Female Expat Project

Friday, January 04, 2019

Fulbright Global Scholar Award: Final Post

-->

This is the last blog post for my 3-country Fulbright. Awarded one of the Fulbright’s first Global Scholar Awards in 2016, I traveled to Germany, Chile and China from 2017 to 2018 and returned from the last leg in Hong Kong less than two weeks ago.

Sneakaway Studio. The Speed of Thinking. 2019 mobile game. https://sneakaway.studio/the-speed-of-thinking

I write this post as a way of giving back to the Fulbright community and future applicants. Major thanks also to the many people who supported me during this experience: Owen and Sophia Mundy, Jan and Joel Dietrick, Davidson College (the Jay Hurt Hub, Mark Sample, Katie St Clair), The Fulbright and through them, Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg, Peter Kroeger Claussen at Pontificia Universidad Católica in Valparaíso, National Archives of Chile in Santiago, Ozge Ersoy and David Smith at the Asia Art Archive, Penn State University, Drexel University, North Carolina Arts Council, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and The MacDowell Colony.

With several major exhibitions approaching (more on my news page), I’ve shifted into studio brain, with which writing comes less easily…but if you are still reading, you are likely thinking of applying to a Fulbright. In the spirit of end-of-year lists, here’s my end-of-Fulbright points to consider:

- 1) Be honest about your strengths and what will put you into a productive state of flow. In all three locations, what stuck with me was the landscapes, each city's infrastructure, the people I met and observed on my walks, my basic routines like getting groceries. Other highlights include:

o Germany

§ Michael Kress at Port Journeys

§ The people I met at the Gästehaus der Universität Hamburg

§ Missing Keller Easterling on the boat MS Stubnitz in Baakenhöft, HafenCity but instead encountering Marcus Rediker on hydrarchy

§ Seeing Laurie Anderson introduced by Wim Winders

§ The tour of the Speicherstadt and Hafen City by Urban Planner Thorsten Gödtel during which we learned about architecture that anticipated the inevitable, rising sea levels

§ Biking through the port with Owen

§ Learning Blender / prepping models for our new mobile game The Speed of Thinking

o Chile

§ My artist talk at Pontificia UniversidadCatólica in Valparaíso

§ A visit to PUCV’s architecture program with PUCV Professor Peter Kroeger Claussen

§ Lunch at the Open City of Amereida

§ Valparaiso, a city of murals

§ Having PUCV Professor Peter Kroeger Claussen as the kindest host ever

o Hong Kong

§ Walking up the Morning Trail after long work days finishing our first mobile game The Speed of Thinking

§ Meeting Ozge Ersoy and David Smith from the Asia Art Archive

§ Starting a new game about my 8-year old daughter navigating this Fulbright

- 2) For me to be productive as a digital artist, I need to get away from my computer to move around and have a big monitor as an extension of my laptop. Think about what you need to make your work and arrange for this in advance.

- 3) Being in the center of a large cultural hub fed my artwork, but if I ever apply again, I’m curious about what it’s like to be in a smaller community.

- 4) Important: if you have small children and you cannot work with them by your side, gravitate to year-long programs and email past participants before you choose your cities to see what school options are available. Also ask them if the Fulbright funding will allow you to get housing big enough to accommodate a family. Sometimes most ideal is university-subsidized housing sponsored by your host university. Get the answer to all of these questions before you apply.

Overall, my Fulbright experience was a life-changing experience that has taken my work to the next level, but it was a lot of work. The upside to this award is the cross-culture comparisons, but the downside is that you can multiply your administrative tasks by the number of countries involved. Please take that into consideration and plan wisely.

-->

Good luck! I look forward to reviewing Fulbright applications in the future. In the meantime, if you are near Philadelphia, please come to our opening and panel discussion at Drexel University’s LeoPearlstein gallery on Wednesday, February 13, 2019. If you are not near Philadelphia, please download and playtest our first, humble mobile game The Speed of Thinking. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Happy 2019.

More about my Fulbright Global Scholar Award to Germany, Chile and Hong Kong
More about the Fulbright Global Scholar Award in general

Monday, December 18, 2017

Fulbright Global Scholar Award in Chile: Day 14-18 - Production Blur

Days 14-18 were a production blur. This 3-country Fulbright has offered dislocation-as-catalyst in profound ways, but planning for travel to three countries is a challenge. Furthermore, I feel paralyzed by all this change without my family. This program is excellent for making connections and doing preliminary research, but is not ideal for production. Just FYI for all future applicants. Know your stage in the process.

More about my Fulbright Global Scholar Award to Germany, Chile and Hong Kong
More about the Fulbright Global Scholar Award in general