Topic:
St. Joe’s Art Club is a relatively newer club created by alumni Jayne Breakfast around 2021. The art club creates a space for St. Joe’s students to let their creativity thrive as well as make new friends and memories. Personally, from experience, I met one of my best friends Kelly Slater at an art club event when I was a freshman and now coming full circle she is the current president of the club. I have been around since the start of the club and I have seen it grow and become what it is now. To take the club the next step further though I came up with the idea of making a Magazine in collaboration with the club that will highlight artists at SJU. This magazine will create a space for students to showcase their art on a more professional scale helping them get their name out. I also hope it will function to give the art club more of a spotlight so possibly they will receive more funding from the school. The magazine will serve as an archive for future students to look back on.
I plan on naming the magazine “The Mohawk“, a sort of play on words because St. Joe’s mascot is the “hawk” and the Mohawk hairstyle is worn by many people in artistic subcultures.
Form:
A magazine format will offer both a digital and physical experience for the viewer that could be either posted online or printed out and displayed around/outside campus. It will also offer me structure, creativity, and most importantly a space because this is a big project. I plan on having each page of the magazine highlight a different artist. I plan on including 5-10 artists, portraits of each artist shot by me in a studio, and good-quality photos of their art. I want to include a little blurb that says what the student’s year, and major, and a little bit about their art and what it means to them/why they made it. I envision customized layouts and text that suit each artist and their style. I want the magazine to be playful to match the overall vibe of the Art Club and its members.
Technology & Materials:
What this project requires is Illustrator and Indesign to create the layout. DSLR camera, which I have as well, and time in the studio in Boland to shoot. When it comes time to get a physical copy of the magazine I need to do my research and find a place that will help me print them out.
Audience and Impact
My primary audience for the magazine will be Art Club members because they will be the most interested in it and will benefit them the most. My secondary audience would just be the overall general student body and staff that are looking to buy/see new art and feel out the overall art scene at their university. I also hope this magazine is viewed by other college artists and art clubs in Philadelphia.
Prior Experience:
I have a lot of prior experience with everything that goes into designing magazines. When it comes to the interviewing part of the magazine I have taken journalism classes at St. Joes and have had work published in the Hawk newspaper. When it comes to the digital creation aspect I have had a lot of experience with adobe softwares like InDesign and Illustrator. And finally when it comes to photography, I have taken many photo classes at SJU and even am getting a Commercial Photography minor, I know how to use a studio and lighting take good quality portraits. I also am ebxpiereced with editing in Lightroom.
Educational Experience:
Throughout my time at St. Joes studying communication I have learned about the importance of clear and concise communication that can be accessed by everyone. Through communication humans are learning about them selves and everyone around them, it is the building blocks of evolution and change. Today we live in a digital age meaning communication has taken on many different forms that I have learned to utilize in the classes I have taken. Through audio podcast in Crime, Justice, and Media to type design books in typography, each communicating something different but most importantly communicating something and to someone. I plan on showcasing all these skills I have learned in this magazine, communicating to artist and non-artist what can be accomplished.
Research:
I plan on finding more magazines that highlight artist and take inspiration from them. I need to find out who will want to be included in this magazine. I also need to research how to print magazines/what places near me could do that and figure out how I will get the money for that.
Obstacles and Resources:
Like I mentioned above I don’t know how to go about printing the magazine and getting the money for that so that is a potential problem I could run into. I also am not sure exactly how I can partner with the Art Club but I know they will be 100% down to collaborate. I was thinking maybe they can post on their page saying “looking for artist to be highlighted in magazine”
Timeline:
1st: Hit up art Club and let them know about the magazine, as well as making sure to attend every art event that is held
2nd: Find people who are interested in being in the magazine/making sure their work is professional enough to be featured
3rd: Schedule time to meet with these individuals to take photos of their work and themselves, as well do a small interview with them
4th: Slowly start designing the magazine one artist at a time
5th: Printing
6th: hopefully be done in time to showcase these at the spring art fest at the end of the semester
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