John William Bailly

Poet Richard Blanco and artist John William Bailly have once again embarked on a collaborative journey, this time creating a new course, “Poetry, Art, & Community.” The seminar explores the living dialogue between community and the literary and visual arts, as well as the civic role they can (or ought to) play in the public realm with respect to matters that affect us collectively. The course is offered in the Honors College at Florida International University.

In an article on FIU News, Blanco describes his objectives in returning to the classroom:

“At critical times, we turn to poetry to find language for what we can’t understand about what’s going on or what we feel,” Blanco said. “That’s why I developed these courses, to bring to the forefront the scrutiny and wisdom of poetry as it relates to this critical juncture in our nation’s divide.”

“Every time I read a great poem or I sit down to write one, I discover something new about myself, the world and my relationship to it,” Blanco said. “And, so, I hope the same happens for them through the poetry we’ll read, discuss and feel. I want them to know poetry belongs to them because it is about them.”

An integral component of the course will be community events of art and poetry. After several years of successful partnership with Vizcaya and Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), FIU is expanding to include O, Miami to present a series salon events of art and poetry. The salons will kick off at Vizcaya on November 14 and an evening at PAMM in April 2018.

This is not the first collaboration between Blanco and Bailly. In 2006, the pair created the series Place of Mind, an exhibition that travelled throughout the US. Carlos Suarez de Jesus of the Miami New Times wrote, [Place of Mind] “features prints, paintings, and book art Bailly created in dialogue with Blanco’s poems. The gang of two has spun what might be read as dynamic visual diaries by engaging in a conversational collaborative process, which allowed the raw intensity of their personal dramas and musings on history to flow.”

When asked about collaborating with Blanco in this new capacity, Bailly said, “Richard’s voice as a poet transforms the personal into the universal. That is the magic, he captures the essence of who we are, our dreams and our failures. His guidance as a professor will reveal through reflection the cultural and humanistic beauty and tragedy of Miami.”

Below is the full course description:

The “Poetry, Art, and Community” seminar explores the living dialogue between community and the literary and visual arts, and the civic role they can (ought to) play in the public realm with respect to matters that affect us collectively: gender, sexuality, class, diversity, and race. Through service learning projects and exploration of local cultural landmarks and institutions, students will investigate/experience the relationships between community and the arts through the lens of their own creativity. Serving as cultural co-agents of change, they will collaborate with accomplished poets and artists to produce, curate, and host a public literary and arts salon that will feature poetry readings, visual art, and videography centered on the themes surveyed throughout the course.

AESTHETICS & VALUES 2017 AT FIU’S FROST ART MUSEUM
APRIL 22 – JUNE 25, 2017
OPENING RECEPTION APRIL 22, 2017, 4 – 7 PM

CURATED BY STUDENTS OF THE FIU HONORS COLLEGE

ARTISTS: FELICIA CHIZUKO CARLISLE, ELISABETH CONDON, MOIRA HOLOHAN, PETER HOSFELD, MONICA MCGIVERN, BRANDON OPALKA, CHRISTINA PETERSSON, CAROLINA SARDI, KRISTEN THIELE 

By: CARINA ZATARAIN, A&V 2017 Student Curator

It is not every day that 44 students varying in range of disciplines and majors gather together to curate an art exhibition. Or it is, if you are a part of Florida International University’s Aesthetics & Values course. The annual exhibition is organized by students in the Honors College as a part of a yearlong course that culminates in a showcase of acclaimed Miami artists. From curatorial vision to installation design, students oversee all facets of the exhibition, becoming fully immersed in the art world while exploring connections between creativity and social dialogue.

Throughout the semester, students have been able to visit coveted art collections within Wynwood as a way to create a dialogue, gain an artistic repertoire of knowledge and uncover hidden gems within the progressive, cultural hub of the city. While familiarizing themselves with lectures and guided tours by their professor and artist, John William Bailly, the students have examined the vital role visual art plays in the social and cultural discourse surrounding controversial issues. Professor Bailly expresses, “The Aesthetics & Values seminar and exhibition project explores the central role art plays in community. Art simultaneously challenges us and bonds us; it forms our identity. It is difficult and beautiful. My role as professor is to immerse students in Miami’s contemporary art community, and the students’ responsibility into bring that community on to our campus in the Aesthetics & Values exhibition.” Their seminar has thus investigated how artists have challenged or enforced authority by creating new aesthetics and further explored how art initiates, accelerates, or combats social change.

Aesthetics & Values has established itself as a course that breaches beyond the norms. Current student, Emily Afre relates that, “A&V is unlike any other class I have taken. It has granted me the opportunity to learn more about the importance of the relationship between art and society. I would have never imagined myself collaborating with an established contemporary artist from Miami, much less performing an experimental sound piece with her and my classmates. As someone who feels as if I settled into a major I am not passionate about, A&V has reminded me that you can never distance yourself from what you really love and, for me, that’s the arts.” The exposure to art that these students receive has allowed them to open their mind to new opportunities. In an effort to perform duties that are never asked of them, it also causes students to reflect, embrace curiosity and awaken an inquisitive, creative perspective that is important in developing well-rounded individuality.

The unconventionality of exploring museums, meeting with actual artists in their studios and even receiving a personal tour from the renowned art collector himself, Martin Z. Margulies, has brought these students together to absorb rich experiences and connections that are almost impossible to achieve. But that’s what A&V is all about: breaching the impossible. Since the inaugural course in 2006, the exhibition’s opening reception has evolved into one of the most highly attended events at the Frost Art Museum, attracting over one thousand guests. Beyond the local community, national recognition includes presentations to the Clinton Global Initiative, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, and annual representation at the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference.

What has established the A&V course to become like no other is the respected connections Professor Bailly and his students have forged within the art community as well as the backing of FIU’s esteemed Honors College. The mission of the Honors College is to essentially provide an intellectual community where outstanding students and dedicated teachers and scholars pursue intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and personal and professional enrichment within the large community of FIU. In a progressive and encouraging environment, students have been able to fortify their own resourcefulness and delve into the very real, raw world of collaboration, art and fundraising on a college student’s budget. After forming committees (Exhibition, Fundraising, and Public Relations) and assuming personal tasks (designing a website, soliciting funds, preparing a press release, etc) students took on responsibility for coordinating all aspects of the exhibition, including selecting artists, securing funding, negotiating gallery space, working with university administration, and managing local media. This year will be Aesthetics and Value’s 11^th annual exhibition.

Having researched Miami’s contemporary art world and curated and organized the on-campus exhibit, the Aesthetics & Values Research and Exhibition Project’s opening reception is set for Saturday, April 22, 2017 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum. They will be featuring 9 unique and talented Miami artists: Felecia Chizuko Carlisle, Elisabeth Condon, Peter Hosfeld, Moira Holohan, Monica McGivern, Brandon Opalka, Christina Petersson, Carolina Sardi, and Kristen Thiele. The event is free to the public and includes complimentary food, beverages and in culmination of the evening, there will be a live music performance by Mo’Booty band at 7PM. Attend the show that will be featured in the Frost Art Museum until June 25, 2017. Be a part of their mission to show the world that art is not dying, students can do the impossible and they will continue to surprise you every year.

AESTHETICS & VALUES 2017 STUDENT CURATORS: Emily Afre, Maria Victoria Biancardi, Antonella Bocaranda, Paola Bustos, Nathanael Cameron, Sofia Castellon, Alex Castillo, Barbara Coppola, Oriana Daly, Maria Delgado, Jose De Vera, Edward Dowling, Daybe Eugene, Valentina Gamboa, Melissa Garcia, Mariana Gaviria, Addis Gonzalez, Roberto Gonzalez, Alexandra Gutierrez, Narmeen Hanif, Christopher Hung, Hayed Kure, Marc Lawrence, Ximena Lugo, Giselle Lopez, Lauren Lopez, Leslie Ovale Lopez, Alejandro Lugo, Gina Martins, Faraz Naseem, Jose Ortega, Melanie Ponce, Danielle Ruiz, Danielle Ruiz, Jessica Saumell, Alycia Shaheed, Kirby Suarez, Yanina Onyewenjo, Arina Polyanskaya, Joseph Vargas, Stephanie Villavicencio, Jonah Wichterich, Rachel Young, Carina Zatarain