Communication Design (COMD)

Celebrating the Life and Work of Gordon Parks

You’ve probably noticed a project popping up on the OpenLab this semester, Celebrating the Life and Work of Gordon Parks: A COMD Student Group Art Show. This project works within the college-wide Gen Ed Theme, CONNECTED. In an effort to keep City Tech connected, COMD invites all of us to a celebration of the life and work of the photographer, author, filmmaker, designer, and activist, Gordon Parks.

The curated show, led by Grace Gallery Director Professor Sara Gómez Woolley, launched officially on April 15, with some impressive artwork in a variety of media from students in the Communication Design (COMD) department. All of the work connects Gordon Parks’s powerful artwork and words to the powerful weapons–to use Gordon Parks’s term–that COMD students have used to express themselves and their vision.

The show will remain up throughout the semester and beyond, so there’s plenty of time to explore all of the great student contributions.

This week, there are two exciting Celebrating the Life and Work of Gordon Parks events:

Faculty Face Off: 4/29/21
Panel Discussion & Honors Reveal: 4/29/21

Thursday, April 29th, 12:30-2PM (Club Hours) – Faculty Face-Off

The Faculty Face Off will be a live event during club hours. It is part of a series spearheaded by Professors Josh Kapusinski and David Prusko. In the past, it was a live on campus event meant to build student engagement and departmental morale. Faculty were pitted against each other in a live design challenge in front of a screaming crowd of students. REALLY FUN! Now it’s online, and will be a great way to keep students and faculty connected and build excitement about the show.

Professors go up against each other in a creative timed design challenge themed around the philosophies and work of Gordon Parks. Students choose the best work! Come root for your favorite professor! The details will not be revealed until the challenge date. DRAMA!

Watch the live stream from the COMD YouTube channel:

To participate in the chat or heckling, login to your Gmail account.

Thursday, April 29th, 5:30-7PM – Gordon Parks Panel Discussion

Hosted by Professor George Larkins: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks

Watch the live stream from the COMD YouTube channel:

A Choice of Weapons, a panel discussion on the life, work, and impact of Gordon Parks. This is the culminating event of the COMD department-wide celebration of the life and work of this visionary creator.

Moderated by COMD Professor George Larkins, with Featured Panelists:

Dr. Marcyliena Morgan, Executive Director of the Hiphop Archive & Research Institute at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African & African American Research
Dr. Dionne M. Bennett, Assistant Professor, African American Studies Department, New York City College of Technology
Michal Raz Russo, Project Director, Gordon Parks Foundation

All voices welcome! The event organizers invite you to contribute to this panel discussion – login to your Gmail account to ask a question, share a comment, etc. For more info contact Professor George Larkins glarkins@citytech.cuny.edu.

The evening will begin by revealing the Best in Show from the exhibition of student work inspired by Gordon Parks in the Grace Gallery Online

This event is hosted by:

The Communication Design Department, City Tech
And CO sponsored by:
The General Education Theme Committee, City Tech
The Hiphop Archive & Research Institute at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African & African American Research
African American Studies Department, City Tech

In the Spotlight: COMD 2313 — Illustration 1

This week we’re highlighting Professor Sara Woolley Gómez’s course, COMD 2313: Illustration 1. Similar to other course sites, Professor Woolley Gómez has basic course information on it (syllabus and course policies). However, based on the other features on her course site, Woolley Gómez seems more inclined to use the site as a place for introducing additional features of the course and sharing student work. “Sketchbook” is such a feature that falls at the intersection of these two ambitions. Sketchbook is a place where students can upload photo essays documenting their process of creation with a particular assignment, activity or concept. In some cases these are supplemented with text-based descriptions that provide further insight into the process. In this way, Sketchbook is a good example of a digital assignment that structures space for meta-cognitive learning practices and growth. Moreover, these are shared publicly with the class and beyond, creating a space for students to think critically about public presentation and audience, and to engage peers in a discussion about learning practices and process. In addition, Woolley Gómez populates student assignment submissions under corresponding labels, creating an opportunity for students to review or engage with other student’s assignments. Lastly, there is a more general discussion page for sharing articles, illustrations and other art that may be of interest to peers. Visit Professor Sara Woolley Gómez’s course page for more!

In the Spotlight: COMD Internship Coordination Site

It’s that time of year when students are searching for internships. Luckily, Prof. Tanya Goetz’s Communication Design Internship Coordination Site is a one-stop shop designed to help students in the COMD Department find internships to meet fieldwork and study requirements. These internships can include placements at advertising agencies, graphic design firms, corporate design offices, and more. The site is self-explanatory, with pages for necessary internship documents, links to resources and databases for finding an internship such as the City Tech Professional Development Center, support for student networking, and resources for both academic and professional writing. Have no fear, students. The COMD Internship site is here.

In the Spotlight: COMD3523 – Storyboard Concepts

A class like COMD3523 – Storyboard Concepts feels like it was made to exist on the OpenLab. As students go about exploring visual storytelling in Prof. Davis’s section, they access the course site for readings, assignments, storyboard templates, and weekly recaps of lessons, complete with images, videos, and graphics. Check out the site to see what students have been up to in class, including learning to stage a set’s lighting by modeling for each other!

In the Spotlight: COMD 1167 – Type & Media

Prof. Mary Brown’s students have been blogging about typography by observing, photographing, and writing about examples they have come across in their neighborhoods. The course site also uses the new theme Twenty Fifteen, with nicely-designed custom backgrounds, and has helpful videos, handouts, and other information on typography. Check it out — you may think about your corner bodega’s kerning in a new way!

In the Spotlight: Ways of Seeing

Ways of Seeing: Adventures with Image & Text

“Ways of Seeing” is a First Year Learning Community for ADGA students who are taking Professor Jenna Spevak’s Graphic Design Principles I and Professor Jody Rosen’s English Composition I courses. Students are creatively reflecting on the world around them through image and text, from New York City more generally, to local field trips, City Tech, the view from their window, and more. The course site is well-structured, making it easy to browse through the projects for both courses. Students have also created ePortfolios, which can be accessed from the course profile. Do take a look at their great work!

Tag: Communication Design (COMD)