The first image displayed shows the 15 graphics I designed for an upcoming exhibition at Grunt Gallery titled “Settler Sites”. The graphics will be presented in the form of a vintage diner table mat and serve as the front page image on the exhibitions website. This was the primary project I worked on during CBEL. For my VISA 375 creative response shown in the second image I created another table mat, a more personalized version! I designed 8 more graphics where I mimicked the same colour, layout, and text scheme utilized for “Settler Sites”. This is my way of highlighting and echoing the main project I was assigned to for the term. In Addition, my creative response highlights the role of my supervisor — Dan Pon, the archives manager at Grunt Gallery. My creative response displays this through the use of archived images from past exhibitions. In 2010 Grunt Gallery launched: Activating the Archive (ATA) in which a wide selection of the archival material accumulated by the gallery since the very beginning was complied in an online database and made available to the public for research and educational purposes. Using images from the archive highlights Dan’s role as archive manager. The end product of my creative response shows mini advertisements of the past exhibitions and the role of ATA laid out in the format of a diner table mat — collectively highlighting skills attained during the CBEL project, a visual reflection to the primary “Settler Sites” project I worked on, as well as an acknowledgement of the help and guidance from my supervisor Dan Pon and his role as archives manager at Grunt Gallery.

(Image 1) The 15 graphics I designed for “Settler Sites” throughout the term

(Image 2) My Creative Response

Grunt Gallery is an artist-run centre founded in September of 1984 by a group of 8 artists. The founding idea was to support marginalized artists whose work would not quite fit into established galleries. This includes Outsider, queer, First Nations, feminist, and immigrant artists. The Grunt Gallery has a reputation of being an inclusive and open space that allows for intercultural dialogue, allowing them to positively impact Canadian contemporary art practice and artist-run centre culture. In the ‘80s, their mandate broadened to include artists from diverse cultural backgrounds as well as emerging and senior artists. Additionally, Grunt Gallery is working to forge relationships with Aboriginal artists. Grunt Gallery was one of the first galleries in Vancouver to consistently exhibit contemporary First Nations artists. The Grunt Gallery was funded by Canada Council beginning in 1987, and in the 1990s in addition to having a board of directors formed with Glenn Alteen as Official Director the Grunt Gallery received it’s first operations funding. However, the first 6 years of the gallery’s opening, hours of unpaid, volunteer labour, donations of materials and equipment, and rent paid by residents living in the loft above kept the Grunt Gallery running. In 2010, Grunt Gallery launched “Activating the Archive” (ATA) which consists of 6 curated websites containing a wide selection of the archival material accumulated by the gallery since the very beginning. ATA is unique for a gallery in that they invite those interested to easily access the archival material of past and present-day projects for research and educational purposes. 

If you would like to download this poster a clearer version is available here: http://newhive.com/saravisa340/grunt-gallery-poster-for-visa-375-sara-tung

PROJECT OUTLINE

Timeline Introduction/Overall Plan: Generally, my timeline consists of me aiming to create 2 graphics per week on the weekends. Dan, my supervisor, sent me a file of existing Ad Photoshop documents that I can use as base templates for the new graphics. There are some existing fonts and typefaces that I will be able to utilize as well. As most of this work can be done independently, I will be able to work from a space that does not require me to be at the gallery. Once I get a few graphics made I would like to visit the gallery a few times. I discussed mutual days in which it would be fit for me to visit the Gallery and so far Tuesdays are the most ideal. For this project, I am expecting that the graphics I produce are of quality and that they will be chosen to be displayed on the completed website, even if they do not select all the graphics I designed, I will be thankful for the experience.

Important Dates:

• (1) OCTOBER 1st:
• Download and experiment with Adobe InDesign and Illustrator.
  • • Skills to gain: I will learn to use new applications to create the graphics in addition to Photoshop. These additional skills will benefit me for this project as well as my future design work.
• Do research on Aboriginal peoples, especially First Nations people that settled in the various “settler sites” around British Columbia.
  • • As my academic goal was to ensure that I have sufficient background knowledge of the content I will be utilizing in my graphics, research skills I have practiced over the years especially for Art History classes are beneficial in this aspect. This research will be started today and continue throughout the project. I do have some weight on my shoulders creating the graphics because it is the front page of the exhibition website that they will displayed on. Therefore it will be the first images most viewers would see, I have to produce the best work possible so that both the gallery and I will feel successful.

• (2) OCTOBER 8th:
• Have 2 graphics done (Consider these as samples and send them to Dan for review), do not forget to log your work hours on the Google Doc.
  • • This will require me to work diligently and stay focused for a few hours. Working throughout the day is sufficient time to complete 2 graphics. Dan specified that I should complete 6-10 overall.
    • I have some experience creating graphics and starting this project will allow me to utilize my previous design knowledge, especially using Photoshop. 

• • (3) OCTOBER 15th:
  • Create 2 graphics
  • OCTOBER 10th (Tuesday): As Dan is not going to be in the gallery for the next 3 weeks (October 17th, 24th, and 31st), this would be an ideal day to visit and work in the gallery.
    • • Skills to gain: I understand that the nature of this project is largely independent and that I can conveniently communicate with Dan about any questions or concerns I have on the project via e-mail, however going into the Grunt Gallery to work would allow me to practice communication with professionals working there. My professional goal was to gain connections while at the Grunt Gallery, and this should ideally be done when I am at the gallery myself. I would however only like to visit the gallery when I have a sufficient amount of the project work done, ideally 4-6 graphics or more.

• • (4) OCTOBER 22nd:
  • Create 2 graphics – Send the 4 graphics created on the 15th and 22nd of October to Dan for review and feedback.
    • • It is important to send samples to Dan once every 2 weeks just so I am confident I am staying on the right track throughout. My personal goal was to get an idea of what a graphic designer job would be like, and I stated that one of the challenges of graphic designing for customers is that it is a challenge in itself to create artwork to suit a persons personal preference. In a professional graphic designing job I may not have the benefit of regularly sending in my designs to a supervisor and may have to make independent judgements on my own. I wanted to try be independent in my design making while also having some guidance, this is why I decided to send in designs to Dan once every two weeks in small batches rather than sending a design every week.

• • (5) OCTOBER 29th:
  • Create 2 graphics

• • (6) NOVEMBER 5th:
  • Create 2 graphics – Send the 4 graphics created on the 29th of October and 5th of November to Dan for review and feedback.
    • • It is important to send samples to Dan once every 2 weeks just so I am confident I am staying on the right track throughout.

• • (7) NOVEMBER 12th:
  • Create 2 graphics

• • (8) NOVEMBER 19th:
    • • There is a week left until the end of my partnership with Grunt Gallery, however I would like to 1.) Finish all graphics by this weekend. I will then 2.) Send all 12 graphics to Dan. It was suggested for me to create 6-10 but I would like to create 12 at most in order to allow for Dan and his team to have more options to choose from.
      • I would like to use this NOVEMBER 14th (Tuesday) to 3.) Visit the gallery to thank the staff there for the valuable work experience they provided for me. If I still have questions regarding a career as an artist/graphic designer I would like to ask Dan if he would like to have an “informal interview” with me if his schedule allows. If I am not able to make 3 connections by the end of the partnership experience, an “informal interview” would suffice for me.