In its third year, the Department of Visual and Performing Arts 2021 Workshop Series includes interdisciplinary workshops connecting young artists with leaders in their industries. This series provides opportunities for students and faculty to meet with current artists and engage in creative, supplemental and experiential learning. The workshops are open to all members of the Visual and Performing Arts community.
In previous years the department has featured three workshops in the spring semester, which began as an expansion of in class talks. This year however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all workshops are held remotely. The department has expanded its offerings and will include four different workshop opportunities and invites all Visual and Performing Arts students to attend. Professor Dan Vlahos has organized an exciting variety of workshops that include a range of topics for students to explore.
The first workshop, “Typographic Oddities with Frank Romano,” took place on March 1, and was recorded. Attendees were given an interactive virtual tour of the Museum of Printing, led by Museum President and RIT Professor Emeritus Frank Romano. The second workshop, “Sketchbook Type Safari,” was led by Sara Hyndman, a London-based graphic designer of TypeTasting. She came to Merrimack from across the pond via Zoom and took attendees on a virtual safari of the signage in East London. At certain points along the way, students were encouraged to pick up their pens and try drawing letters and practice lettering techniques.
The last two workshops in the series are up and coming with a few available slots still open. A virtual tour of the Institute of Contemporary Art will take place on Friday, March 26, from 1-1:45 p.m. Students will get an inside look at the museum from the comfort of their own home. The final workshop, “Improvisation and the Role of an Artist with Kevin Harris,” will truly be an immersive interdisciplinary experience. Kevin Harris is an internationally known New York- and Boston-based jazz pianist. This live workshop will include an interactive and experiential presentation on improvisation followed by a question and answer session. This workshop will be held on April 16 from 11 a.m.-noon. If interested in attending either of these workshops please contact Dan Vlahos for further information. With the switch to remote learning the Department of Visual and Performing Arts is excited to be able to bring these opportunities and experiences to more students.
