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Art major Carolyn Burns ’09 (Wallingford, Conn.) recently spent three weeks in Costa Rica performing EXCEL research with Curlee Holton, professor and head of art and director of the Experimental Printmaking Institute (EPI). The trip was a trial project for an international exchange initiative between students at EPI and the University of Costa Rica. The initiative will focus on the integration of the visual arts and science to promote environmental awareness.
In May of 2008, I traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica, with Lafayette’s Experimental Printmaking Institute for an EXCEL research trip. During the course of my stay in Costa Rica, I had the chance to work in a print studio, help conduct a book arts workshop at the University of Costa Rica, help with the installation of an art exhibit, meet with Costa Rican artists, and travel to the countryside. For three weeks, I was also responsible for documenting our exchange through the use of videotape recordings and digital still photography.
One of the main reasons for traveling to Costa Rica was to work on a limited-edition print for African-American artist David Driskell. His original painting entitled Woman in Interior was chosen to be printed in limited edition at Genesis Print Studio in the capital city San Jose. Specifically working in Costa Rica was important to this art work because it allowed Driskell to combine and share his style and techniques with Costa Rican ideals, which created a unique work.
The serigraph print came together over the course of our time there through the laying down of a series of eight colors with the silkscreen process. It was truly a team effort to lay the color onto each paper, each person having an important role. Although our Spanish and the Costa Ricans’ English were limited, the international language of art took over during our time in the shop. Through the art, we were able to communicate the processes that we needed to accomplish, and slowly we began to understand each other better, more than just about art.
MaryAnn Miller, the Resident Book Artist at EPI, hosted a three-day workshop at the University of Costa Rica about book arts. It was great to see the students really respond to her work and to the idea of the book as an art form. You could see them beginning to think of how the processes and techniques they were learning could be incorporated into their own work. MaryAnn demonstrated how to create different book forms and the students brought in their own materials to use to construct their very own books. I was able to listen, learn, and work with MaryAnn and the students who attended the workshop. I was inspired by the university students, their work, and their excitement for what this art form could offer them.
The art exhibit was held at the Sophia Wanamaker Galeria, which is part of the Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano, an organization sponsored by the U.S. Embassy. Lafayette Professor and Experimental Printmaking Institute Director Curlee Raven Holton curated the exhibit. The featured artists included EPI Shop Manager Jase Clark, MaryAnn Miller, Lafayette Director of Community Arts Program Jim Toia, Cardinal Point Press Fine Art Editions Publisher Howard Greenberg, and African-American artist Janet Taylor Pickett.
Aside from being involved in making art at the print shop and the university, we found time to meet with Costa Rican artists in their homes and studios and to visit Costa Rican art museums.
For me, to see the art of Costa Rica in so many ways, as well as to be a part of the society, culture, and landscape that inspired these artists, was a great learning experience. Working with and learning from the artists of Costa Rica was the best part of the trip. The people were very hospitable and willing to teach us about their culture while learning about ours. It was a true cultural exchange that has had an impact on the way I see the world of art, how I approach art, and, in turn, will affect how I make art.
The international exchange project is a strong example of Lafayette’s goals in its new strategic plan to provide students with more educational experiences focusing on the creative arts and globalization. Lafayette is taking steps to strengthen its core instructional programs in art, music, theater, creative writing, and film and media studies. The College also plans to expand the geographical and cultural scope of its global offerings by enhancing study abroad opportunities, possibly creating a Center for Global Studies, and expanding the number of languages available for study.