LV students - 2nd meeting

Here You can see some pictures from our meetings, discusing about this project and deciding what we are going to do.

photo: štrāle (Ieva Strale)

Press release about the project

Exchange project to produce international photography exhibit

RELEASED: March 11, 2010

EAU CLAIRE — The Latvian exchange project "Cultural Perceptions 2010" will involve students from Latvia and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire collaborating to design an international photography exhibit. The goal is to share and interpret visual culture between the United States and Latvia.

Eva Ikstena, Dace Jaundaldere and Liene Indrane, Latvian exchange students at UW-Eau Claire, presented information on the history and peoples of Latvia and selected music they feel represents Latvian culture. UW-Eau Claire advanced photography students will interpret the music through a series of photographs. Likewise, Latvian Culture College instructor Gunta Anderson will direct her art students in their interpretation of an innovative mix of music provided by UW-Eau Claire students.

According to Jyl Kelley, assistant professor of photography, the project combines scholarly research with faculty-student collaboration in a global setting and will require an extraordinary amount of teamwork to produce the exhibit.

In culmination of the project, a series of photographs will be displayed at the Latvian Culture College and the Museum of Foreign Art in Riga, Latvia, and in Haas Fine Arts Center at UW-Eau Claire this spring. Specific dates will be determined later.

The three Latvian exchange students, along with Kelley, will facilitate translation for students from both countries and make collaborative decisions with UW-Eau Claire students regarding the installation of the final exhibits.

Advanced photography students participating in the project are senior Megan Ekenstedt, Chippewa Falls; senior Lydia Gantert, Wausau; junior Andrew Immerman, Eau Claire; senior Rachel Konsella, Eau Claire; junior Milana Lazic, Serbia; senior Kailey Mezera, Anoka, Minn.; senior Kimberly Roffers, Ashland; and senior Glenn Terpstra, Bloomington, Minn. Students participating from the Latvia Culture College in Riga, Latvia, are Aivars Ivbulis, Ieva Štrāle, Madara Eglīte, Dāvis Valbaks, Sandra Āriņa, Sandra Kaņepe, Jānis Vīksna and Rūdolfs Rancāns.

The project was organized by the Baltic Student Organization and supported through a faculty-student collaborative grant from UW-Eau Claire. For more information about the project, contact Ikstena at 715-797-2144 or Kelley atkelleyja@uwec.edu

Abstraction

Hello, I am Eva (Latvian girl, philosophy student in UWEC 2009/2010)

I had a small conversation yesterday with one of the photo students from UWEC involved in this project. She was concerned that she is not able to take a picture from Latvia (how can I show Latvia if I am not there?) That made me think that this project is a great abstraction.

How easy it is to perceive the music and display it in a photography? Both songs have a lot of cultural elements which makes it even harder.

I have always thought that artists have very sensitive souls and they can feel different levels in music, sculptures, paintings, air... I am excited to see what are you going to catch in these songs!

Our class discussing the song created by Andy

Music!

Hello Latvia!

Today in class we decided on the music we're sending you.

The file can be played and downloaded from this link.

www.drop.io/latviamix


We're excited to hear your thoughts!


Andy Immerman

Project Outline

Latvian Exchange Project Outline: 

“Cultural Perceptions” 2010

Objective:  To share and interpret visual culture between American and Latvian college students that stretches scholarly and professional boundaries of photographic vision and personal understanding within a faculty and student collaborative environment.  College students from Latvia and America will observe Latvian and American culture via guest lectures, music, individual research, and online correspondence in an attempt to image another culture.  To broaden the possibilities and perspectives of students with a worldview of visual art and culture and to encourage joint research that opens the door for international creative endeavors.

The Project: Latvian and American photography students will collaborate in the development and design of an international photographic exhibit. A partnership created between the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and Cultural Studies, at Latvia Culture College, (Latvijas Kultūras Koledža), enhances the shared cultural exchange that will benefit both communities.  Students from both schools have selected music for the other to interpret through photographs.

The Blog: A website created to share information and correspondance between students and faculty from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and Latvijas Kultūras Koledža while working together from distant locations.

Latvian exchange students from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire; Eva Ikstena, Dace Jaundaldere and Liene Indrade are the link between these two schools and vital components in the development of this project.


Below are the lyrics to the song sent to the UWEC American students from Latvia:

SUN, THUNDER, DAUGAVA (SAULE, PĒRKONS, DAUGAVA) 

The Sun set down Latvia

Where the ends of the Earth meet

The white sea and the green land,

And Latvia possessed the key to the gate. 

The Daugava is our guardian,

But foreign foes broke the gate

And the key fell into the sea. 

Blue-lightning thunder struck

And took the key from the devils,

Latvia locked up death alive

With the white sea and the green land. 

The sun set down Latvia

On the edge of the white sea,

The wind blew the sand,

What could Latvia’s children drink? 

Water of life, water of death,

Flowed together in the Daugava,

I dipped my finger in the water

And felt both in my soul. 

Water of life, water of death,

We feel both in our souls. 

The Sun is our mother,

The Daugava soothes our pain,

Thunder is the thrasher of devils

And is our father.

Welcome to the Cultural Perceptions Blogsite!