The New Administration of a Fine Arts Education

A conversation series and publication with leading practitioners in contemporary art surveying the multiple and overlapping artistic and pedagogic practices defining the artist figure today.

Curated by James Voorhies with Lisa Dent

Columbus College of Art & Design, Ohio
October 14, 2010–February 2, 2011

Matthew Higgs, Michael Mercil, J. Morgan Puett, Jon Rubin

Made possible with funding and staff of Columbus College of Art & Design with grants from Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Ohio Arts Council; realized within my responsibilities as Director of Exhibitions at Columbus College of Art & Design

The exhibitions, actions, writing and artworks made by the artists included in this conversation series are at times seamless integrations of cultural production, lifestyle, studio and teaching. Some of them operate from inside or in coordination with art education institutions, challenging tradition from within. Others combine education and creative economic strategies to sustain practices in the realm of contemporary art and beyond and to realize new institutions. In all cases they are dismantling, intentionally or not, rigid definitions of what it means to be an artist, curator and educator today.

The series and accompanying publication intended to consider prescient questions related to contemporary cultural production and models of education. What exactly is a cultural producer? How has the portrait of the solitary artist working in the studio been reshaped as the artist simultaneously making objects, writing, curating and teaching? What are the challenges posed by these interchangeable and expanding identities and platforms? The participants in The New Administration of a Fine Arts Education represented diverse but complementary points of view for considering these questions and others.

Book, Documentation

Michael Mercil, Reading the Daily News, or 365 days for Lucio Pozzi, 2008. Physical and time dimensions vary, reader, newspaper, portable audio system. Courtesy the artist

J. Morgan Puett, Mildred's Lane, Beach Lake, PA, land and social experiments with alternative pedagogical platforms. Courtesy the artist

Jon Rubin, The Waffle Shop (Talk Show), 2009–13, Pittsburgh, PA, a restaurant/classroom/talk show. Courtesy of the artist

Jon Rubin, presented a talk on October 14, 2010, as part of his contribution to The New Administration of a Fine Arts Education, Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, OH

Matthew Higgs, presented a talk on November 17, 2010, as part of his contribution to The New Administration of a Fine Arts Education, Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, OH

Michael Mercil, presented a talk on February 2, 2011, as part of his contribution to The New Administration of a Fine Arts Education, Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, OH

J. Morgan Puett, presented a talk on January 31, 2011, as part of her contribution to The New Administration of a Fine Arts Education, Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, OH

The New Administration of a Fine Arts Education, 2011. 60 pages, 8.25 x 5 in.

Jon Rubin, presented a talk on October 14, 2010, as part of his contribution to The New Administration of a Fine Arts Education.

Matthew Higgs, presented a talk on November 17, 2010, as part of his contribution to The New Administration of a Fine Arts Education.

J. Morgan Puett, presented a talk on January 31, 2011, as part of her contribution to The New Administration of a Fine Arts Education.

Michael Mercil, presented a talk on February 2, 2011, as part of his contribution to The New Administration of a Fine Arts Education.