Kaleidoscope Festival: SLAB (Sound and Literary Art Book) launches its annual literary magazine

SLAB (Sound and Literary Art Book) released its seventh annual literary magazine at 7:30 p.m. in the Russell Wright Alumni House on Apr. 18 in part with the 2012 Kaleidoscope Festival.



SLAB advisors Mark O’Connor, an associate English professor and Danette DiMarco, an English professor, welcomed guests to purchase educational booklets, buy mustaches, and pick up the latest and free SLAB issue.

"The students are awesome," O' Connor said. "They are the best part about SLAB. They get to do the work.”

Jim Daniels, a poet and writer, read his poems during the presentation. He is an English professor at the Carnegie Mellon University and published Places/Everyone, which won the Brittingham prize in poetry in 1985.

English Department Faculty Member, Kelly Miesko, won a creative writing award. Dr. Kim Johnson was the Elizabeth R. Curry Poetry Contest judge. The contest winners are Meg Cowen, first place, C. Dylan Basset, second place, and Meredith Stricker, third place.

Michael Chiappini, a senior English major, SLAB intern and production manager, won the Elizabeth R. Curry Prize for,“In grateful recognition of the person who has gone WAY above and beyond in service to SLAB literary magazine.”

O’Connor’s creative writing class students created the educational pamphlets which were sold for 25 cents each. Adhesive false mustaches were sold in a coin machine for 50 cents each. In addition, SLAB sold creative writing works in a tampon vending machine.

The Student Government Association and the English Department of Slippery Rock University funded SLAB. The managing editors are Paul Cunningham and Tristina Marx. The associate managing editors are Sheena Carroll and Steve McGouldrick. The creative nonfiction editors are Ellen VanWoert and Nora Connlain. The fiction editors are Sheena Carroll and Jocelyn Fisher. The poetry editors are Bridgette Powers and Steve McGouldrick. The database managers are Laura Swanson and Lisa Correll. The layout artist is Paul Cunningham. Rebecca Yokum did the manuscript design and Phil Geist managed the website. The cover art was created by Morgan Cahn. The readers are Michael Barchetti, Sarah Conley, Ashley Cook, Stephani Damato, Jacob Frampton, Susan Gardner, Austin Harvey, Tim Hogg, Jeremiah Klumh, Tesa Maldonado, Emma Neely, Corrie Parrish, Sarah Poeppel, Ariel Wall, Genna Walker, Madeline Weiss, Jessica Wykoff, Bridget Yeager and Devan Zanaglio.

To receive an update on Kaleidoscope Festival with the special Taiko Drum musical performance, check for the next post by Monday, May 7.

Barbara Westman Biography

Barbara Westman, a printmaking and fibers art professor at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (SRU), was born in Gdansk, Poland. Growing up, Westman went to gallery openings with her parents. She would go to work with her mother at the gallery, Wojewodzki Osrodek Kultury. Her mother, father and grandfather were all artists. Her mother made sculptures, and her father was a photographer. Her grandfather was professor and a painter.

There was a political turmoil in Poland while Westman was in high school. In 1989, the government changed from communism to democracy. However, the times were peaceful afterwards for Westman. In high school, she took art classes and participated in track and field.

She completed all of her education in nine years in Poland. She completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in Poznan University. She completed her bachelor degree in art-graphic design, art-prints, and art-fibers at University of Arts in Poznan. Westman did not have clubs in Poland, but got involved with a group of friends in the city. All of the shows that she displayed were group work. In graphic design, she made illustrations for books and magazines. She worked in a small graphic studio company called Studio 37 in Poland.

Then, she completed her dual master degree in prints and fibers at the Academy of Fine Arts in the University of Arts in Poznan. In prints, she worked more with techniques and composition compared to fiber art. In fibers, she works more on creative thinking and combining materials.

“Paper is fantastic to work with,” Westman said. “You can cut paper into pieces and change the color, and it becomes something else.”

In 1998, Westman married to Grant Westman, and in 2002, she moved to the United States. In 2005, she started working at SRU.

Currently, Westman enjoys teaching printmaking and fiber art to college students.

“I’m not the type to sit behind the desk all day,” Westman said. “I like the pace and the activities in the college classroom.”

               

Westman is the advisor for the student-run Martha Gault Art Society (Art Club). Students in Art Club coordinate lectures and field trips for students to participate in. She represents the art department for the Kaleidoscope Festival where members schedule performers and events, make budget plans and promote the festival. She helps out with the Student Exchange Program between the Art Department and the University of Arts, Poznan.

She has submitted her work in national and international competitions, group and solo shows. Her work is focused on Intaglio Printmaking and Fiber Art. She focuses on texture and composition. She keeps it simple by making it monochromatic or achromatic.

After years since the first request, the “temporary” fibers art building on Kiester Road will be moved to Patterson building by the end of the summer.

Westman’s semester goal is that students gain knowledge and cover printmaking processes so that they can work independently. She focuses on teaching the technique and then work on building conceptual thinking for projects.

“People don’t realize the kinds of materials that you can use,” Westman said. “You can find beautiful things in the trash can.”
Fibers Studio With Rhellie Beach

Outside of Fibers Studio With Eric Berdis

Advanced Studio Fibers Class

Printmaking Studio With Cheyenne Kelley

University of Pittsburgh Bomb Threats

Event occurred: April 4 at 9:20 p.m. First Posted: April 5 at 9:06 p.m.

Students roamed around the residence halls.

The University of Pittsburgh had another set of bomb threats on Wednesday shortly before 9:30 p.m. Students and faculty had to evacuate from Victoria Hall, the Frick Fine Arts Building and the Music Building. No students or faculty were hurt and no bomb was found. Pitt had 23 bomb threats in the past few weeks. Clancy Hanagon, a freshman neuroscience major, was at the bomb threat on Wednesday night. "It's beginning to get boring," Hanagon said. "It's a routine, I've had to miss classes because of it." Some threats were emailed and written on the bathroom stalls, investigators reported.