US), and one of six artists chosen in 1998-99 was ISLA nomination (Moira McIvor, Ireland/Scotland)

L to R; Students at Illinois State University; Bogdan Achimescu conducting printmaking demonstration 1997; Artur Tajber lecture at ISU, 1998.

Source/Resource (Stevens Point, WI, 1996) Curatorial collaboration with Suzanne A. Woods; Five-person exhibition featuring three artists proposed by ISLA; Karen Baldner (Germany/US), Kathy Herbert (Ireland), and Julia Kjelgaard (USA).

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Source/Resourceâ&#x20AC;?, 1996; Carlsten Art Gallery, UWSP; Karen Baldner triptych, Julia Kjelgaard framed prints, Kathy Herbert sculpture.

East Meets West (Cisco, UT, 1996) Participant/collaborator Four-person installation in Utah desert, referenced in TIME magazine, July 1997. Echo project of collaborative work in Kraków with artists Don Stinson (organizer of Cisco project), Linda James, artist/curator Suzanne A. Woods, and John Ford.

Clockwise from upper left: TIME magazine article, July 1997; “East Meets West” participants Stinson, Ford, Woods, James; Ford installation; Ford sculpture; James installation; Stinson working; Woods working, installation.

Spotkania Krakowskie (Kraków, Poland, 1995) Participant, Facilitator for US artists as contributors to Festival. International meeting of 65-plus artists for exhibitions, installations, performances, films, and seminars. John Ford was invited to attend, collaborated with Bogdan Achimescu, and also facilitated the participation of US artists Linda James and Don Stinson to travel and participate in 10th Cracowian Meetings, contribute to artistic dialogue. Built contacts with community of Performance/ Installation artists from Europe. Developed plans for future projects in US for artists Bogdan Achimescu, Artur Tajber, Renate Herter and others.

“10th Cracowian Meetings”, 1995 in Kraków, Poland; Interior view of Bunkier Sztuki, Gallery of Contemporary Art in Kraków; Ul. Mikolajska, Dominican property; Artworks and projects by artists Don Stinson, Linda James, Bogdan Achimescu, Renate Herter, and Artur Tajber.

RESIDENCE PROJECTS

RESIDENCE PROJECTS: ISLA facilitates cultural exchange projects for artists, assisted by special collaborations and support from multiple institutions and individuals to defray expenses. All projects began at ISLA studio in rural Wisconsin (now relocated in rural Missouri), where artists from abroad were introduced to culture in the Midwest of America. Artists are supported with studio time, tools, some materials, a place to live, and transportation in the surrounding area to conduct their projects and present lectures and informal community interchange. Residencies are tailored to be beneficial for all involved. Specific projects and public presentations are developed to suit the personality of the resident, and also best serve the context in which the resident decides to work. Some residencies focus on a single major artistic project which may relate to the resident’s past work, others are dedicated to provide new experiences for the artist to work in ways which present new challenges. Importantly, these residence projects are seen as a way for one artist to share material and human resources with another artist, in contrast to the general competitive attitude many artists encounter, and indeed foster, in their own field. It is generally understood that the resident artist’s only contribution to ISLA is to consider the simple human exchange equation that he/she has experienced, and consider whether it is feasible to extend this sort of gesture to another artist. On the larger scale, it is conceivable that the world, and the art world specifically, would be a better place if every artist were able to extend the offer of a “special project” to only one other artist, only once in their life. Unlike some other models of cultural practice, ISLA trusts that artists are capable, and in fact are responsible, to make the milieu of the arts a more humane, cooperative, and productive environment. By living the example of collaboration and support within their own context, and by working in close proximity and interacting informally with the public, ISLA hopes the misperceptions and erroneous assumptions which typify the artist/public divide may be diminished over time.

Jill McKeown, 1999 (Northern Ireland) Jill visited in the fall of 1999, beginning as a guest at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, then as visiting artist at Antioch College, Ohio. One of her specialties is ecologically safe printmaking processes. While in residence, Jill developed an experimental body of work that is site-based and photographic in nature. In America, her works were seen in a group exhibition of Contemporary Printmaking at the Carlsten Gallery, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Jill McKeown conducting experimental work in garden at Lomira studio, summer 1999; Work in progress leading to site-based installation “7x5”, 1999.

Group exhibition “Directions in Contemporary Printmaking” at Carlsten Art Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Jill McKeown’s large triptych of photo-intaglio prints at far right.

Artur Tajber, 1998 and 1999 (Poland) In 1998 Artur Tajber was visiting artist in residence at Illinois State University; In 1999 ISLA facilitated a project for Tajber to exhibit new work at Elgin Community College, near Chicago, where he conducted a two-week site-specific project ending in the exhibition “ACHANLOCHY & WALK’MAN”, and also was a visiting artist at University of Kentucky in order to meet with Jack Gron to discuss Iron Pour project for Kraków. Artur Tajber as visiting artist at Illinois State University, 1998; Site specific installation at ISU.

Artur Tajber selecting materials to use for the project “ACHANLOCHY & WALK’ MAN” at Gallery One, Elgin, IL; Last images are from initial meeting with Jack Gron and Rick Batten during lecture at University of Kentucky, 1999.

Renate Herter, 1998 (Germany) Visited and developed new sculpture for exhibition at UWStevens Point (March 1999). Work for exhibition was conducted in public-access space during two-week residency at UWSP, and eventually became part of two-person exhibit PREVIEW, PROCESS, AND ARCHIVE; Herter also took part in residency in Chicago, made new work, and exhibited at Fassbender Gallery in the project space.

Working in Fine Arts building at UW-Stevens Point. Construction of paraffin houses for the work “Headrooms” as part of “PREVIEW, PROCESS, AND ARCHIVE” in the Carlsten Gallery; Herter and artistic assistant Christian Gellner.

Bogdan Achimescu, 1997 (Romania) Visited/lectured/exhibited at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, UW-Madison, Indiana University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Illinois State University, San Francisco Art Academy, others; Since 1997 residency, and with ISLA facilitation, Achimescu was appointed to a one-semester visiting artist position at the University of Virginia for Spring 2000.

Bogdan Achimescu at 10th Cracowian Meetings, 1995; 1997 ISLA project to exhibit and visit in the midwest of America. Images of work in ISLA studio/Lomira, WI, at UW-Stevens Point, University of WisconsinMadison, and Indiana University; While at Indiana University Achimescu developed student project in courtyard of residence dormitory; IU student Ernie Hahn (and ISLA member) facilitated IU project and is seen installing Achimescu print exhibition in IU Fine Arts Gallery.

Kathy Herbert, 1996 (Ireland) Visited/lectured/exhibited at University of Wisconsin CenterMarshfield, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Denison University; Since this first project, Herbert was invited back to Denison University as part of group exhibition Out of Belfast.

Images from the cycle of works â&#x20AC;&#x153;ABSENTâ&#x20AC;?, 1996; As seen in Belfast and Ballinglen residency Ireland; Lower images are work at ISLA studio/Lomira, WI and exhibition in Helen Connor Laird Gallery at University of Wisconsin-Marshfield.

ADDITIONAL INTERESTS

ADDITIONAL INTERESTS / FUTURE PLANNING:

In association with Artur Tajber, ISLA is attempting to develop a residency in Poland at the commercial offset lithographer KOLOR-ART. Guest artists would travel to Krak贸w, establish short-term residence, and work in the commercial printing firm to develop artist books or other image-based work produced on offset presses. Intent of the program will be cultural exchange at a basic, one-to-one citizen level, new capital projects for the printing house, and artistic production for the artist involved. Seen in these images are the workshop and facilities of KOLOR-ART publishers, and facility co-director Robert Tancula. 麓

ISLA is interested in the potential to collaborate with artist/teacher Józef Polewka to arrange exchanges for American artists at his home/studio/bronze foundry in Mylenice Poland. Myslenice is a small community outside of Kraków, and Józef has developed a small scale bronze foundry at his home. He is also in the process of renovating several historic farm buildings as a residence and studio for artist exchange.

ISLA maintains a working relationship with Bogdan Achimescu who operates a small-scale residency program from his home/studio in Bronowice (ISLA/Kraków). Bronowice is a small, historic village incorporated on the edge of Kraków, and has the dual benefit of being close to the cultural center of a major city while also remaining quite rural in its character.

In 1997 Achimescu hosted John Ford and facilitated the site-based installation project VIEW WITHOUT BOUNDARIES at Galeria Krzysztofory in, Kraków. Ford used Achimescu’s studio for a four-week work cycle, and later hosted Achimescu for an exchange residency in America. Also in 1997, Achimescu served as curatorial liaison for Suzanne A. Woods as she developed the exhibition POLISH WORKS ON PAPER for the Carlsten Gallery at UW-Stevens Point.

ISLA maintains an ongoing relationship with ceramic artists Jim Neimann and Theresa Millard who operate a studio in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. ISLA would like to arrange for small-scale residencies for artists to live and work at the Millard/Neimann studio. Jim Niemann is an independent artist, and Theresa Millard is the lead designer at the Artist Edition Division of Kohler Company, USA. Kohler Co, one of the largest supplier of toilet fixtures in the world, is also a chief sponsor of the acclaimed Arts/Industry Residency Program operated in collaboration between Kohler Company and the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI.

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS

*All without specific notations represent lectures

Texas Tech University; Lubbock, TX (slide lecture, graduate student tutorials, Fall 2006) University of Alberta; Edmonton, AB (slide lecture, 2005) SNAP Gallery; Edmonton, AB (gallery talk, 2005) Scuola Internazionale di Grafica; Venice, Italy (slide lecture, 2004) Minnesota State University – Moorhead; Moorhead, MN (slide lecture, 2004) Indiana University; Bloomington, IN (presentation, Fall 2003) University of Virginia; Charlottesville, VA (symposium with Artur Tajber, Brian Kennedy, and Bogdan Achimescu, 2003) Indiana State University; Terre Haute, IN (lecture, 2003) University of Arizona; Tucson, AZ (lecture, seminar 2002) Kansas City Art Institute; Kansas City, MO (lecture 2001) University of Wisconsin - Madison; Madison, WI (lecture, workshop 2001) University of Wisconsin - Platteville; Platteville, WI (lecture 2001) Ormeau Baths Gallery; Belfast, N. Ireland (lecture, 2001) University of Ulster - Belfast; Belfast, N. Ireland (lecture 2001) Belfast Print Workshop; (lecture 2001) Southeast Missouri State University (lectures, tutorials during 2000-2001 school year) University of Virginia; Charlottesville, VA (lectures, tutorials, workshops during March 2000) University of Tennessee-Knoxville; Knoxville, TN (lecture in conjunction with Knoxville Museum, January 2000) Knoxville Museum of Art; Knoxville, TN (Gallery talk, January 2000) University of Kentucky; Lexington, KY (Seminar with Artur Tajber, November 1999) University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Stevens Point, WI (workshop in printmaking) University of Kansas; Lawrence, KS (tutorials, lecture) Kansas City Art Institute; Kansas City, MO (workshops in printmaking, career seminar, lectures to sculptors) Cincinnati Art Museum; Cincinnati, OH (lecture as part of Visiting Artist Alliance residency) Austin Peay State University; Clarksville, TN Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (tutorials with sculpture students, lecture, career seminar) Elgin Community College (lecture in conjunction with solo exhibition) University of Ulster-Belfast (lecture in conjunction with FlaxArt residency and exhibition at Ormeau Baths Gallery) Context Gallery; Derry, Northern Ireland (lecture 1998) Seacourt Print Workshop; Bangor, Northern Ireland (lecture 1998) Columbus College of Art and Design (lecture, seminar with sculpture students) University of Wisconsin; Madison, WI (workshop in printmaking 1997, lecture to professional practice course 1994) University of Illinois; Champaign, IL (Public lecture, seminar in professional practices course) Colorado State University; Ft. Collins, CO (public lecture, lecture to professional practice course) University of Southern Colorado; Pueblo, CO (printmaking workshop, public lecture) Southeast Missouri State University; Cape Girardeau, MO (1995, 1992) University of Virginia; Charlottesville, VA (presentation, tutorials, organized by students) Concordia College; St. Paul, MN (1994, 1990) Northwest Institute of Technology-Studio Art; Derry, Northern Ireland Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design; Milwaukee, WI (1994, 1991) Independent Artists’ Union (ZPAP); Kraków, Poland Walker’s Point Center for the Arts; Milwaukee, WI Portland State University; Portland, OR Pacific Northwest College of Art; Portland, OR Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville; Edwardsville, IL University of Southern Indiana; Evansville, IN Orchard Gallery; Derry, Northern Ireland John Michael Kohler Art Center; Sheboygan, WI Lawrence University; Appleton, WI Crawford College of Art and Design; Cork, Ireland University of Ulster-Belfast; Belfast, Northern Ireland CONFERENCES / PANELS “Approaching the Spiritual: Contemporary Artists as Shrine Makers”, panelist; College Art Association Conference 2005; Atlanta, GA “Interdisciplinary Dialogue”, featured artist and panelist; Thomas More College and Visiting Artist Alliance of Cincinnati; 1998 “Border Subjects 2: Bodies of Evidence”, featured artist and speaker; Illinois State University; 1997 “Vital Resources: Visiting Artists / Alternative Facilitators”, chair; Mid-America College Art Association Conference1995; Indianapolis, IN “The Gypsy Artist / Educator”; College Art Association Conference 1995; San Antonio, TX “Mixed Disciplines”; Southern Graphics Council Annual Meeting 1993; Baltimore, MD “Symbols and Diversity: Young Painters”; Mid-America CAA 1992; Birmingham, AL

ISLA 7019 Rockland Drive Charlotte, NC 28213 USA 704.302.1174 jwford@carolina.rr.com