Family Weekend 2022

Friday, October 14th, 2022

4:30 PM - 6:00 PM, Family Weekend Welcome Reception

SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington Street

Please join Provost Martin Berger, Dean of Undergraduate Studies Dawn Berger, and other SAIC staff, and faculty for this opening reception and viewing of the SAIC Gallery show, the SAIC Faculty Sabbatical Triennial. Hor d'oeuvres, beer and wine will be served.

Family Weekend CLASSES:

With the purchase of your ticket to Family Weekend, you will sign up for experience classes, ranging from Bookbinding to Photography to Screenprinting. Make sure you sign up for the specific classes you would like to attend as you are checking out!

Saturday, October 15th, 2022

9:30 AM - 10:15 AM, Coffee with Elissa Tenny, President of SAIC

MacLean Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Avenue

Join us in our historic and newly-remodeled SAIC Ballroom as we begin Saturday events. President Tenny will offer some remarks before you proceed to your first class of the day. You can also meet personally with SAIC staff representatives from offices such as Campus Life, Residence Life, or Academic Advising.

Classes listed below:

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Choose ONE from the options below:

• Art Explorations Bookbinding: Come make your own sketchbook! Collage and bookbinding will be explored in this fun and informative class. Participants will walk out with their own handmade and hand-bound sketchbooks!
• Art Institute of Chicago Museum Tour: Join volunteer docents for a Highlights Tour of the Art Institute of Chicago. You'll see icons of the museum's collection as well as some lesser known treasures. This tour will include a look at the renowned Modern Wing.
• Fashion Illustration: In this 90 minute session, taught by Jasper Drummond, we will examine woven cloth as the basis for garment and fashion making. This session will include an introduction to fabric, weave and fiber, as well as learning simple hand stitching techniques for working with and manipulating cloth. We will also be looking at designer garment examples from SAIC's Fashion Resource Center to contextualize these concepts and techniques.
• How to Make a Better Photograph: Workshop participants will learn traditional photographic principles of composition, such as the rule of thirds, active and passive frame, as well as various design concepts that cross into the photographic field. The first portion of class time will be spent in lecture with a demonstration, followed by a field trip in the Loop with actual shooting time, an introduction to Adobe Photoshop, and then a critique of images. Please bring either a camera phone or, digital camera.
• Concepts, Context and Contemporary: Why Is Art So Hard to Understand? Ever go to a gallery and wonder why artists are doing the things they are doing? Are they intentionally trying to alienate, mystify and single-out? Well, you're not alone! Contemporary art is most often made within a certain context, as an add-on to a conversation that precedes it. Taught by Benji Pearson, this class aims to trace the history of these conversations, and ultimately add to them ourselves. We will look closely at a variety of contemporary artists associated with various movements while attempting to understand the moment in which the work was made, what the artist was thinking and what the stakes were for thinking such a way. This brief crash course will hopefully convince attendees that art is best when talked about - No experience needed, but please bring hearts, minds, eyes and inquiry!
• Letterpress Bookworks: Learn how printing was done before computers! Hand-set a phrase using the Letterpress Studio's vast collection of lead and wood type. Pull a print on sumptuous paper with our rare presses. Feel the sculptural impression only letterpress can make.
• SAIC Campus Tour: Ever wonder what your student's environment looks like? Join our SAIC student tour guides for a tour of the campus.
• Screen Printing 101: In this introduction to screen printing you will learn the basics of producing an image through photo processes. You will learn how to translate a photograph to a tonal halftone image, ultimately becoming a printed work. The history of this process will be explored through guided demonstration and hands on making.
• Ama-ZINES!: A single sheet of paper holds infinite possibilities! In this hands-on workshop, taught by Beth Hetland, you'll learn several different ways to create a book form out of a single sheet of paper, see examples of unique book structures in mini-comics and zines, and examine how format and function work hand in hand.
• Connect with Career and Professional Experience (CAPX): Taught by Kate Schutta and Rosalie Shemmer; Meet staff from Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) and hear how we prepare and connect students with professional opportunities. Learn about the Handshake careers platform, CAPX Internships, career advising, networking opportunities, programs and resources that help students prepare for life after SAIC.

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Choose ONE from the options below:

• Art Explorations Bookbinding: Come make your own sketchbook! Collage and bookbinding will be explored in this fun and informative class. Participants will walk out with their own handmade and hand-bound sketchbooks!
• Art Institute of Chicago Museum Tour: Join volunteer docents for a Highlights Tour of the Art Institute of Chicago. You'll see icons of the museum's collection as well as some lesser known treasures. This tour will include a look at the renowned Modern Wing.
• Fashion Illustration: In this 90 minute session, taught by Jasper Drummond, we will examine woven cloth as the basis for garment and fashion making. This session will include an introduction to fabric, weave and fiber, as well as learning simple hand stitching techniques for working with and manipulating cloth. We will also be looking at designer garment examples from SAIC's Fashion Resource Center to contextualize these concepts and techniques.
• How to Make a Better Photograph: Workshop participants will learn traditional photographic principles of composition, such as the rule of thirds, active and passive frame, as well as various design concepts that cross into the photographic field. The first portion of class time will be spent in lecture with a demonstration, followed by a field trip in the Loop with actual shooting time, an introduction to Adobe Photoshop, and then a critique of images. Please bring either a camera phone or, digital camera.
• Concepts, Context and Contemporary: Why Is Art So Hard to Understand? Taught by Benji PearsonEver go to a gallery and wonder why artists are doing the things they are doing? Are they intentionally trying to alienate, mystify and single-out? Well, you're not alone! Contemporary art is most often made within a certain context, as an add-on to a conversation that precedes it. Taught by Benji Pearson, this class aims to trace the history of these conversations, and ultimately add to them ourselves. We will look closely at a variety of contemporary artists associated with various movements while attempting to understand the moment in which the work was made, what the artist was thinking and what the stakes were for thinking such a way. This brief crash course will hopefully convince attendees that art is best when talked about - No experience needed, but please bring hearts, minds, eyes and inquiry!
• Letterpress Bookworks: Learn how printing was done before computers! Hand-set a phrase using the Letterpress Studio's vast collection of lead and wood type. Pull a print on sumptuous paper with our rare presses. Feel the sculptural impression only letterpress can make.
• SAIC Campus Tour: Ever wonder what your student's environment looks like? Join our SAIC student tour guides for a tour of the campus.
• Screen Printing 101: In this introduction to screen printing you will learn the basics of producing an image through photo processes. You will learn how to translate a photograph to a tonal halftone image, ultimately becoming a printed work. The history of this process will be explored through guided demonstration and hands on making.
• Ama-ZINES!: A single sheet of paper holds infinite possibilities! In this hands-on workshop, taught by Beth Hetland, you'll learn several different ways to create a book form out of a single sheet of paper, see examples of unique book structures in mini-comics and zines, and examine how format and function work hand in hand.
• Learn about the Critique Process: Taught by instructor, Rachel Niffenegger, The Critique Process is a critical part of your student’s academic life at SAIC. Learning how to support and justify their work will improve their art practice and provide them with a toolbox of professional skills. This session will combine a live critique with current SAIC students and discussion to help educate you about the process, so you can better support your student and their art practice.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 36 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, United States