message from murray

murray wants all seniors to know that the paper they ordered for you guys to print has arrived.

this has been a public service announcement for the seniors.

our mushrooms were in the hawks herald!

hawks herald 

Students won't trip on RWU's mushrooms

Allie Conn

Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: Features

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Sophomore Cory Alix left his dorm in Maple 10 on Friday, April 10th anticipating a normal walk to the Commons for breakfast. He didn't expect that three large mushrooms, all of which were painted bright orange with white spots, would greet him. Though he was surprised by the structures and the fact that they seemed to appear out of nowhere, he was delighted by the change in scenery.

"I love them," said Alix. "They make me feel like little Alice in Wonderland every time I walk by. I have been trying to work up the courage to go up and touch them one day!"

That's exactly the response students in the Visual Arts Special Topics course, 430.01, Installation, were hoping to elicit. Instructed by visiting professor Deborah Aschheim, the eight-student class created the three mushrooms as the second piece in their Alice in Wonderland series of projects. The intention of the mushrooms, as well as all of the artwork within the Alice in Wonderland theme, is to make students aware of the unrealistic and out of the ordinary elements of campus life.

"Our campus is looking through a looking glass," explained junior Psychology major and Installation student Lauren Dobronte. "We think it's the real world but it's not. We're sheltered here."

"We wanted to show that things pop up that don't normally occur," added Aschheim.

The three mushrooms displayed in the designated art area near the Gabelli School of Business are made of plywood frames and are stuffed with recyclable materials such as bottles and papers. In order to avoid deterioration and any potential danger risks, Facilities Management required the artists to coat the mushrooms in a weatherproof varnish and securely fasten them to the ground.

"We didn't want them taking someone out," said senior Architecture major Lauren Nickel.

Despite the precautions they had to take, they accomplished "a total video gaming mushroom look," according to Nickel. "They're bright and they really pop."

Their smaller counterparts do the same. Made of Fimo clay, the Special Topics students have created more than 100 miniature mushrooms, all of which they've dispersed throughout campus in places that "don't make sense," said Dobronte.

"I put one in the Financial Aid office, because they're supposed to help us, but they're really mean," said Dobronte.

The small mushrooms are in a variety of colors and can be found in places like A-Lot, the Marine and Natural Sciences building, the smoking gazebos, and the Architecture building.

The mushrooms aren't the only project of the Alice in Wonderland theme. A few weeks ago, Aschheim and her students premiered their art series on the quad, where they held a tea party and passed out invitations written on playing cards.

"We had a real bunny rabbit," said Nickel. "And cupcakes that said 'Eat Me' and tea cups that said 'Drink Me.'"

They also hosted a croquet game on the quad a few weeks ago. Dressed in red, white, and black to resemble a deck of cards, they played a large game of croquet and invited all passersby to partake. They still plan on creating one more project to conclude their theme.

"We need to think of something that's kind of a culmination," said Aschheim. 

At the time of the interview, the Installation class was still deciding on their final creation.

+++++

we are so famous

Matt

Have you had your mushrooms today?

the expectation of privacy in public space

all of these comments were overheard in the library and other locations around roger williams

artists + croquet

these are some artists i would bring to campus if i could

lead pencil studio

brian knep

here are pics from croquet

found art~make up project

The CAS phone idea didn't work out so well. No one really answered the phone. Only one person answered over a 3 day trial and when I asked him what his name was, he promptly replied; "I do not talk to strangers." Eh, I tried.

SO:

I love taking pictures of things that I think are art, whether it was intended to be or not.....I thought I would share a couple of pictures from my collection with the group as part of an extended makeup project. I hope you like 'em.




The last RIPTA that leaves for Providence on a weeknight.



Some one wrote out "pi" on a sidewalk in Bristol



Fire and Ice, Providence, I love that ceiling



...........my friend drew on her boyfriend

Backdrop at a Sara Berailles concert at Lupos.

The ceiling in the sub shop in downtown Pittsburgh. Those were all recycled old doors.

A wall painting on a house on top of Mount Washington, Pittsburgh

Random stairway grille, Pittsburgh

Another wall painting, driving towards downtown Oakland.

Random assortment of things in my friends room. Notice the clash of cultures and religious views.

Bushel of apples. He insisted that the apples in his garden were far superior than any we could buy. Of the couple we tried to eat, most were crisscrossed by tunnels inside by tiny maggots. He still insisted they were better. I agreed. He was my Physics professor.

Church in downtown Bristol.

A portion of the wall in the men's room at the Beehive cafe, Pittsburgh.