Teacher Feature: Christian Schmit

Get to know one of your co-creators and classroom instructors, Christian Schmit. These are links to some of his works old and new.

"Without being as concretely based in H.G. Wells' novel, Inspiration Nation is nonetheless intended as an "installation studio" class for all ages in which a series of "environments" are realized, all based on narratives of the students' invention. Now giant sea serpents, snowy worlds, red lagoons and glittering robots proliferate on Baker Hunt's campus. Schmit aims to teach that, "You can build your own world and build your own life and do what you want to do."
-Excerpt from A World of His Own Making By Matt Morris

An Epic Tale of Time and Town [via Visualingual]

Artist Website: http://www.daapspace.daap.uc.edu/~schmitct/
Artist Blog A Memory Rocket

Guest Artists

Some of the guest artists from Inspiration Nation participated in the show.

Big Show Pt 2

Big Show

Here are some pictures from that same Inspiration Nation class, only at the very end. It was estimated we had nearly 400 people come to our opening at Leapin' Lizzard Gallery in Covington!

A Long Time Ago

To give you a taste of what we're talking about, here are photos from 2007-2008. I'll be posting more soon.
Annie

B.O.S.S. is boss

When we did this class a few years ago, as Inspiration Nation, it was impressive. 2 rooms of children making art. Parents helping any child that needed it. Visiting artists sharing their work and then working side by side with children. No idea was squelched. If a child wanted to explore something, an adult was willing to help, but not take over. The energy-wow-the place was jumping!

But most of all, I was floored by the creativity those children exhibited. It's something I've never forgotten. When grownups step back and let children take the lead on a project like this, the sky's not the limit, because there is no limit! I can't wait to see what they come up with this time.

Annie

Our New Class is Going to be B.O.S.S.!

We're revamping Inspiration Nation at Baker Hunt with a new name--B.O.S.S. (Big Open Story Studio). Please look at older posts on this blog to see the awesome projects we have done in the past. Here's a longer description than the one that appears in the Fall Catalog:


Big Open Story Studio (B.O.S.S.!)

Project Managers: Annie Brown, Christian Schmit, Lindsey Whittle
Ages: 6-?

Imagine an open studio environment where participants of all walks of life put head and hands together to create a room-sized, narrative installation project! The intended atmosphere of this studio is highly communal and collaborative, a class without a traditional teacher, but one where participants share a wide range of ideas and skills and learn from each other. At the core of the studio are kids and their parents, supported by a rotating cast of visiting artists representing a wide range of artmaking. The project will begin with a period of story ideation, writing and sketching and move into planning, construction and detailing. The finished project will exist as a large-scale, narrative installation piece, essentially an epic story come to life, with multitudinous scenes that exist simultaneously in one place. (Think model train display gone wild.) When the project is done, it will be shown as part of Covington’s First Friday gallery hop, with the potential for hundreds of visitors. Concepts explored in the studio include brainstorming, writing, sketching and planning, sculpting, construction, painting, sound, and lighting. Participants may work at any time during suggested studio hours, or additional hours at discretion of project managers.

Studio Hours:
Wednesdays, 1pm-5pm
Saturdays, 10am-2pm

We are so excited for this class--hope to see you in September!
Register online: http://www.bakerhunt.com/