Announcement 11: Progress Photos for Mural Underpainting & Setting up Additional Thursday Session for Mural Painting

Thank you for 7 of you showed up for yesterday additional session in finishing the priming work of all 9 mural fabric sections and working on the underpainting of the first section. Since we only have two month to complete this mural, so it is necessary in setting up additional Thursday class sections for the rest of semester. So please attend all the Tuesday and Thursday classes and your attendance and participation are critical to your final grade and the success of this collaborative mural project. Also, please remember to bring your paint brushes and palette/plastic containers for each painting session.

Prof. Kong Ho

Announcement 10: Additional Class Session for Mural Layout Enlarging

Thank you for all your contribution in delivering the art supplies to the Academy, setting up the projector, priming the parachute fabric, and participating in mural layout enlarging. I have attached several progress photos in this announcement to show you that we have worked hard and played hard in today's class section. Also, thanks a lot for showing your enthusiasm in setting up an additional class section for completing all mural section priming and layout enlarging on this Thursday, April 29, at 2:30 p.m. in the drawing studio.

Prof. Kong Ho

Assignment 3: Reflection Paper

Public Art: Mural Painting
Prof. Kong Ho, e-mail: koh1@pitt.edu
Spring 2010, Tue: 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. 
National Academy of Art, Sofia, Bulgaria 


What is Reflection Paper?

Reflection paper is an evidence of reflective thinking. Usually, reflective think involves: looking back at something or an idea, analysing the event or idea, and thinking carefully about what the event or idea means for you and your ongoing progress as a learner and/or practicing professional. Your reflection paper is meant to be analytical description of what you have learnt from this course, which means that you have to include description, analysis and evaluation in your paper and to go beyond simple description. A description of an class activity, workshop, or presentation is about what something looks like or about. An analysis is about how some of the things work with thinking in depth and from different perspectives. An evaluation is about whether the event was worth doing and your judgment must be supported with evidence. Your reflection paper is required to be written in English and complete sentences.
Presentation Format:

Your reflection paper must include the following items on the top of your paper: your name, date of submission, title of your reflection paper. Please remember to save as your file with your last name in the front and with no space or special characters between words before you send it to your professor as attachment. You may use the "_" (underscore) character to separate words in your file name, such as YourLastName_Reflection_Paper.doc.

The format requirements of your reflection paper are as the following: application: Microsoft Word; font: Times or Times New Roman; font size: 12; 1.5 line spacing; justify alignment; 2.5 cm margins from all sides; aligning page number on the right side of the footer; and inserting footnotes for citation if appropriate. The length of your reflection paper can be either 2 or 3 pages, around 300-350 words per page.

Assessment Criteria for this 15 points Reflection Paper:

Ideas or content: 12 points
Grammar (including spelling mistakes): 3 points

Due Date: June 1, 2010

Announcement 9: Distribution of Mural Painting Sections & Art Supplies

According to our last class meeting, we have decided to use "lucky draw" method to distribute the 9 mural painting sections for each participating students. Herewith is the result: Section 3 for Dennis; Section 5 for Ani; Section 6 for Steve; Section 7 for Emo, Section 9 for Stefan. The rest of you will do the lucky draw this Tuesday to see which section you are responsible to do. I have attached the section view of our mural in this announcement.

Also, please remember to bring 12 small plastic painting containers with lids for storing some acrylic paints, gel medium, and gesso for you to use on painting your mural section this Tuesday class. We will distribute the mural painting art supplies on that day. Enclosed please find a sample of this small paint storage container.

Finally, please try not to absent from any more classes from now on because your absence(s) will directly affect the progress of our collaborative mural project. The success of this mural is depend on our self-responsibility and group interdependability.

Prof. Kong Ho

Announcement 8: Visualization of our Cultural Exchange Mural in an Actual Environment

In order to visualize the actual effect of our cultural exchange mural in an actual environmental context. I have digitally collaged our complete mural design with the actual wall space at the North Building of National Academy of Art. As we have decided the main theme of this collaborative mural is to showcase the common beliefs between Bulgarian and American cultures in terms of freedom, cultural values, and artistic expression. So now it is the time for all of us to apply our artistic talents in painting this first Bulgarian-American Cultural Mural.

Prof. Kong Ho

Announcement 7: Final Design of the Bulgarian-American Mural

Thank you so much to all of us for contributing ideas and images in finalizing our artistic, colorful, and meaningful Bulgarian-American Mural design which showcases the common threads and beliefs between both cultures in terms of freedom, cultural values, and artistic expression. I have inserted the final design in this announcement. We will move on to next stage of mural production next Tuesday. By the way, we still need to title our community mural. Any suggestions will be welcomed. Again, thanks a lot for all your time and effort in this mural design process.

Prof. Kong Ho

Announcement 6: Mural Design on Process Photoshop psd File Sent Out

I have sent out our today's simplified mural design on process Photoshop psd file to each of you via YouSendIt.com. Please download the file in your early convenience because the link is valid for 7 days only. There are a lot of hidden layers in this file. You are expected to use your artistic talent in composing a better design with the images in this file or adding your own images to it. You will share your altered mural design for next class and defend your design with reasonable explanations. If you are not too familiar with Photoshop, then you can make sketches for your ideas and bring your sketches to next class to share with others. Also, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email.

Thanks,

Prof. Kong Ho

Class Discussion of Bulgarian and American Culture

Students' Responses to Class Discussion in March 16:

Prepared by Elena Ignatieva

America/Negative side:

Aggressive

Mass culture / Mass media

Popular Culture

Fast Food

War For Money And Profit

Manipulation

Cars

George Bush

Country Music

Soda Can Culture

America is not good?!?!?!

The prison system in US

US heroes

Not interesting Art

Don't know some Pop Art

US coffee

Gangster terror

Bulgaria/Positive side:

Bulgarian food

Climate

Bulgarian Ornaments

Bulgarian women / sea

Bulgarian History

Bulgarian National Dances

Bulgarian National Drink - RAKIA

Wine "Melnik" - merlot

Announcement 5: Silhouette Acknowledgement Sign for our Mural

Herewith is the silhouette acknowledgement sign for our mural. It will go with all the participating students and professor's names. I have added Elena and Albina in this amended silhouette images, so this silhouette sign is complete and I will send the Photoshop psd file to all of you via YouSendIt.com for the use in our mural design. Hopefully, we will get our finalized mural design done by next Tuesday.

Thanks,

Prof. Kong Ho