Felicia Follum WOW Update

Image from Make it Plain, my most recent body of work

Although I do not update this blog regularly (and it was created for a class), I would like to conclude with some of what I am currently doing for WOW (a project of WWBC). For more recent updates see my art blog or Facebook page. I am no longer the graphic designer for WOW, though I still do some design work when asked.

My main projects currently include creating, building, and expanding WOW’s online presence through social media, specifically the blog and Facebook. I am always researching new social media sites as well. In addition to managing the social media, I am excited to say that I have given a couple of Facebook lessons, on how to use Facebook as a marketing tool, for artists and would love to continue this.

Another major project that I am currently working on revolves around the gallery and exhibitions. I have been hanging shows, and even coordinating a couple. I hung the Fabulous Women show (I did have some help, especially with the larger pieces) and set up the Black Friday one day show.

There are other tasks and duties that I perform, but these are a couple of my favorite. I love being surrounded by artists and artwork and I look forward to see where my experience with WOW as an intern will help take me in my art career.

Image from the Black Friday sale marketing campaign for WOW on Facebook

Ideas for Next Year

Brainstorm Session:

This internship has been a great opportunity to learn about graphic design, art, and my personal goals. I would like to continue working for the Works of Wyoming Gallery and The Business Center. Some of the projects that I would like to work on include working with a variety of organizations on behalf of WOW and leading art lessons (since the position is AmeriCorps, it is expected that I volunteer at places other than WOW and WWBC, so this is perfect), and helping generate show ideas that go along with the mission statement.


Here are some of the beginnings of those show ideas.

Gallery Show Ideas That I would like to work on (and would like to see happen)


Volunteerism and Civic Engagement


Everyone volunteers x number of hours (maybe 5) and the show will be composed of works inspired by or created from the experience. The work could include why volunteerism is important.


I also think that it would be great to include a list of organizations including but not limited to


The ARC
The Cathedral Home for Children
Big Brothers, Big Sisters
Various old folks homes
High school art students
Partners of the Americas
Soup Kitchen
Interfaith Good Samaritan


Golden Key and Special ED project.

Golden Key would like to work with some students from the ARC and/or the high school and have a formal reception with them and the community. The GK Presedent really wants to work with persons with disabilities and give them a chance to dress up and have fun and I thin that the this type of show at the WOW gallery would be a great opportunity. All work sold could go 50% to the ARC (or another program, like special Olympics), and 50% for WOW. Maybe GK could sell art from the workshop in the Union (we did this for Partners of the Americans and raised over $400 for the organization.)

More show/event ideas that relate back to our mission --- Mostly just for ideas of events that could relate back to social awareness and issues of those in Laramie. These could probably tie into one or two events as well, I just broke them down so that we could weed out the ones we don't want (and the ones we do).


Cultural shows/events

Dia de Los Muertos - we already talked about this some.

Black history Month (other months) - no specific ideas here either, but I will have a body of work that focuses on AA issues by November (for the UpGallery). Maybe ABSL (Association of Black Student Leaders) or WASA (Wyoming African Student Association) could work with us on this.

Hip hop culture (not to be confused with rap, hip hop is very social justice oriented and focuses on the oppressed of all races) - this could go with a Latino History month or Black History month. We could possibly round up enough street artists and work from WOW artists to pull this off. This could also go along with the mural and the idea of street art (one of the 4 aspects of hip hop culture). Hip hop is deeply connected to social justice issues...

Social Justice Issues (any issue that affects society, positively or negatively that can be related back to justice.)

A show dedicated to the education of social issues that affect individuals in this community. Can be personal or a friend. Everyone is or knows someone who is affected by some sort of social problem. (60% of Americans have struggled with depression and WY is one of the worst states for domestic violence and suicide. In this sense awareness about the stigmas toward depression or

ways to prevent domestic violence could be addressed.) Why not illustrate these problems beautifully and show that there is hope of some kinds especially through honesty.

Womanism (or something to do with gender studies) - no specific ideas here...Maybe we could break down the negative stereotypes about Laramie and Wyoming. This really could go along with the Fabulous Women show and simply be a deeper understanding, for us, about how it relates back to our mission.

Native American Day (many places/people call it Columbus day, but we could celebrate Native American Day along with South Dakota). I just talked to some girls in the American Indian Studies program at the University and the issue of the Arapaho language dying came up. There are less than 100 fluent speakers in the US and they are all over the age of 50. Maybe we could have an elder come teach a language workshop and an artist teach another workshop (using some more Arapaho terms and cultural explanations).

The Figure Show is arguably about social justice as well.

In additions to these ideas, I have also been working on some of my personal goals for WOW (how I want to help) and some ideas for what I want my job description to be...Maybe I will post them too. But for now check out my summer goals.

Elephanta

Here are some samples of possible image, logo and business card designs for Elephanta, a curriculum development company.  The story below was written by my client.  The story could be seen as an introduction to Elephanta's educational and company beliefs.

A long, long time ago, before i-phones and pay-at-the-pump gas stations, there lived an old man whose wisdom was greatly celebrated. Young people traveled long distances just to sit at his feet in hopes of absorbing his knowledge. The old man did not talk much, a tendency that came to frustrate one student in particular, who finally blurted out, "Tell us what the world is like, old man!" The old man only giggled, which further antagonized the fresh student.
Patient and loving as he was, the old man blind-folded the students and led them through the jungle until they came upon an elephant. "This the world is like, you tell me." Then, one by one, the students began to speak: A girl standing nearest the elephant's tusk said, "It is smooth and hard...it curves steadily into a dangerous point." A boy standing adjacent to one of the legs said, "No, it stands tall and inflexible, like an oak tree, but, of leather." Another boy, petite in stature, had somehow made his way under the elephant's belly, and not knowing the danger to which he was vulnerable said, "I believe there is nothing to it!" Then the sister of that girl who stood nearest the tusk (for those girls knew to stay close together) let fly an aching falsetto that made skip two beats every heart within each of the now-terrified, blind-folded students. The elephant had wound it's thick trunk around the girl's small frame making a seat for her in its coiling embrace, then lifted her up, up...up into the air. But in mid-ascent her scream began to descend into a deep baritone, for the journey had exhausted her fear, and her abdomen grew purposeful and began to squeeze the very core of her being until finally the only sound left was of butterflies fluttering from the basement of her belly and across her surprised lips.

Then, silence came to rein their jungle scene. A wide smile crossed the girl's face as she sat hovering graciously in mid-air. The other students, however, stood blind-folded with puzzled expressions on their faces: How would they ever deduce an answer from so many conflicting descriptions?

Blog Training

I have recently been training Denise on blogging. I just saw a couple of Denise’s posts for WOW and WWBC and figured I would share her blogs with you.  She is doing a great job and I am loving the teaching process.  The training process is also helping me to put some good blogging strategies into words. 

This internship has really helped me to solidify the idea that I want to do design work but what I am really passionate about is working with people.  In addition to graphic design, I would love to work one-on-one with artists and other small business to teach them about blogging, or how to use other social media tools to benefit their small business.

I think I will explain some of my more specific goals in another post. 

For example of what I can help people create, check out my other blogs/websites.  All of these examples help people find my artwork online.  Feel free to contact me or leave a message, even just to say "hi." 
my facebook page - Be sure to like my FB page if you visit!
my art and design blog - I am currently posting tutorials and photographs of projects.  I plan to do a series on art business tips in the near future.
my photography blog – I will be posting new photos again in the summer.
my website and portfolio
Sick Religion is my personal blog about Religion and sometimes art
Squidoo page for my salamander Sheri the Boy (This is really just a sample of a great Search Engine Optimization tool)

Feel free to let me know if there is something else.  Just because I didn't list it here doesn't mean that I don't still have an interest in that area.  And if I don't have an decent background in that are, I may know someone who could help you.

Alice Freeman Artist Promotional Video

Alice Freeman Video



Here is another video, I created for a WOW member.  Creating videos like this could be something that I enjoy doing in the future as well.

Busy Start

The first couple weeks this semester have been pretty crazy at the Wyoming Women's Business Center and the Works of Wyoming Art Gallery. I have had happy clients, new clients, upset clients, an art opening, a call for entries and I helped with a sewing workshop.

Files and business cards

I have also been learning the importance of importing photographs and how much of a pain it is when files are not properly inserted into documents. Most every project that was passed on needed to logos replaced. This made simple projects like already designed business cards a somewhat difficult task. The files were all transported via cds and the logos were separate from the other files.

I have also learned that Apple D is my favorite quick command in InDesign.  Not remembering this caused many problems early on.

Annual Report

This is the first time I have every really taken the time to learn about an annual report.  

Here are some screen shots of the draft. 

 I think that I like the design that I used for the banner better.  It seems more feminine and still professional.  This cover is just a placeholder for now.

 I am still tracking down information and better photographs.

Banner

This is the first draft of a large banner.  It measures 30" x 66."  It has the mission statement and contact information.

The ladies at WWBC wanted something that they can take with them to conferences and other events.  This banner will be hung on a metal stand.  I am also looking at stands for WWBC to purchase.

Websites

Works of Wyoming

Here are links to the two websites that I am updating on a regular basis.  I am using Joomla to do the updates.  I have used several other WYSIWYG editors and Joomla seems like it is way over complicated at least for what we are doing on this site.  Everything that I have had to do so far, has been doable, but could have been done on a much simpler editor.

Most of this has been updating information but I redesigned the Artist's Corner site.  It was set up so that there was a list of names with links and then a collage of images with links.  I thought that it would be important to see all of the images with the names of the artist that had created the work.

Wyoming Women's Business Center

Intership Questions

For my last internsnip, I was given a series of questions and figured they would be beneficial for this internship as well.

Why did you choose this site?
I chose the WWBC for several reasons. It seems like I will have a wide variety of experiences. Designing logos for businesses will be a great way to build my portfolio. I think I may be able to force myself to learn more about website design (even if it is just various WYSIWYG editors). I am really excited to work with the individuals and the art gallery. After my internship this summer and my internship last semester I think that this internship will be a wonderfully fun learning experience.

What are you expectations for this internship?
I expect to learn more about the business side of art and design, to create some pieces for my portfolio, learn more about website design, be surrounded by art, build relationships with interesting women and people, and hopefully be able to use my creativity.

I expect it to be challenging at times. Twice over the summer when I was able to work for clients on a specific project, I had a nervous doubt about my skill. I would forget the simple fact that I wouldn’t get projects if I wasn’t capable of completing them. They of course ended well and the nervousness was just doubt not truth.

What do you expect to learn from this internship?
I hope to learn more about website design.

What profession are you pursuing?
I know that I want to work with people and do some sort of art. Graphic design is a good combination of the two. You get more interaction both with business professionals and other creative individuals. My dream is to run a music venue that caters to troubled youth and has shelter capabilities.

One part that I would want this venue to have is an art gallery and an area for these kids to work on art therapy as well as graffiti art. Ideally I would be the one designing promotional materials for small local bands and the venue itself. This could include t-shirts, fliers, posters (my favorite to design) and whatever else seemed necessary.

In the process of starting this gallery I would love to fund it through freelance design. The largest difficulty with freelancing seems to be finding clients. WWBC may offer some helpful techniques in this are.

How does this internship relate to your future professional goals?
One of the areas that I don’t have a lot of experience in is that of business. I was able to talk to a designer Sara Nelson this summer and she suggested taking business courses. I was also given the chance to work in a small business as an in house designer. It was a great experience to learn about the business side (and print production side) of graphic design. I do think that this internship will help me to become well rounded as a designer and artist.

In addition to the business aspects, I will be able to work in the Works of Wyoming Art Gallery. I am extremely excited for this because I love art and would enjoy working/volunteering at a gallery. Gallery exposure is great for art and graphic design in the sense that it is an amazing and constantly changing sourse of inspiration, thought, and dialogue.