Courtesy of Courtney Taylor
Multidisciplinary artist and designer Damien Mitchell at work. Mitchell will be one of the artists-in-residence at the LSU College of Art & Design's Open Experimental Studio this June.
Over the course of June, LSU’s Glassell Gallery in downtown Baton Rouge will transform from an exhibition space into a working artists’ studio, a shoe repair shop, a printmaking atelier, a classroom, and a fort-building construction site.
This activation is the mission of the LSU College of Art & Design’s Open Experimental Studio. Returning for a second year, this program annually taps two artists, one of them a graduate student in the College of Art & Design, to take over the Glassell galleryspace for a process-oriented, public facing residency that invites the community into the artists’ world.
“The artists are pursuing their own practice, but they’re also really trying to get the community engaged in a communal way,” explained the college’s Director of Galleries, Courtney Taylor. “It’s about spending time with artists and finding joy in making.”
Courtesy of Courtney Taylor
Artist Damien Mitchell's shoe design.
This year’s artists are multidisciplinary designer Damien Mitchell and printmaker Nicholas Roberts; both artists’ work intersects at a focal point of unconventional constructions of materials in their art. Mitchell, an Assistant Professor of Industrial Design at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, brings traditional handicraft philosophies into the world of digital fabrication—reimagining the constructions and reconstructions of mass-produced products such as sneakers. Roberts, on the other hand, uses printmaking as a medium to examine other means of making and labor—drawing deeply on his own roots; Roberts’ father was a carpenter, and the two are currently collaborating on a design for a floating staircase made of paper.
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During their residency, which will last from June 1–28, the artists will work on their individual projects in what Taylor describes as their “studio zones” at the gallery. “You can drop in any time we’re open, say hello, create some art,” said Taylor. “One of them will always be there.”
Courtesy of Courtney Taylor
Printmaker Nicholas Roberts at work. Roberts will be one of the artists-in-residence at the LSU College of Art & Design's Open Experimental Studio this June.
Visitors can come and observe, ask questions, and interact with the artworks. The space will also feature designated “artmaking zones,” into which guests are invited to play and experiment with projects such as sneaker design and printmaking. As part of Mitchell’s project, there will be a special “soft design” sewing station, where members in the community can engage in “creative alterations” and mending-as-art. In line with Roberts’ work, another station will serve as the cardboard construction zone, where visitors will be able to contribute to his massive fort-building project.
Courtney Taylor
Printmaker Nicholas Roberts' artwork
There will also be several scheduled workshops and artist talks over the course of the residency, starting with the kickoff on June 1, during which the artists will participate in open studio sessions, discussions, and a cardboard sculpture challenge. Details at lsu.edu.
