2024 Alumni Maker Weekend

2024 Alumni Maker Weekend

Please join us for the inaugural MassArt Alumni Maker Weekend, a three-day retreat filled with creativity and connection from May 31 - June 2, 2024. Return to campus for an unforgettable experience where you can enjoy the time and space to create, recharge, and be in community with fellow alums, away from the busyness of everyday life.

Explore new mediums and making methods for the first time or build upon your current creative skills in workshops being taught by experienced MassArt alumni, faculty, and studio managers, all while accessing spacious and well-equipped studios on campus.

Space is limited, so register today! Deadline is April 21, 2024, @ 11:59 pm.

You are also welcomed to register for a +1 (friend or family member) to join you at this weekend of creativity and connection.

Event Highlights

Check-in (Friday, May, 31, 4:00 - 6:30 pm): Pozen Center for Interrelated Media, North Hall.

Welcoming Reception (Friday, May 31, 6:30 - 8:30 pm): President Mary K. Grant is hosting a reception to welcome our alumni back and kick off the weekend. Don't miss this opportunity to reconnect with fellow alums, faculty, and staff!

Making Sessions (Saturday, June 1, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, and Sunday, June 2, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm): Brush up on your old skills or learn some new ones by selecting two making sessions to participate in throughout the weekend.

Meals/Snacks (Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2): Enjoy morning coffee/tea service with pastries, daily group lunches, and afternoon snacks, for an opportunity to refuel and mingle with fellow alums.

Mural Talk (Saturday, June 1, during lunch): Enjoy an interactive conversation with alum Genaro (GoFive) Ortega '09, mural artist and Mural Walk Curator for Madison Park High School, whose work bridges the past with the present, inspiring the next generation to embrace their cultural roots and forge their own creative paths. You'll also have the opportunity to take a Self-guided Neighborhood Art Tour afterwards.

Additional Accommodations (Friday night , May 31 and Saturday night, June 1): For those planning to join us from out of town, consider staying on campus in the Tree House Residence Hall for a special alumni rate of just $160 for two nights. The residence hall offers comfy accommodations in a Premium Single Suite within a shared unit. If you prefer to stay in a Double Suite with a friend, please email us at alumni@massart.edu. Note that the space in a Double Suite within a shared unit is offered at the same rate of $160 for two nights per person.

REGISTRATION FEE is Now $300 per person!
(We've received additional support to underwrite the cost of the maker weekend, so we are now able to pass on the savings as a $50 registration discount per person - originally $350 per person).

DEADLINE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT: Sunday, April 21st, at 11:59 pm!

2024 Making Session Offerings

> Attendees can select two making sessions to participate in throughout the weekend.

> Each session will meet twice for three hours (once on Saturday and once on Sunday), allowing you a good amount of studio time to create something special.

> Space is limited, so don't miss your chance to sign up!

> MassArt will provide the primary materials for each making session, and a list of suggested additional materials compiled by instructors will also be shared with the group as the event approaches.

From Chaos to Creative: Reflecting the Times

With Ekua Holmes '77

James Baldwin said that "an artists duty is to reflect the times." In this workshop we will use collage to express the moment we find ourselves in as a global community. Collage, is a technigue and the resulting work of art in which pieces of paper, photographs, fabric and other ephemera are arranged and stuck down onto a supporting surface. Make meaning of found and made papers, ephemera and photos. We will also review some of the dynamic contemporary artists working in the medium.

Laser Sharp: An Introduction to Cutting and Engraving with Laser Cutters

With Luke Pinkham M'25

Come harness the power of light to work with materials in an entirely new way! Laser Cutters are an incredible tool for art, craft, and making. A laser cutter functions both as a knife and marking tool, allowing artists to make simple or complex forms with unprecedented speed and accuracy. With our high-powered lasers, students will use digital drawings to cut and mark a variety of materials including wood, leather, acrylic, or paper.

This workshop will cover two main areas: An introduction to basic vector drawing in Adobe Illustrator and the operation of laser cutters. The workshop is designed for people of all skill levels with computers, even if you’ve never touched Adobe Illustrator or a laser before. These skills will be transferable to laser cutters in maker spaces and schools all over the county. There are now even affordable home laser cutter options if you are inspired to incorporate these tools into your artistic practice!

By the end of this workshop, you will understand how to design files for a laser cutter, the safe operation of a laser cutter, and the wide range of creative applications the laser offers.

Not Your Ordinary Jello / Gelatin Printing

With Janet Kawada '92

This workshop will show students how to work with a gelatin plate to make easy monoprints. Using water-based inks and a soft plate made from non-edible gelatin, attendees will create monoprints by layering imagery. The process lends itself to both abstract art as well as creating scenes and portraits. Creativity has no limits and this non-toxic and easy to use method can be used with any age or skill set. And no, the gelatin is not edible!

Pierce, Pattern, Polish, Pin (Not in That Order)

With William Vanaria '12

Many artistic mediums blend the study of sign processing together with the fine hand skills required to create tangible, three-dimensional objects, but what makes jewelry unique is its wearability. So it should come as no surprise that jewelry objects have been used as badges of believe, belonging, and self-expression for thousands of years.

In this workshop, students will fabricate a pin of their own design from start to finish. Along the way, they will learn fundamental metalsmithing hand skills such as piercing, filing, soldering, and polishing. Designing will be a big part of this workshop, as students will be challenged to create flat, minimalist designs that make effective use of positive and negative space.

You don't need an advanced understanding of semiotics to attend, but students are encouraged to consider how they can convey ideas through the limitations presented in this project.

Raku

With Erica Hood '14 and Owen Roberts '15

Raku refers to a low-firing process inspired by a traditional Japanese technique. Western-style raku involves removing pottery from the kiln while it is red hot and placing it into containers filled with combustible materials. Once the materials ignite, the lids on the containers are closed. The reason for this is to starve the container of oxygen, which gives the glaze a variety of colors while also blackening any unglazed clay.

In this workshop, students will glaze a bisqued pot and participate in an indoor raku firing. Erica and Owen will demonstrate multiple glazing techniques, including dipping, pouring, brushing, glaze trailing, wax resist, latex resist, and tape resist. Considering the raku process, they will discuss how composition/pattern, contrast, and color can enhance the result. There will be a variety of labeled examples that show each technique to help inspire student designs. Participants will bring home a glazed raku pot at the end of the workshop.

Wood Sculpted Utensils

With Ellen Adams

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to cook a meal using a spoon made with your own hands? Or perhaps you need a custom utensil for a particular function? In this making session, participants will explore the craft of spoon carving. Students will be shown how to safely and efficiently use hand tools such as gouges, knives, rasps, files, scrapers, and various handsaws to shape wood into a final object. Although we will get to work right away with spoon blanks that are ready to carve and shape, we will also go over how to begin your carving practice at home - both with and without machine tools.

This making session is great for those new to woodworking or interested in getting started in wood carving. No shop experience is necessary.

Mural Talk and Self-guided Neighborhood Art Tour

Learn about Boston's incredible street art and mural scene from artist Genaro (GoFive) Ortega '09. Discover transcendent works of art located in and around our very own neighborhood and the impact Boston's graffiti artists make within the community.

Genaro (GoFive) Ortega's upbringing was characterized by a unique blend of experiences, dividing his time between the neighborhoods of Roxbury and Roslindale. Moving between his mother's residence in Archdale and his father's home in Orchard Park provided him with a diverse cultural landscape to explore. It was during these formative years that Genaro developed a deep appreciation for art, immersing himself in everything from street tags to large-scale murals.

His passion for creativity blossomed early on and eventually led him to pursue formal art education at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Here, he honed his skills and further cultivated his identity as a young Latino, drawing inspiration from his Taino heritage. Genaro's artwork and murals serve as a reflection of both the beauty he sees in his subjects and his profound connection to self and community. In doing so, Genaro's work bridges the past with the present, inspiring the next generation to embrace their cultural roots and forge their own creative paths.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

The following cancellation policy pertains to all cancellations for any reason whatsoever, which must be made by email to alumni@massart.edu or phone at (617) 879-7020.

• Full refund for cancellation on or before 04/21/24 (minus Eventbrite processing & service fees)
• 50% refund for cancellations between 04/22/24 and 04/27/24
• No refunds will be given for cancellations received after 04/27/24 (unless we can place someone from the waitlist)

Release of Liability

Alumni Maker Weekend Participants (“Participant”) acknowledge and agree that they shall use and occupy the Facilities and other MassArt property at their own risk, and MassArt shall not be liable to any Participant for: any personal injury; loss; or damage to vehicles, equipment, fixtures, or other personal property brought onto MassArt premises except as caused directly by the gross negligence of MassArt. Without limiting the foregoing, MassArt shall not be liable to any Participant for any injury, loss or damage to persons or property caused by any acts or omissions of any Participant or members of the general public. No trustee, officer, employee, or agent of MassArt shall be personally liable to any Participant for, or on account of, any alleged breach associated with Alumni Maker Weekend or for any act, failure to act, or other matter arising out of ones participation in Alumni Maker Weekend or related to MassArt’s performance obligations hereunder.

*Please note that this ticket does not include housing accommodations.

Insurance

MassArt strongly recommends purchasing insurance against cancellation, event interruption, luggage loss or damage, personal injury, or hospitalization. By accepting to join Alumni Maker Weekend without insurance, participants hold MassArt completely blameless of any conditions that will result in cancellation, event/trip delay, event interruption, or injury.

Have more questions?

For more information or answers to specific questions, please e-mail alumni@massart.edu or call (617) 879-7020.