{"id":1300,"date":"2016-09-08T09:32:40","date_gmt":"2016-09-08T16:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.annefocke.net\/?p=1300"},"modified":"2019-10-03T15:12:04","modified_gmt":"2019-10-03T22:12:04","slug":"returning-to-my-alma-materhalf-a-century-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.annefocke.net\/?p=1300","title":{"rendered":"Returning to my alma mater\u2026half a century later"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Half a century\u201d seems SO\u00a0long ago, much longer than 50 years. “Five decades\u201d feels closer to my experience; after all, I can count up to five on one hand. No matter how it\u2019s put, though, that\u2019s about how much time has passed since\u00a0I received my undergraduate degree in Art History from the University of Washington. It was\u00a01967.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In the intervening decades, I\u2019ve been an invited guest in a few college classes here and elsewhere, edited writings by wonderful scholars, attended events on college campuses, and donated papers to Special Collections at the UW Libraries. But I haven\u2019t spent any real time in an academic setting \u2013 not taking classes, teaching, or doing research.<\/p>\n

Alum in Residence<\/h3>\n

All this is why it\u2019s such a special opportunity to have been appointed Alum in Residence* at the University of Washington\u2019s School of Art + Art History + Design for the coming school year. It\u2019s exciting, if a little daunting, to walk through the front doors of the School, knowing that I have an office upstairs and that pretty soon the halls, empty now, will be filled with students and faculty and staff.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what will you do?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When I\u2019ve mentioned my new role to friends, their first question is almost always, \u201cSo, what does that mean? What will you do?\u201d And, as I usually say when venturing out on a new project, \u201cWell, I\u2019m not completely sure yet. I get to help make it up!\u201d Which doesn\u2019t mean, of course, that we have no<\/em> idea what I\u2019ll do or that we don\u2019t have some<\/em> plans. But my enthusiasm comes partly from knowing that we\u2019ll be learning what the position can be as we go through the year. I\u2019ve been given considerable flexibility in the way I use my time, partly because it\u2019s an unfunded position. I\u2019ve been encouraged not to feel pressure to take on everything that comes my way. As someone who often tries to do everything and all at once, this will take some self-discipline. I\u2019m already learning that the School is a very busy place.<\/p>\n

Although we know the program will morph and change over the year, here\u2019s what\u2019s planned as the year begins:<\/p>\n

Archives<\/em><\/strong>.<\/strong> Over the years I\u2019ve lived through a lot of history. Perhaps as a faint echo of my art history education, I\u2019ve accumulated many documents and ephemera from that history \u2013 and\/or<\/u>, Artist Trust, Artech, Arts Wire, early artist fellowship programs nationwide, Grantmakers in the Arts, and more. Some of this is already in Special Collections at the UW Libraries, though much more is in my own storage. My position as Alum in Residence gives me the opportunity to offer internships to students who might want to work with me to examine this history, organize materials, and perhaps find homes for some of it. We will also view the materials through a contemporary lens, as a springboard for discourse and writing on topics of relevance today.<\/p>\n

Open door office hours<\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong> I\u2019ve been given a nice office \u2013 with a window even! \u2013 and I\u2019ll establish specific times when I\u2019ll be there with the door open, welcoming anyone who wants to talk about just about anything. You can use me as a sounding board, pick my brain about the past, try out a new idea . . . whatever. No scheduling needed. As I\u2019ve said about my office hours with Artist Trust, I think of these as two-way exchanges. They could be called, \u201cmutual mentoring\u201d. I\u2019ll learn a lot, and I hope it will be mutual. Specific times will be set as soon as I understand more about the flow of activity at the School once\u00a0it gets underway in late September.<\/p>\n