Quad: LSU College of Art & Design Magazine | Fall 2017

UNIVERSAL DESIGN Practicing inclusive design

COEXIST

Students tackle social and environmental justice

DR. SUE TURNER

Honoring Suzanne Turner

GIVING BACK A life of service with alumnus Perry Howard

2017 Fall

Contents F E AT U R E

06

Universal Design I M P R OV I N G Q UA L I T Y O F L I F E FO R A L L

F E AT U R E

14

Coexist TAC K L I N G S O C I A L A N D E N V I R O N M E N TA L J U S T I C E THROUGH ART AND DESIGN

ON TH E COVE R UNTITLED Watercolor by Justin Bryant, MFA candidate

02

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

32

Giving Back

Class Notes

A L I F E O F S E RV I C E W I T H A L U M N U S P E R RY H OWA R D

Letter from the Dean

35

03

Did You Know?

A P P R O P R I AT I N G E A R T H B LO C K S FO R W E T C L I M AT E S

38

Dr. Sue Turner

H O N O R I N G S UZA N N E T UR N E R

04

Four Minutes on . ..

40

Equipped

I N S U R G E N T A R C H I T EC T U R E

T H E M AT E R I A L S O F A F I R S T-Y E A R L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T EC T U R E U N D E R G R A D

28

I Made That!

PROM OTING M I NDFU LNE SS THROUGH SCULPTURE

Field Notes

02

30

O F F- C A M P U S S T U DY S N A P S H OT S

EDITORIAL

ART DIRECTION—GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDENT OFFICE

ED I TO R / WR I T ER Angela Harwood, Communications Manager

FA C U LT Y A D V I S O R Lynne Baggett, Professor

CO N T R I B U TO R S William Doran, Professional in Residence Robert Holton, Assistant Professor Brittany Sievers, MFA 2017 Kaylin Wilson, BLA candidate

A R T D I R EC TO R Luisa Restrepo Perez, Instructor, MFA 2015

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

D E S I G N & I L L U S T R AT I O N Tory Cunningham, BFA 2017

P H OTO G R AP H ER S Erfan Ghiasi, MFA candidate Erin Rolfs, MA/Art History candidate Hayden Nagin, BFA candidate Martin Tucker Photography Cody Willhite, LSU photographer

1

LETTER DEAN FROM THE

I

n our last issue of Quad, we shared some of the many ways in which our faculty and students responded to last summer’s 100-year floods. This natural disaster did not come alone. Other violent events shook our community and reminded us that our mission as artists, designers, citizens, and teachers is to help guard environmental equality and social justice. We must help our community recover and move forward.

In this issue we highlight the work of faculty and students who incorporated social and environmental justice issues in several studios and seminars.

Art history students used social engagement and creative action to shed light on environmental concerns in Louisiana while analyzing the history and theory of participatory art. An MFA candidate’s thesis exhibition used new technologies to heighten awareness of the causes of the recent social strife in Baton Rouge. Architecture students designed memorials to help the community remember, learn, and heal from last summer’s violence. Landscape architecture graduate students worked with the Los Angeles Watershed Conservation Authority to investigate the connection between watershed and community health, drawing parallels to places closer to home. And our interior design students spent the year focused on universal design, a practice that promotes more inclusive, considerate environments for all people, regardless of ability or disability, age or size.

2

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

In the coming pages, we also recognize alumnus Perry Howard, professor emeritus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and ASLA’s first African American president, and renowned philanthropist Suzanne Wilbert Turner—now Dr. Sue Turner—who has spent a lifetime promoting and supporting the preservation of our cultural heritage.

Their example will not cease to inspire us as we welcome new leadership in architecture and interior design, the first group of scholars pursuing the Doctor of Design in Cultural Preservation, and a dynamic group of new and returning faculty and students who will ensure that the work of building a better, more beautiful world will continue with increasing enthusiasm.

Dean Alkis Tsolakis

Did You KNOW? W I T H R O B E R T H O LT O N

Q:

Can earth blocks traditionally used in hot dry climates be re-appropriated for use in hot wet climates?

A:

Constructed primarily of materials accessible from the building site, compressed stabilized earth-block design and building techniques offer an economical and sustainable approach to the current increase in demand for weather-resistant housing.

To investigate the composition of earthen material in southern Louisiana, my team consulted a U.S. Geological Survey soil classification map and chart to identify locations of different regional soil types. Several locations proved to be composed of material that fell within the guidelines for soil compositions suitable to making compressed stabilized earth blocks. We fabricated a manual block press to produce 10” x 6” x 3” modules to form the tested soil into earth blocks and formulated varying mixtures with different percentages of cement, the stabilizing agent, to test how the stabilizer influenced the blocks’ strength and durability. After curing for 28 days, we tested the blocks for resistance to compressive and tensile forces with successful results in line with building regulations of hot dry areas.

In response to the need for affordable, climate-responsive housing in coastal Louisiana, we developed single-family prototype designs using compressed stabilized earth blocks as the primary construction element. The critical demand for housing in regions around the Gulf Coast was recently documented in the article, “Resettling the First American ‘Climate Refugees’,” by Coral Davenport and Campbell Robertson, published in The New York Times on May 3, 2016. The article focuses on Isle de Jean Charles located along the Louisiana Gulf Coast, detailing the experience of resettling local residents due to flooding. Unfortunately, this phenomenon of water inundation is more than an isolated event. In August 2016 thousands of residents across southern Louisiana were displaced by severe flooding, a likely outcome of climate change. The need for affordable housing for the numerous families driven out of their homes is an essential and pressing concern for the region.

Through the novel use of engineered earth blocks in a hot wet environment and an awareness of local contextual parameters, the prototype designs offer an affordable, resilient, and sensitive way to bring about housing for the many individuals in need. From our research we have concluded that it is feasible to re-appropriate earthen building materials found in hot dry climates to construct enduring structures responsive to a hot wet environment.

THE TEAM CONSISTS OF: Robert Holton, Assistant Professor, Architecture; Michele Barbato, Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering; James Babin & Chris Doiron, Bachelor of Architecture students; Mirsardar Esmaeili & Nitin Kumar, PhD candidates, Civil & Environmental Engineering

3

Four Minutes On...

INSURGENT ARCHITECTURE

WITH WILLIAM DORAN

“Can we consider a sort of subversive or insurgent method of deriving work from the public?”

C

ities and communities are important structural units of civilization.

They are both physical places and the actions, relationships, and experiences of the people within them. Though not an easy task, it is important for artists and designers to understand cities and communities if we want our work to truly thrive in these places that are the ultimate destination of everything we create. In this light, cities and communities are not a blank slate onto which we draw plans or place projects; rather, they are the most important materials from which to develop our work. Cities and communities are messy, ongoing projects in which designers and citizens have a responsibility to participate—lest they move forward without us.

Standard design practice today, however, often overlooks the importance of cities and communities and the way they are designed (or not designed). From graphic design to landscape architecture, most professional firms follow a top-down model driven by the free market— serving governments, businesses, developers, or wealthy individuals. A client typically approaches a designer for services with a site, budget, and list of needs already determined. As responsible designers—and as citizens—it is our job to question this process and the privilege it bestows on clients, revenue, and our own design portfolios to make decisions about the fabric of our cities and communities. Without a critical lens, it is easy to detach ourselves from decisions about what happens in a building and how it affects its surroundings.

4

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

As an alternative, can we consider a bottom-up model—a sort of subversive or insurgent method of deriving work from the needs of the public? Could the actions, relationships, and experiences of the city drive the way we select sites, develop programs, and build the financial and social capital that sustain architecture? Would this not make our practice much more relevant in the modern world? To this end, the site, use, needs, and funding are an integral part of the design challenge. The work begins to require the wisdom of people and places as a nontraditional but fruitful source of design intelligence. The community itself is the client.

Putting this set of values into practice, however, is not easy. In 2012, I began exploring a series of community-based, service-learning studios for the LSU School of Architecture that focused on developing projects with community clients in the Mid City area of Baton Rouge. Mid City, a roughly eight-squaremile area, was one of the first expansions of

The WHYR Community Listening Room and Record Shop, implemented by Mid City Studio in collaboration with WHYR Community Radio, was completed in March 2016.

The IAMMIDCITY installation in Spain Street Park featured photos taken by local third-grade students as part of a Mid City– focused curriculum designed by Mid City Studio.

the City of Baton Rouge outside of its 1817 boundaries. The area was once considered rural outskirts of the city until its peak development in the 1940s and ’50s, when it was incorporated as an official part of Baton Rouge. The subsequent construction of the interstate highway created a significant boundary between Mid City and a municipally recognized downtown district while facilitating the suburban exodus common in most American cities at that time. These conditions, however, have made Mid City what it is today. With 4,300 people per square mile, it is denser than most of the Baton Rouge area and contains a broad range of new and old residences, businesses, and institutions. Though some areas are confronted with issues of poverty, crime, and abandoned property, Mid City can also be characterized by its historic institutions, local businesses, and active neighborhood associations. It is important to the future of Baton Rouge because of its diversity and density, and it represents a significant crossroads between physical, social, racial, and economic conditions. It has the potential to serve as fertile ground for addressing issues faced in much of modern, urbanized America today.

After working with students and several community groups to develop some project ideas over the course of three years, it was clear that the work needed a mechanism to continue beyond the confines of academic coursework. Last year, I began working directly with organizations, businesses, and residents and formed Mid City Studio, a nonprofit, community design collaborative focused on building community-focused projects in this important part of Baton Rouge. The vision for the studio is to create a more unified and resilient Mid City community around its common geography, history, diversity, and cultural value within the city of Baton Rouge. This requires collaborative design projects, education about place, strengthening of existing neighborhoods, and developing the creative, social, and economic capacity of residents to shape their own communities as they grow and change.

The work has grown into a much more diverse set of projects, from a week-long, third-grade curriculum focused on Mid City to photography installations in a local park and even a community record shop and listening room in partnership with a local radio station. Creative placemaker and local artist Lynley Farris joined me as creative director for Mid City Studio

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

last year to help develop programming, cultivate relationships with community partners, and find grants to fund some of the projects. My hope is that the growth of this work beyond the walls of the classroom will better equip me to make an impact on our community here in Baton Rouge, but also give our students better opportunities to engage in their surroundings and become more responsible, socially conscious designers.

William Doran is a professional in residence and the outreach coordinator for the LSU School of Architecture and executive director of the nonprofit, community design collaborative, Mid City Studio (midcitystudio.org).

In March 2017, Mid City Studio held a discussion panel focused on women’s rights in the listening room.

5

6

7

F E AT U R E : U N I V E R S A L D E S I G N

Do yo u eve r f e e l l i ke yo u ’ r e t h e o n l y o n e w h o g e t s l os t i n l a r g e bu i l d i n g s ? Do e s yo u r off i c e s pa c e d e p r e ss yo u ? Do yo u s p e n d a l l d ay u n d e r fl u o r e sc e n t l i g h t s w i t h n o v i e w t o t h e o u td oo r s ? Do yo u h ave t r o u b l e f i tt i n g i n t o t h e bat h r oo m s t a l l w i t h o u t h u g g i n g t h e t o i l e t o r r u b b i n g t h e d oo r ac r oss yo u r bo dy ?

8

If so, you’ve perhaps unwittingly thought

advocate agency for the elderly and their

about universal design. It’s more than

concerns, the Gerontology Fellows’ mission

designing for disability.

was to educate new experts in aging who

would be prepared to meet anticipated

“Our concept and approach to universal

design emerged from designing for disability,

challenges in demographic trends. Steinfeld

but our approach differs in that we

completed his Master of Architecture and

expanded the focus on function to include

continued his fellowship, earning a PhD

health and social participation,” noted

in architecture. His dissertation research

renowned universal design expert Edward

focused on age segregation, which sowed

Steinfeld, who served as the LSU College of

the seeds for his future interests in universal

Art & Design’s Nadine Carter Russell Chair

design. Today, Steinfeld is internationally

in 2016-17. “Usability is not sufficient. We

known for his research and publications.

design for active living, to reduce accidents

His special interests include universal

and increase safety from aspects that can

design, accessibility, and design for the

cause disease, for quality of life.”

lifespan, and he is currently working on the

development of universal design standards

Steinfeld began his career with an

architectural degree from Carnegie Mellon

and a universal design accreditation system.

University and was offered a fellowship

A distinguished professor of architecture

to study gerontology in the School of

at SUNY, Buffalo, Steinfeld directs the Center

Architecture at the University of Michigan.

for Inclusive Design and Environmental

Funded by the Administration on Aging,

Access, a leading site for research,

the U.S. government's focal point and

development, service, and educational

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

Interior design senior Ellie Culotta presents her capstone project, “Broadening the Scope: Mental and Physical Health of All Users.”

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

activities centered on the philosophy

of Carnegie Mellon University, the project

of universal design, or “design for all.”

brings together experts in information

Providing resources and technical expertise

technology, ergonomics research, and

in architecture, product design, facilities

universal design to advance the practice of

management, and the social behavioral

accessible transportation and improve the

sciences, the IDeA Center is focused on

usability of transit systems for all riders.

making environments and products safer,

healthier, and more user-friendly. The

Steinfeld worked with interior design

center’s primary goal is to increase the

students throughout the spring 2017

social participation of marginalized groups,

semester, visiting the college three times

such as the disabled and the elderly.

and spending several days in Baton Rouge

each trip. The entire School of Interior

The center’s biggest coup to date is

As Nadine Carter Russell Chair at LSU,

the receipt of a major grant from the U.S.

Design met and worked with Steinfeld, and

Department of Education’s National Institute

students were encouraged to consider and

for Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

apply universal design principles when

The Rehabilitation and Engineering Research

working on their studio projects. Steinfeld

Center on Universal Design helped the

also led a faculty workshop on the principles

IDeA Center expand its activities and

of universal design and presented a public

established the institute as a National Center

lecture at the college.

of Excellence. Steinfeld also codirects the

“Universal design includes all those

RERC on Accessible Public Transportation.

little things that have not always been

In partnership with the Robotics Institute

considered,” commented Associate Professor

9

900 CAMP Interior design senior Wesley Bellan said Nadine Carter Russell Chair Edward Steinfeld proved essential to the success of his capstone project, “900 Camp.”

Wesley Bellan’s capstone project, titled “900 Camp,” was inspired by his personal connection with the LGBTQIA+ community. He sought to use design to promote tolerance and acceptance and combat the stigmatization of marginalized communities.

“I wanted to celebrate the progress that has been

made,” he stated. “I know that with progress comes change, and change of any kind is a hard concept to cope with for many.”

Bellan set out to accomplish a few goals. He wanted

to show the importance of interior design in how a space can be manipulated to elicit the most positive

brilliant view of design,” Bellan avowed. “I was able to

response in its users. “I also wanted to show how es-

learn and grow as a designer from his advice. Professor

sential steps of progress can be integrated into the built

Steinfeld also influenced my project by helping me

environment to better the community and destigmatize

enhance the design of my gender-neutral restroom

issues like gender neutral facilities. Overall, I was

facilities and graphic signage. It was imperative that

inspired to make a difference.”

900 Camp be designed to include all people. Having

With Nadine Carter Russell Chair Edward

Steinfeld to help strengthen the universal design of

Steinfeld’s guidance, Bellan concentrated on eight

my project positively affected the wayfinding of the

principles of universal design: cultural appropriateness,

space, proving that the integration of universal design

10

personalization, wellness, social interaction, comfort,

is a necessary tool in creating an interior space that is

understanding, awareness, and body fit. “Steinfeld has a

stress-free and easy to use.”

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

"These students will be far ahead of the curve."

TL Ritchie. “You learn to think ahead about

such a commitment—in my experience with

issues such as low physical impact and the

students, we haven’t gotten to that depth.

bariatric population, children and the elderly.

(Kudos to the LSU College of Art

Designing for all becomes another part of

and Design.)”

your programming concerns—and it makes

sense. After all, the overall goal of an interior

about the school’s capstone projects, in

He also noted how much he learned

designer is to improve public health, well-

particular. “That’s a well-designed exercise,

being, and safety.”

and the students all found ways to generate

programmatic aspects of universal design.

Seniors working on their capstone projects

were required to incorporate universal design

It’s a good fit.” He discussed the lag that

principles in their final projects, and not only

often occurs between what students are

did Steinfeld attend their final reviews, he

studying in education and in professional

worked with them throughout the semester,

practice. “That will change as the

offering his guidance and expertise as their

population ages, but these students

projects evolved.

will be far ahead of the curve.”

During his first visit, Steinfeld asked

students to come up with several unique user typologies to reflect the variety of

Instructor John Campbell said Steinfeld

“gave my class a very nice global perspective with examples from around the world.

disabilities, limitations, and needs of the

He really captivated those introductory

public as a whole—such as a veteran with

students. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen over

PTSD, an autistic young adult with special

300 students that quiet. (It’s been a nice

needs, a morbidly obese woman with severe

recruiting tool.) Having the entire school

back and knee pain, a pregnant 29-year-old

focus on accessibility for the entire semester

Hong Kong native traveling with her two-

was impactful, and we saw a huge difference.

year-old daughter, and an elderly woman

Our graduates will reap the benefits when

who suffers from extreme arthritis. The

they enter the workforce.”

interior design seniors each selected at least three of these typologies to consider while developing their capstone projects.

“It was really great the way the students

and faculty embraced universal design and used it as a generator for students’ work,” stated Steinfeld during his last visit at the end of the spring semester. “I’ve been invited to lecture at universities a number of times, but to spend an entire semester is

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

11

Richard J. Lee Elementary in Coppell, Texas, designed by Brad Robichaux (BID 2008), is an innovative, NetZero school that has gained LEED Gold certification.

Technology includes live systems monitoring where students can interact with the building systems and learn how much energy the building is collecting and how much they are currently using.

R E A L - WO R L D I M P L E M E N TAT I O N As a senior interior designer at Stantec Architecture with experience in both education and corporate workplace design, LSU alumnus Brad Robichaux said universal design has become an important part of his design process. “Not only must I design for all users with and without disabilities, I must implement universal design principles that complement the client’s pedagogy.”

One example is the Richard E. Lee Elementary

School in Coppell, Texas. His client implemented P H OTOS CO U RT E SY O F STA N T E C A R C H I T E C T U R E

a progressive pedagogy that requires flexible open learning labs with modular furniture that houses a community of K-5 students. “Designing for such a robust and technology-rich program required us to approach universal design in a new and innovative way,” stated Robichaux. “Providing a variety of task-focused and casual spaces allowed students to create their own learning environments. Varied types of learning zones were created to accommodate each student’s learning preference, be it focused, active, or collaborative.

The open design not only provides transparency and connectivity, but more importantly, inclusivity while promoting informal supervision.”

12

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

health impacts of buildings and on translating research into design guidance, to the college to present a Paula G. Manship Endowed Lecture on the social value of design. Cuddeback’s participation in a summer universal design fellowship at Cynthia Leibrock’s Green Mountain

THE UNIVERSAL DESIGN EXPERIENCE

Ranch (a “living laboratory” in Fort Collins, Colorado, used to conduct research on the environmental needs of the elderly) spurred her and the School of Interior Design faculty to adopt the year-long focus on universal

If there was a theme for the School of Interior Design’s

design. An award-winning author, international lecturer,

2016–17 academic year, it was universal design—an

and designer with more than 30 years of experience,

inclusive design practice that considers the access,

Leibrock’s mission is to improve the lives of older and

understanding, and use of an environment by all people,

disabled people through design. As principle and founder

regardless of ability or disability, age or size.

of Easy Access to Health, her prominent projects include

the Betty Ford Center, the UCLA Medical Center, auto-

The fall semester began with a universal design film

series, organized by Associate Professor Marsha Cudde-

motive interior design for Toyota, and a universal design

back, and continued throughout the year with a “lunch

exhibit—with Julia Child—in the Smithsonian. She also

’n learn” for the Interior Design Student Organization, a

completed a showroom for the Kohler Company in which

temporary limited mobility simulation, and visits from

over a million consumers have learned about universal

leading universal design experts.

design. Leibrock will lecture at the college this fall.

Cuddeback nominated Edward Steinfeld as the 2016–

The year culminated in a universal design exhibition

17 Nadine Carter Russell Chair in Interior Design and

in the Design Building for which Chinese visiting scholar

invited Judith Heerwagen, an environmental psychologist

Sihan Hu designed graphics and visual aids to educate

whose work focuses on the behavioral, psychosocial, and

viewers on the main principles of universal design.

Nadine Carter Russell Chair Edward Steinfeld in front of the universal design exhibit displayed in the Design Building Atrium

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

13

F E AT U R E :

T

14

he College of Art & Design’s

create more socially and environmentally

mission is to educate a diverse

just communities. We challenge our students

student population to become

to explore their creativity and to work

creative thinkers who, through their creative

across disciplines to contemplate and solve

professional work, contribute to making a

contemporary issues so that as alumni, they

better world. With that direction in mind, we

will work around the world as successful artists

encourage our students to consider the many

and design professionals who contribute to

ways the art and design professions can help

the communities where they live.

M A RY I S WATC H I N G

U R BA N I LLUSION S

PG. 16

PG. 20

M E M O RY [I N] STI LLE D

F R O M G R AY TO G R E E N

PG. 24

PG. 26

CO -

EX IST TA C K L I N G S O C I A L & E N V I R O N M E N TA L J U S T I C E THROUGH ART AND DESIGN

15

F E AT U R E : C O E X I S T

S

tudents in Professor Susan Elizabeth Ryan’s art and environment seminar used social engagement and creative

action to shed light on environmental concerns in Louisiana. Ryan’s seminar covers the history, theory, and analysis of participatory art— commonly known as social practice art—with a focus on climate and environmental issues, especially in Louisiana. After reading texts on the history and theory of environmental issues and social practice art, Ryan’s students paired up with Marylee and Michael Orr of the Louisiana Environmental Action Network and worked in groups to execute their own social interactions in Louisiana communities.

One group in Ryan’s art history seminar

focused on Alsen, a small, unincorporated town founded by freed slaves in the 19th century. As noted by environmental researchers like law professor Oliver Houck and geographer Dr. Craig Colten, this community has been repeatedly targeted by waste and petrochemical companies to bear a disproportionate and unsafe exposure to toxic byproducts in their water, soil, and air.

This chronic case of eco-racism was exacerbated after the extreme flooding of Baton Rouge in summer 2016, when truckloads of unsorted flood debris ended up in Ronaldson Field, an active dump site near residents’ homes.

Recognizing that communities like Alsen

often lack the resources to confront their environmental concerns head on, Erin Rolfs (MA in Art History candidate), Hannah Sonnier (BFA in Studio Arts candidate), and Kristian Carroll (BA candidate) invoked the presence of Alsen native and late activist Mary McCastle (1929–2000) in a “projection bombing” featuring an animation 16

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

M A RY IS WATCHING PROTEST

THROUGH

PROJECTION

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

17

F E AT U R E : C O E X I S T

representing Mary’s watching eyes and the

residents a method to communicate that was

bold phrase, “Mary Is Watching You.” They

proportional to the severity of the problem.”

projected the image around the community

on the Ronaldson Field dump site, Exxon’s

the charge against Rollins Environmental

oil tanks, and on key government buildings

Services, at the time the fourth-largest

in Baton Rouge, including the Department of

dump site in the U.S., citing threats to human

Environmental Quality headquarters and the

health. Although the settlement failed to

Baton Rouge capitol building.

produce a formal monitoring system or local

health clinic, the lawsuit brought national

“In this frenzy to address an

Throughout the 1980s, McCastle led

unprecedented disaster, residents adjacent to

attention to the environmental exploitations

the dump suffered through endless streams

of the area, and Rollins was eventually

of noisy dump trucks, noxious fumes, and

shut down. Today, McCastle’s leadership

growing doubts that Louisiana’s Department

represents one of the first environmental

of Environmental Quality was monitoring

justice movements in “Cancer Alley,” the

what was being brought to Ronaldson

serpentine trail of waste sites, chemical

Field,” shared Rolfs. “Though flood waste

plants, and Superfund sites that winds along

has ceased being delivered to the site, the

the Mississippi River southeast from North

concerns about air, water, and land quality

Baton Rouge down into New Orleans.

persist. We wanted our project to give

“The call to monitor Ronaldson field and

other industrial sites in Alsen carries with it the imperative that concerned Louisianians

"We wanted our project to give residents a method to communicate."

not let McCastle’s work and sacrifice come undone,” Rolfs commented. “Projection bombing is a peaceful yet forceful way to get a message across by increasing visibility, breaking through gated/protected spaces without trespassing, and making the site of contention the canvas for your cause.”

The group also created a social media

campaign, @MaryIsWatchingYou, using the hashtag #WWMD (What Would Mary Do?) and a website, maryiswatching.squarespace. com, where people can share environmental concerns about Louisiana’s petrochemical and waste services industries and watch interviews with Alsen residents including Admon McCastle, Mary's son.

18

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

Students projected the “Mary Is Watching You” animation on oil tanks at the ExxonMobil plant on Highway 61, just outside of Alsen, Louisiana, on April 18, 2017, and on the Department of Environmental Quality headquarters in Baton Rouge.

P H OTOS BY E R I N R O L F S

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

19

F E AT U R E : C O E X I S T

U R BA N ILLUSIONS INFORM THROUGH

V I RT UA L

REALITY

20

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

P H OTOS BY E R FA N G H I AS I

F

or her digital art thesis exhibition, Haley Hatfield experimented with 360-degree video and virtual

reality to expose viewers to the recent

social strife in Baton Rouge—a string of events that reflects a transformative time across the country.

“My intent was to use modern

technology to document real-life experiences through virtual space,” stated Hatfield. “This framework has the potential to engage and educate viewers on a multitude of contemporary concepts.”

Originally, Hatfield intended to focus on

the residual, or remaining, segregation of Baton Rouge. However, shortly after she began interviewing local residents on their experiences, tragedy struck the city with the controversial shooting and death of Alton Sterling by the hands of the police on July 5, 2016. Several protests ensued throughout the following weeks. Then, on July 17, six police officers were gunned down, three of whom lost their lives.

“Urban Illusions is my attempt to add another layer of depth to the events that made national news last summer while also digging deeper into the hearts of Baton Rouge residents,” Hatfield explained. “I felt a responsibility to expose these issues and enlighten those who may be unaware of the real state of American race relations.”

With the combination of virtual reality,

360-degree video, Maya, and Unity, she created a multi-location landscape exposing viewers to these pivotal S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

21

F E AT U R E : C O E X I S T

moments in American history. Footage includes nine interviews with a wide range of Baton Rouge residents and locations important to the message Hatfield is communicating, including the Triple S Food Mart where Alton Sterling was shot and two protest locations.

On July 10, 2016, Hatfield marched with thousands of others

in the Black Lives Matter protest in Mid City. “The march started as a beautiful diverse group of people all coming

“This new form of documenting stories and events can change how history is perceived and learned.”

together for a cause but was met with a frightening end when police showed up in riot gear,” she recalled. “I have never experienced the kind of fear I felt that day standing near the corner of East Boulevard and France Street, which is why I chose this location as the third environment in Urban Illusions.”

The result of Hatfield’s endeavors is an interactive

documentary experience. When viewed through a virtual reality headset, such as the Oculus Rift, or Google VR Cardboard on an iOS device, the experience becomes completely immersive. Viewers have more personal interactions with the footage and can interpret the meaning of the virtual experience for themselves.

“Documenting in 360-degrees allows viewers to see

everything, not only in front of them but also to each side and behind them,” shared Hatfield, who explored the roles of documenter, observer, archivist, and participant while

filming. Six cameras film at once from a central point, removing speculation of cropped or edited video as there are no borders—also meaning Hatfield can be seen filming.

For her final exhibition, Hatfield

included the Oculus Rift immersive experience set up, a digital image of the 3D environment modeled in Maya serving as a metaphor for the concept, a projection mapping compilation of each of the interviews, six iPads with full 360-degree interaction applications of Urban Illusions, and six Google Cardboards for viewers to download the iOS app themselves. Anyone can download the app from the Apple App Store at no cost.

URBAN ILLUSIONS Oculus Rift, 2017

“Virtual reality presents a unique

opportunity for documenting real life in a way that is more engaging and potentially less biased than reading about it or watching it on the news,” concluded Hatfield. “This new form of documenting stories and events can change how history is perceived and learned.”

22

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

URBAN ILLUSIONS Interview projection, 2017

URBAN ILLUSIONS iPad interactions, 2017

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

23

F E AT U R E : C O E X I S T

O

n July 5, 2016, Baton Rouge citizen Alton Sterling was shot by police officers during questioning,

resulting in his death. Then on July 17, 2016, three police officers—Deputy Brad Garafola

of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and Officer Matthew Gerald and Corporal Montrell Jackson of the Baton

W AT E R W A L L A stillness and darkness exists in the depth of the bottom of the water wall while the blue frame of open sky means light and comfort, whispering “emerge.”

Rouge Police Department—were shot and killed by a lone shooter, who also shot three additional officers.

These tragic events made national news

and deeply affected the Baton Rouge community. The violence was captured and streamed digitally and immediately so there will always be a visual record of these events, “but in order for our community to move forward, we need more than videos and photographs,” stressed Professor Jori Erdman, who assigned her third-year architecture students with the task of developing a concept, site design, and final design based on their studies of these events and their beliefs about architecture. Erdman and Instructor Lee Kean, who co-taught the studio, directed the students to be comprehensive and thoughtful, insisting that their final projects be both evocative and provocative.

“It should make your audience feel and

think,” Erdman iterated. “One of the roles of architecture is to serve as a physical artifact that helps us to remember and heal. How can we respond to these tragic events as architects?”

The project was selected for the annual

Letterman’s Blueprint & Supply Competition.

Each year, Letterman’s CEO Steve Perret donates prize money for a student competition in one of the architecture studios; he often 24

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

M E M O RY G A L L E RY Images and voices of witnesses and responders are projected visually and audibly in the dimly lit memory gallery, a series of spaces separated by glass thresholds.

M E M O RY [IN ]STILLED

P AV I L I O N In Boullion’s reflection pavilion, a canopied concrete shell hovers above the ground over four dark blocks of stone; a thin sheet of water pours from the tops of the stones, wrapping around their sides. Reflections glisten on the surface, tying your image to the memories of those lost.

P R OVO K E T H R O U G H ARCHITECTURE displays the students’ work at his business on

light, temporality, and viewpoint,” com-

Government Street in Mid City Baton Rouge.

mented Micah Morgan, a competition juror,

This year’s jury selected Grayson Boullion as the winner of the competition for her memo-

F LO O R P LA N & E L E VAT I O N As one progresses through the memorial, the body is exposed to changing sequences of darkness and light, verticality and horizontality, openness and enclosure, stillness and movement.

alumnus, and architect at WHLC archictecture.

“The result is an ephemeral experience that

rial project titled, “Memory [In]Stilled.”

serves as both an emotional tribute to those

lives that have been lost and a poignant

Boullion said the intent of her project

was to “curate a shared remembrance of

question to those who remain. Are we willing

the four lives lost to bring about unity and

to sacrifice time and attention in our brief

healing in the Baton Rouge community. The

lives to shine a light on the experience of

senses have an enormous ability to bring

others, accepting grief and pain with hope

people together,” she continued. “Thus, the

that opening ourselves to the perspective of

links among memory, people, and the city

another will reveal moments of meaning?”

are strengthened by engaging the visual,

audible, tactile, and somatic senses.”

for second- and third-place winners and two

Letterman’s also sponsored cash prizes

Her proposal included a memory gal-

honorable mentions. Madeline Luke placed

lery, water wall, and reflection pavilion for a

second, Caroline Arbour placed third, and

space adjacent to the parking garage at City

Cecelia Gomes and Christopher Washington

Hall Plaza in downtown Baton Rouge. She

III received honorable mentions for their

said she chose the site at City Hall because

interpretations.

of its association with justice and its impact

“It’s critical for our students to understand

on the public, its location as a site for Alton

that architecture engages with the commu-

Sterling protests, and the two existing mon-

nities in which we work,” finished Erdman.

uments on the site that create an interesting

“It was very rewarding to see the positive

relationship. “Ultimately, the site selection

responses from the students in the studio, as

provided inspiration that helped guide my

well as other students in the school, to this

design moving forward and supported the

difficult competition assignment.”

meaning behind my project.”

“[Boullion’s] memorial uses stone, glass,

R E N D E R I N G S A N D I L LU ST RAT I O N S BY G RAYS O N BO U L L I O N , BA r c h CA N D I DAT E

earth, image, and a simple chair to great effect, framing the visitor’s experience of S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

25

F E AT U R E : C O E X I S T

FROM G RAY TO GREEN

PROMOTE CHANGE THROUGH LANDSCAPE DESIGN

M

26

anaging stormwater is one of the

issues related specifically to environmental

most critical and most expensive

equity in urban areas and addressing

problems cities face—but it’s

a variety of concerns such as growing

also a great opportunity for reuse as an

potable water demand, flooding, aquifer

artful and functional resource. From water

depletion, drought conditions, and water

shortages and floods to water contamination

quality in arid environments.

and changing patterns of rainfall, a host

of critical issues affect water system

Cities region of Los Angeles County—

management around the world. Some of

Artesia, Pico Rivera, and Compton—that

the most dire issues—human and ecosystem

represent highly urbanized, park-poor

health, safety, and economic stability—are

communities with a cross section of

closely related to the planning, design, and

residential, industrial, commercial, and

management of water systems.

institutional areas. All three sites have

serious health and safety issues due to

In fall 2016, second-year Master of

WCA selected three sites in the Gateway

Landscape Architecture students in Marie

lack of sidewalks and safe connections to

M. Bickham Chair Kathleen Bogaski’s water

public transportation, and residents have

systems studio had the opportunity to

extremely limited access to green areas.

work on a real project with the Watershed

The students’ concept plans and landscape

Conservation Authority (WCA) in Los

typologies explored and identified how

Angeles County. Bogaski introduced the

these communities could go from gray to

challenges and opportunities of stormwater

green through the design of landscapes

system management at both the watershed

that utilize stormwater runoff and strategies

and site scale, leading students to explore

that create safe and healthy communities.

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

“The Gateway Cities project challenged

us to really investigate the connection between watershed health and community health,” noted MLA candidate Joni Emmons.

“The suburbs of Los Angeles were fascinating places to study because of the unique hydrological and social conditions, and it was eye-opening to discover that a lot of the infrastructure developed to manage water was having a devastating effect on the social dynamics of these modest, largely African American or Latino communities.”

Johnathan Perisho, project manager at

WCA, attended final reviews and will use the students’ visions, imagery, concept designs, and urban greening landscape typologies to inspire and engage community members and funders to pursue change and ensure environmental equity in the hopes of achieving better access to greenways for all Los Angeles County residents.

“The students demonstrated strong

COMPTON, CALIFORNIA The team working on the Compton site proposed a bike trail system. Compton team members: Indraja Kornu, Zhijiao Li, Yannis Matinopoulos, Yi Tao, Dahyung Yang, and Yedi Zhang

beneficial for the WCA in discussions regarding planning work, including example projects for work that may be considered along the Los Angeles River.” The students’ design recommendations may serve as examples on an interactive web portal in

understanding of local conditions, evidence

development through WCA to assist local

of impressive remote research and inventory

governments, professionals, and the public

abilities that were essential for presenting

in advancing green projects and nature-

potential solutions to complex challenges,”

based solutions in the Los Angeles region,

Perisho commented. “Research the LSU

Perisho added.

students compiled has been internally

“Working with a real client raised the

level of accountability in our design and required us to do a pretty rigorous site ARTESIA, CALIFORNIA The fountain plaza perspective is part of a proposed greenway along the railway corridor in Artesia. Team members: Prachi Ambegoankar, Tianquiog Han, William Kraus, Inmi Mood, and Jiani Shen

analysis to be sure that we understood the ecological and cultural forces at work in these communities,” commented Emmons.

“Even though the water systems in southern California are radically different from those in southern Louisiana, we often found ourselves drawing parallels to places closer to home, noting how infrastructure has often damaged historically underserved communities and helping us to understand the scale of the problem.

“The project made us ask important

questions about environmental justice and the role landscape architects can play in building more open, just places.”

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

27

I MADE THAT!

P H OTOS BY B R I T TA NY S I E V E R S , H AY D E N N AG I N , C H U N F E N G LU

PROMOTING MINDFULNESS THROUGH S C U L P T U R E W I T H B R I T TA N Y S I E V E R S

M F A C A N D I D AT E B R I T TA N Y S I E V E R S utilizes space, raw

4.

Once the pieces are made, they dry out and are ready to go into the kiln. The kiln is fired to 2,134 degrees Fahrenheit.

5.

After firing, I mounted the pieces to a 1' x 6' board with epoxy. I mounted them in sections so they were moveable and easy to install in the space. I also attached plumbers strap to the back so they could hang flush to the wall.

6.

Ceramic Strand was site specific and filled the space between each door in the hallway, creating a type of horizon line.

materials, and labor to promote mindfulness, drawing from social psychologist Ellen Langer’s definition, “the simple act of actively noticing.” In 2015, Brittany was awarded the prestigious International Sculpture Center’s Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award for her piece titled 10,656 Palms, which resulted in her being chosen to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime artist’s residency in Switzerland, where she worked closely with world-renowned sculptor Heinz Aeschlimann in spring 2017. Here, Brittany shares her process for her most recent installation, Ceramic Strand.

1.

The beginning of Ceramic Strand started with digging my own clay.

I drove about an hour north of Baton Rouge to find usable soil, filled up some bins, and brought it back to my studio to process it.

2.

Processing dirt into clay is pretty easy, but time consuming. I added water to the dirt so it became the consistency of pudding.

Then I ran the clay through a wire screen to get out all the rocks, twigs, and roots.

After I accumulated a bucket full, I placed the clay slip on a plaster block to dry. As the slip dries, it turns into workable clay.

3.

28

The next step is making each multiple.

These pieces are the space between my pointer finger and index finger and have a slight twist so they can stand on their own.

I made about three tables full of these pieces.

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

Brittany creating Ceramic Strand

H A R D WA R E :

Electric kiln Drill Miter saw

M AT E R I A L S :

Five-gallon buckets (2) Wire screen Plaster slab 1' x 6' boards Epoxy Plumbers strap White paint Screws Ceramic Strand was installed at the Firehouse Gallery in Baton Rouge, February 6-24, 2017.

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

29

Field Notes

SAN FRANCISCO

HOUSTON

S C E N I C S N A P S H O T S F R O M O U R T R AV E L S

P H OTO BY G I OVA N N I COA K L EY

Architecture undergrads in the fourth-year design studio taught by Professor Robert Zwirn and Professor Emeritus Ken Carpenter visited San Francisco.

“I really enjoyed the trip because it was a great change in perspective—Baton Rouge is quite flat and spread out and San Francisco is so hilly and dense. It allowed us to see how people build and live in such a different environment.”

—Giovanni Coakley, 2018 BArch candidate

P H OTO BY B E N K E L L EY

Several School of Art faculty members led MFA candidates on a weekend tour of Houston’s art scene.

“I lived in Houston for many years before coming to LSU, and I love sharing its incredibly rich art community with my students. On our whirlwind two-day trip, we experienced a broad range of Houston’s art offerings, from a gallery in an artist’s home to major museums. Seeing art of this range and caliber gives students a window into the larger art world, inspiring and energizing their own art practice.”

—Professor Kelli Scott Kelley

30

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

PARIS MONTREAL

P H OTO BY P H I L L I P T E B B U T T

Professors TL Ritchie and Phillip Tebbutt took third-year interior design students to Montreal for one week of field studies of art, culture, and architecture. Seen here are the students at the botanical gardens on the campus of the 1976 Olympic park.

“The students experienced the evocative arts and culture of this Francophile city. Montreal’s urban fabric allowed opportunities for the design students to study the differences of high-density living environments through the myriad of neighborhood housing types and such unique examples as Habitat 67. These field studies expand student design horizons in ways not possible in the classroom.” —Associate Professor TL Ritchie

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

P H OTO BY C H A R L E S F RY L I N G

Landscape architecture students toured Paris and London with Professors Max Conrad and Charles Fryling.

“Baron Haussman and his engineer, Adolph Alphand, transformed Paris into the city we recognize today.

During the mid-1800s, they tore through the 1,000-year-old city and created the famous boulevards and important infrastructure that is still in use today, such as the famous sewer system. They created parks for every district. We go to study those and also, in recent times, Paris has extended the park ideas, creating some very contemporary parks on former industrial sites in the city.”

—Professor Max Conrad

31

Giving Back P E R RY H O WA R D ’ S

W

LI FE OF SE RVIC E

E LOV E D S E E I N G N CA & T P R O F E SS O R E M E R I T U S P E R RY H O W A R D , FASLA, at the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture alumni reunion in New Orleans last October. As the first African American president of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Howard helped lead the national organization into the 21st century, expanding its global reach to China, Africa, and the United Arab Emirates and introducing the concept

32

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

P H OTO BY MA RT I N T U C K E R P H OTO G RA P H Y

“each one can teach one, each one can reach one,” a slogan encouraging member involvement, diversity, and more awareness for the profession.

A licensed landscape architect in North Carolina and Florida, his years of service also include his 23-year teaching career and seven years as director of the landscape architecture program at NCA&T State University in Greensboro. What follows are highlights from Howard’s remarkable—and selfless—career of service.

33

34

Class Notes KEEPING UP WITH ART & DESIG N ALUMNI

60 G E O R G E “ BO B ” R I C H A R DS O N I I I , BLA 1969, will be named as a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects in fall 2017 at the ASLA Annual Meeting & EXPO in Los Angeles.

70 MAU RY M I L L E R , BLA 1976, directed his career path toward golf architecture by apprenticing with civil engineers and land planners in Houston, Texas, after graduation. In 1979 he began his tenure with golf architect Tom Fazio and was project coordinator for Wild Dunes Links, considered Fazio’s first solo course design. Maury performed full-time construction observation and was responsible for directing construction through completion in 1980. He has participated in the design, construction, and development of a number of other high-profile courses in the U.S. and Japan. In 2001, he joined Victor Lissiak’s firm and participated in the development of Garland’s Harbor Point, Bent Tree Country Club’s clubhouse ex-

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

pansion, and a number of multi-family projects with Humphrey Architects. In 2010, following the economic recession he relocated to Austin, Texas, to re-create his career. He has partnered with a select group of contractors to perform design/build for high-end residential projects.

Cre8 Architects of Houston, founded by principal G E O R G E WATA N A B E , BArch 1977, was honored with the prestigious Caudill Award for their work on Deer Park Independent School District’s Deer Park High School North Campus project. The Caudill Award is the highest honor bestowed for excellence in K-12 school design in the state of Texas. Cre8 worked with Deer Park ISD to transform their existing building—originally built in 1938 and modified numerous times throughout the decades—into a collaborative, flexible, 21st-century learning environment. This is the second time Cre8’s team has been honored with the Caudill Award in the firm’s 14-year history.

DA N A B R OW N , BLA 1979, principal of Dana Brown Associates in New Orleans, will be named as a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects in fall 2017 at the ASLA Annual Meeting & EXPO in Los Angeles.

80 S UZA N T I L LOTS O N , BID 1981, president and founder of Tillotson Design Associates, was named Lighting Designer of the Year at the International Association of Lighting Designers’ Lighting Design Awards in London for her “creativity, design integrity, and

35

bold approach to project challenges.” Her firm also won the Workplace of the Year Award for the R/GA New York City Office and an Award of Excellence for the lobby renovation of 599 Lexington Avenue.

China. She earned her MBA from Pepperdine’s University Graziadio Business School in Malibu.

Elizabeth has been married to Saj Ahmed, a healthcare executive, for 13 years and has two children, Maya (12) and Grayson (10).

KAM E L O . MA H A D I N , MLA 1983, of Amman, Jordan, will be named a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects in fall 2017 at the ASLA Annual Meeting & EXPO in Los Angeles.

C H R I S S P O R L , MLA 1992, was promoted to director of recreation, heritage, wilderness, and volunteer services in the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Regional Office in Atlanta, Georgia.

K I R K T H E R I OT , BFA 1985, is a principal of 2121 Design, Brand & Digital Marketing in Baton Rouge. Since 1991, the firm has created branding, advertising, and marketing solutions for clients with a focus on creating an original style that expresses the brand DNA of an organization.

P E T E R P E TSC H E K , MLA, 1987, is professor and department chair of landscape architecture at Hochschule Für Technik Rapperswil in Switzerland. Previously, Petschek worked for EDSA in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Knoll, Germany; and Kienast, Switzerland.

90 E L I ZA B E T H JA N I SZ E WS K I A H M E D , BLA 1991, is a vice president at AECOM, Los Angeles. In her role as an executive, she is in charge of connecting expertise across services, markets, and geographies to deliver transformative outcomes worldwide.

Her work has taken her to many places around the globe, including a five-year stay in Japan and most recently to India, Singapore, and

36

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

W E N F E I F E N G , MArch 1993, is the founder and principal of WFA Design in Shanghai, China. WFA specializes in the planning and design of luxury villas and town homes, custom estates, and clubhouses in highend residential, golf, and resort communities. The firm recently won the 2016 PCBC Gold Nugget Award of Merit for Best International Residential Detached Project.

E VA N MAT H E R , BLA 1993, of AHBE Landscape Architects, will be named as a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects in fall 2017 at the ASLA Annual Meeting & EXPO in Los Angeles.

MA RY M OWA D G U I T E AU , BID 1997, interior designer at Holly and Smith Architects, chaired the second annual Hope & Heritage Gala benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on May 6. The gala was held in Baton Rouge and featured a theme of Lebanese culture based on St. Jude founder Danny Thomas’s heritage. The event featured Lebanese cuisine, belly dancers, traditional Lebanese line dancing (the Dabke), and a presentation by a local patient family whose daughter is being treated at St. Jude. The event raised over $75 thousand for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

00 N A I M JA B BO U R , BArch 2001, is an assistant professor of architecture at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. Naim earned a Green Building and Community Sustainability certificate from Harvard University in 2016 and is currently pursuing a Master of Liberal Arts in Sustainability at Harvard (fall 2018).

L E A N N E MCC LU R G CAM B R I C , MFA 2002, is an assistant professor of ceramics at Governors State University in Illinois.

F LO R E N C I A T U R CO D E R O U SS E L , BFA/BID 2002, moved to Tucson, Arizona, after graduation to work for Seaver Franks Architects. In 2005, she opened her private interior design firm, Within Studio, and she is celebrating her studio’s 12th anniversary this summer. In July 2016, Florencia moved back to New Orleans to open a second studio location.

She has worked throughout the state of Arizona and has completed projects in California, New York, Texas, the Philippines, and Amsterdam.

B R E N T M I TC H E L L , MA/Art History 2004, was promoted from head registrar to head of exhibition and collection management at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in February 2017. He has been with the museum since 2013.

SAT I S H VAY U V E G U L A , MArch 2006, is studio head at DesignQube Architects in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

J U ST I N G R E E N L E A F , BArch 2009, joined architecture classmate M I C H E L L E A R M O N D I N L AWS O N , BArch 2009, to form Greenleaf Lawson Architects, APAC, in Mandeville, Louisiana. Together they have grown the company to 11 employees, half of which are LSU graduates, and completed $30 million in construction projects in just 2½ years of business. Projects range from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida with notable clients such as Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar, Florida Marine Transporters, and Netchex.

T H O MAS C R OSS , MLA 2010, is a project designer at Wesley Stout Associates in New Canaan, Connecticut.

SA RA H S M I T H D E LCAM B R E , BLA 2013, started working as a landscape architect for Design Workshop, Houston, in April 2017.

S H E RY L F I S H E L , MLA 2015, is a landscape designer at LSG Landscape Architecture in Tysons, Virginia.

E R I C T H O MAS , BLA 2015, was recently promoted to a tier 2 (out of four) planner at the City of Austin Planning Department. Eric received the spring 2017 Above and Beyond Award “in recognition of outstanding performance above and beyond specified duties and dedication to excelling in the City of Austin’s values.”

L E A N N E H I N S O N W I L S O N , BLA 2015, is a design associate at Johnny Steele Design in Houston.

MA L LO RY BO U R G E O I S , BFA 2016, is a graphic designer at BrightBox in Spring, Texas.

Stay in touch! design.lsu.edu/alumni design.lsu.edu/give

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

37

“WE HONOR YOU for your contributions to education and the growth of the university.”

38

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

C I TAT I O N

Dr. Sue Turner

S

P H OTO BY CO DY W I L L H I T E , L S U D I V I S I O N O F ST RAT E G I C CO M M U N I CAT I O N S

WE HONOR YOU for your leadership in preserving the treasures of

our cultural heritage in this city, in this state, and across the nation. The Magnolia Mound Plantation, the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Station, and LSU’s Allen Hall murals would be lost were it not for your generosity and your advocacy. You have given gifts of beauty, love, and enduring inspiration to future generations.

WE HONOR YOU for your contributions to education and the growth

of the university. Your partnership was instrumental in the reconstruction of Patrick F. Taylor Hall. This new facility reflects your high educational standards as well as those of LSU. It will prepare students for global leadership roles and for successful and meaningful personal and professional lives. To you we also owe the Hilltop Arboretum Educational Annex and the Magnolia Mound Visitors Center. These exceptional buildings are part of your personal legacy, where tradition and progress live in harmonious coexistence.

WE HONOR YOU for being an exemplary citizen, committed to im-

proving the quality of the lives of others through personal example and civic engagement. Among the many organizations that have benefited from your generous participation are Louisiana Landmarks, the West Baton Rouge Historical Society, the Nantucket Historical Society, the Louisiana Historical Society, the Preservation Resource Center in New Orleans, the West and East Feliciana Historical Societies, the Arts and Humanities Council of Baton Rouge, the National Association of Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Southeastern Museums Conference—and last but not least, our own LSU Museum of Art.

WE HONOR YOU because few equal and none surpass the quality of

S U Z A N N E W I L B E R T T U R N E R , Louisi-

your civic engagement, leadership, integrity, and passion for your alma

ana State University is privileged to honor you

mater. Your extensive and distinguished record of achievement and service

for your long-standing civic and philanthropic

on behalf of our city, our state, and LSU is unparalleled.

commitment to our community, our state, and

THEREFORE, IT IS WITH THE GREATEST PLEASURE that Louisiana

your alma mater and for your exemplary support

State University presents you, Suzanne Wilbert Turner, for the conferring

of the arts and the culture of Louisiana.

of the honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.

Presented on May 12, 2017, at the LSU College of Art & Design Commencement Ceremony by LSU College of Art & Design Dean Alkis Tsolakis, President F. King Alexander, Provost Richard J. Koubek, and LSU Board of Supervisors representative, Rolfe H. McCollister Jr.

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 17

39

EQUIPPED

Kaylin Wilson

2 0 2 1 B L A C A N D I D AT E

1

P H OTOS BY H AY D E N N AG I N

1

PA I N T, I N K , PA L E T T E & MISKET FRISKET The forms of media I use range from A to Z, and I enjoy incorporating color in my work to depict the depth, movement, and texture of the area as I am designing. Every color relays an emotion, and what better way to translate the individuality of a space than with various color palettes? From monochromatic to complex, I aspire for every space I design to evoke a certain mood, while enhancing the environment.

2

D U A L - A D J U S TA B L E T R I A N G L E , T - S Q UA R E , R U L E R, S T E N C I L & SCALE These tools are essential for communicating ideas at the correct dimensions, finding accurate measurements and precisely conveying them on technical drawings.

3

4

5

40

D R AW I N G U T E N S I L S & P E N C I L W R A P At this stage in the game, I find hand-drawn drafts more successful than computer–aided renderings in displaying my ideas. Although I am still learning the various software programs I will tackle throughout this major, hand-drawings lend a more personal quality to my representations.

K N I V E S , B L A D E S & C U T T I N G M AT Although it may seem suspect that knives and blades are my go-to tools in studio, I use these instruments to manipulate various materials. They are very useful for representing or replicating texture and shapes for topographic and conceptual models. No worries . . . I’m no longer in danger; my skills seem to be improving.

E LECT R I C E RAS E R & PENCIL SHARPENER The electric eraser is one of my favorite tools to use for drafting because it is speedy and efficient.

QUAD · LSU COLLEG E OF ART & DE S I G N

3

Thanks to top-notch advice from my fellow, Richard, I immediately ordered it and have no regrets.

I can get into the small spaces of my work without erasing more than I intend to. As for why I don’t have an electric pencil sharpener? I like to feel the grinding of a pencil as I’m sharpening it.

6

S K E TC H BO O K I always have my sketchbook in my backpack so I can whip it out and draw wherever I go.

Nothing is better than sketching the space you’re in while being outside. It is one of my favorite stress relievers.

7

HOT GLUE GUN I prefer a hot glue gun to any other adhesive because it provides a secure hold to most materials. I also get a kick out of replacing the sticks.

8

C L AY & U T E N S I L S Clay is a perfect medium for representing various models. The knives and scraper help replicate surfaces the most realistically. The utensils also have a dual purpose; they are perfect for getting the clay out from underneath your nails, too.

4

7

2

ON TH E COVE R

MFA candidate Justin Bryant’s watercolors were featured at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas in an exhibition and catalog titled Here: African American Art from the Permanent Collection in 2016, and currently in a solo exhibition, Color in Space: The Art of Justin Bryant, now through September 9, 2017.

Bryant describes his work as “reflecting on aesthetic strategy that addresses the idea of color and space in relation to African American consciousness.”

Originally from Struttgart, Arkansas, Bryant received his BFA in Studio Art from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and he mentored and taught youth from underserved communities in after-school programs for Art Connection, now The Hub, a nonprofit organization based on the Boston Artists for Humanity program.

5 6

Bryant is the first LSU student to be accepted to the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture in Maine for their summer residency program for emerging artists.

8

41

Louisiana State University 102 Design Building Baton Rouge, LA 70803-70101 design.lsu.edu

facebook.com/lsucoad twitter.com/lsucoad instagram.com/lsuartanddesign linkedin.com/in/lsucoad