Making Research a Child’s Game

Posted on March 30, 2014 by sreicis

If children learn through play, why can’t college students do the same? In Villa Maria College Interior Design Studio 5 students are challenged to re-design an early childhood education center. According to the standards of design development research is a critical phase. It’s not uncommon for this phase to be completed through reading and study. But there’s nothing like testing your own theories and observing human reaction. It intrinsically connects the researcher to their work . Motivation becomes stronger. Results grow in significance. In the end the designers gain greater understanding of their primary user group and provide design solutions that surpass text book study. How is this accomplished? Simple child’s play. In order to understand how a child will learn through play the college students designed and fabricated a toy with a specific learning objective. Then it was tested…. on a 4 year old. This also tested their knowledge and assumptions of the cognitive and physical abilities of their test group… the 4 year old. Each student had expectations of how the toy would be engaged, what would interest the child, if the learning objective would be met, and if the toy had appeal. When you’re dealing with a 4 year old results are very honest and research findings are authentic. The benefit of this research project is the quality of design that is evident in the final project. The deeper understanding of the 4 year old and the connection to original research motivates the designer and provides critical insights. And as a bonus….toys that were appropriate were donated to the Bethel Head Start facility that is used for this design project.

Promoting Excellence in Art and Design with a Featured Artists’ Program

Posted on March 22, 2014 by sreicis

This year marked the beginning of an annual honor for two student artists of distinction attending Villa Maria College. Nominated by the Art Department faculty and selected by Sandra Reicis, Art Department Chair, the featured student artists for the 2013/2014 academic year are Valerie Kasinski from Photography and Bonnie Mack from Graphic Design. This program of recognition is a celebration of excellence in Art and Design. At a recent reception a year-long student exhibit was officially opened and Valerie and Bonnie each received the Chair Award. Pictured above is President Sister Marcella Marie Garus (center) with Bonnie Mack (left) and Valerie Kasinski (right). These students serve as role-models for their fellow peers and ambassadors for the art and design programs at Villa Maria College. The year long displays are in the East and West Reception Rooms located adjacent to the main lobby of the college. Pictured at right is one of Valerie’s photographs entitled Whitney, Mount Baldy, CA. Featured at right is Bonnie Blues, a Visual Communications Branding Project for a fictitious clothing company, designed and fabricated by Bonnie Mack. The call for next year’s featured artists has gone out. All students in a Villa Maria College Art Department Program are eligible to be nominated.

Visiting a Masterpiece….Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob

Posted on March 20, 2014 by sreicis

Although I take my sophomore class to Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob each year, I honestly say that it never grows old. This tradition has continued for over 10 years and it can be said that we have a pretty good system right now. The size of this year’s group put us into two separate tour groups. Pictured at left outside Fallingwater are Sara Rozeski, Kaeli Bigelow, Elena Pellegrino and Melissa Wheeler. The visit coincides with a studio project that explores residential design, domesticity and serving the needs of the those who reside in the space. Students are challenged to re-think what a home should be and inspired to create the home of the future. Sustainability and Universal Design are two factors that need to be incorporated, but the ‘idea’ of home is what generates much thought… as well as much thinking ‘outside of the box’. Whether you love Wright’s designs or not, I think everyone would agree that you would not consider these homes to be inside a box. Even more enjoyable is the wonderful sculpture garden installed by current owners, Lord and Lady Palumbo. Works on display include Andy Goldsworthy, Claes Oldenburg, and Sir Anthony Caro among others. The Red Army (1991) by British artist Ray Smith is in Painted Steel. Two section of the Berlin Wall are also on display.

The IIDEX Tradition….change is on the way

Posted on March 19, 2014 by sreicis

For as long as I have been at Villa Maria College….and long before I joined the faculty we have taken our students to IIDEX , Toronto in September. We started with a caravan of cars….making the trek from Buffalo to Toronto. Sometimes we stayed overnight to broaden our experience. Change was not new to us. We had to adjust to stricter rules at the border and required students to have passports or enhanced driver’s licenses. But we were always able to make it work. Students would sometimes be unprepared…and take a chance at the border, hoping their student ID and a Red Cross card would be sufficient to demonstrate good character. In the end we always made it there and back….with everyone in tow. Most recently we started renting a bus and opened the trip to all students, faculty and alumni. We would select an iconic destination for an afternoon tour. This year it was the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) where students marvelled at the Frank Gehry renovations, including the staircase that inspires romance. This always marked the start of the Fall semester. But as I said…change is on the way, and IIDEX 2014 will be held in December. Not only do we have to think about the weather (and if this winter taught us anything it was the power of the polar vortex) but the December dates will come a week before the end of classes. That means it will come immediately before finals, and immediately before final critique. So I think that change is on the way for us as well….. Our students learned a tremendous amount at IIDEX, bringing us back year after year. Even though a few exhibitors were not welcoming to students, most were…and the students remembered them. They worked at forging relationships with the representatives and specified those products in their projects. As professionals they continued to gravitate to furniture, fixtures and materials that they were familiar with. So….looking forward we will make sure that our students not lose the learning experience. We will likely be replacing IIDEX Canada with a field trip that works with the academic calendar…..but losing a beloved tradition will be difficult.

A Class Visit to Phipps Conservatory

Posted on March 18, 2014 by sreicis

Integrating field trips into the studio experience is both educationally beneficial and just out right fun. In the interior design program at Villa Maria College we combine experiential activities with assignments and projects. It not only improves student learning but inspires students to think beyond their normal visions and explore new ideas. Finding inspiration is not always a simple task. Developing a solid concept will take a pragmatically sound project and move it into a new world of creativity and innovation. The sophomore studio, which is Interior Design Studio 2, went in search of inspiration for a sustainably designed home focused on universal design principles at the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA. Included in our tour was a visit to the new Center for Sustainable Landscapes. The center explores water purification as well as alternative energy sources. A vertical wind turbine provides energy but is also safer for birds and produces less noise as well. The purified water is then used to water the plants. The center is a tremendous support to the mission of the conservatory. The students were able to see the introduction of a sustainable strategy followed through to application and environmental benefit. This is one of the ‘greenest’ botanical centers in the country. At Phipps the botanical displays are complimented with glass art that is designed and fabricated not only by the world famous Dale Chihuly, but also by many talented local artists as well. This creates a synergy as well as a balance between the beauty of the natural world and the beauty created by the artist’s hand. In the succulent room a playful Dale Chihuly is suspended from the ceiling, accentuating the prickliness of the botanical display. Local artist Gary Guydosh has created the installation ‘Wonderland’ where we see both flora and fauna interpreted in glass.

Service Learning Through the ASID Student Club

Posted on March 17, 2014 by sreicis

How do you make Service Learning fun? It starts with a project that puts a smile on your face. The annual Festival of Trees to benefit Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo is a joyous event that exudes joy, wonder and design excellence. A perennial favorite with the Interior Design students at Villa Maria College, this year’s project was a truly collaborative affair. Pictured above are Harrison Walsh, Jillian Schultz, Kim Ewing and Tara Clack. Our unique wreath display was inspired by the classic Christmas poem, “T’was the Night Before Christmas”. We had sugar plums and stockings, ornaments and elves a jolly Santa and even a tiny mouse. To top off the activity we attended the Designer Showcase Reception at the Hyatt Hotel in Buffalo.

Corks and Forks with Villa Students

Posted on March 14, 2014 by sreicis

Heritage Centers hosted a unique fund raising event that called upon the local design community to create beautiful table scapes that would then be auctioned. Interior Design firm Reicis and Associates were pleased to participate with the help of Villa Maria College interior design students Jillian Schultz and Kim Ewing. At the Villa Glass Atelier, beautiful, one-of-a-kind functional, glass art pieces were designed and fabricated. The buzz on the floor was that this was a crowd favorite. The party was an amazing success and Heritage Centers were able to raise a significant amount of money. The Villa students were able to earn both professional development hours as well as service learning hours.

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Monthly Archives: March 2014