Freedom & Ourselves
2022
Each media art student focused on one of the topics regarding freedom and social justice that was researched by a visual art student/s. They explored the topic from its origins to current state. They learned about the causes, key figures involved and resolutions. As they investigated, students were asked to pull out important words that carry meaning and weight in regard to their topic. Using various typography, students designed their words. They used the stop motion animation technique and a green screen to depict the words as a story. By moving, tearing, crumbling and animating, they were able to emphasize a storyline. Students then used Adobe Premiere to place the visual art students’ linocut portrait behind their animation, merging the still image and animation into a unified video file. Then, they used the motion workspace in Adobe Photoshop to rotoscope on top of the video. Students intentionally left a brief still of the linocut portrait before and after their animation to pay tribute to the key figure as well as give the opportunity for the visual art students’ work to be seen as it was created.
QC Metro Arts
Lead Artist
Quad City Arts: Metro Arts 2018 Mural at K&K Hardware in Bettendorf "Metro Arts brings together artistically talented young adults and provides them with productive, creative, paid apprenticeships in the arts." https://www.quadcityarts.com/metro
Synergetic Spaces
Studio 1 Installation at the Figge Art Museum
Lead Artist, 2019
Colleen Tomlinson created the wall design that envelopes the exhibit space. It symbolizes interconnectivity while giving presence to the natural environment around us.
When approaching this project, we asked ourselves…
How can we design an interactive space inspired by the themes found in Vanessa German’s work?
How can we reach a diverse audience and communicate the spaces we value in our community?
Community spaces welcome opportunities to play and connect with others. As we share community spaces we also share the responsibility to protect them. We invite you to share your reflections about spaces you cherish in our community and take a moment to think about how you can protect them.
Inviting Visitors
Visitors invited to be a part of this sculpture installation.
The mosaic tiles lead them into the house structure.
Interactive Installation
Visitors invited to be a part of this sculpture installation.
What spaces do you value in our community?
What do you wish to protect?
Write down your response and carefully fold it up.
Colleen Tomlinson and Heidi Hernandez guided students through a myriad of artistic processes to design this exhibit.
Living Memory
Awakening the Past and Connecting
Studio 1 Installation at the Figge Art Museum
Lead Artist, 2020
What is a memory? To some it may be abstract to some it may be lucid. Memories keep the past close to us. Due to their abstract nature they evoke curiosity. Memories are integrated into our daily lives; they shape who we are and who we become.
How do memories build connections? Through our past experiences, we connect and relate to one another. We invite you to participate in the construction of an evolving artwork. This collaborative installation represents memories and the connections they form. How will you build connections through the act of sharing your memory?
Sixth grade students from The Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities explore the ways color, shape and pattern express mood, time, and place.
Students were posed with the following essential questions:
How can we design an interactive space that is inspired by the themes found in Didier William’s work?
How can we communicate our memories within a museum space?
How do memories and personal experiences build connections within our community?
How can our installation exhibit reach a diverse audience?
Students investigated their memories through a variety of artmaking processes. Now, you are invited to explore these artistic processes as you consider different ways to represent your memory.
This rotoscoping animation project was inspired by the students’ memories. They reflected upon memories that have impacted their lives, whether they were happy, enjoyable, emotional, harsh, scary or a mixture of emotions. Various patterns were used to express the different feelings, and then they were animated in a sequence to share.
Warsaw Ghetto Stories
Warsaw Ghetto Stories is a collaborative production by the 7th and 8th grade dance, theatre, music, visual arts and communication and media arts students at The Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities. Students focus was on the personal stories and journeys during WWII that surrounded the Warsaw Ghetto and the heroic acts of Irena Sendler.
I led communication and media arts students as they produced rotoscoped animations to accompany a dance performance. I supported the recording, editing and production of all footage.
Heritage Community Mural
Lead Artist
The Heritage for Elderly, Disabled or Handicapped
Davenport, Iowa, 2016-2018
Diverting Waste
An Educational Grant from Scott County Waste Commission supported a collaborative, student designed bottle cap mural. We diverted over 2,300 plastic caps from our local landfill. K-12th grade students participated in this project.
