My partnership with the Contemporary Art Gallery will give me a window of insight into the development of an artistic project and the education process of engaging the community within the gallery conversation and events. I will be going to the CAG every Tuesday from 12-5 pm to check in with Holly Schmidt and to work on my projects. We have decided that I will be primarily documenting and blogging about the process of resident artist Keg de Souza who will be constructing an installation piece in China town with the help of community participants. This means that I will be present on some Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5 pm to be with her while she works, to assist and to take photos, possibly even using the CAG’s Instagram account. I have consulted with Holly and told her that these days are possible documentation days that could work with my schedule; Saturday October 16th, Saturday October 22nd and Sunday October 23rd. We have a agreed that there will be a flexibility to the manner in which our 5 hours per week are completed. For example, if on one week I spend four hours on a Saturday working with Keg, then I will not need come in for the same amount of time on Tuesday.

I will also be present during meetings with the CAG’s school partners, and the dates are yet to be determined. At these meeting I will note and assess the interaction with the students, and ultimately blog about the experience. This will be a process of reflection about engagement with the community. There are two family days from 11-45 – 3:15 pm that are on Saturday October 29th and November 26th. I will be able to be present at one or both of these events as well to assist and engage with children. Holly has also mentioned that there is a Gala fundraiser night that we can volunteer at if we are interested.

I am very much looking forward to this partnership. We have a clear organized plan and structure, and Holly has assured us of her assistance and open communication. She is easily reached by email, and she will be checking in with us once a week, at our meetings. The CAG has a goal of documenting more of their activities and events, and I will be directly assisting with this goal. The CAG is constantly strengthening and nurturing their partnerships with schools and I will be reflecting on this process and documenting the growth that I see.

I will need to make sure to be on time to my set appointments and work shifts with the CAG, to be a responsible partner. I will need to have clear communication with Holly if I have any important questions or concerns. Regarding blogging, I have had some experience in the past within an academic context, but I will initially need to check in to see if my approach is what they are looking for. Holly did assure me that they are looking for writing that conveys a specific point of view, and so it is not too set how it should look. The goal is to compile a variety of perspectives and voices that are responding to what they see and experience with the CAG, and I will be one of these voices.

At our first meeting last week, Holly showed us around the office and gallery and we met many members of the CAG team. At our meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, Holly will be showing us how to use the blog, and how to access and use research materials on site if needed. We will begin to dive in to working on our projects, and we will confirm our set schedule and timeline of what events we will be attending. I was able to attend Keg’s artist talk last Wednesday evening which was held on the site that she will be building her installation. I so appreciated learning more about her past projects and vision as an artist. I look forward to assisting her, and talking more with her about her work. This partnership is one that requires skills of documentation and communication. I feel strong in both of these areas and look forward to practicing within the context of the projects and events hosted by the CAG.