Continuing the Conversation: A Philip Johnson Glass House & MFA Interaction Design Partnership
November 19, 2009
The MFA in Interaction Design at the School of Visual Arts is committed to providing students with unique and exciting opportunities beyond the walls of the studio. A recent partnership with the Philip Johnson Glass House will further this commitment to six of its inaugural students in an engagement that will challenge each student with a variety of opportunities.
This past week, the student team was invited to the Glass House in an “immersion trip” to better understand the historical significance of Philip Johnson and his vision for the Glass House. They were joined by faculty mentor, Jason Santa Maria, and department chair, Liz Danzico.
Four members of the student team approaching the Glass House on their tour. (From left to right: Eric St. Onge, Russ Maschmeyer, Derek Chan, Katie Koch)
The morning half of the visit consisted of a private tour of the 47-acre property where the Glass House is situated. With the autumn leaves falling and the sun just peeking through the otherwise overcast sky, the team was treated to a breathtaking demonstration of how the emotional experience of a natural landscape can curate a conversation.
Russ Maschmeyer taking a break in the Glass House.
During the afternoon, the team met with the Glass House staff to discuss the vision for the new project. Using the collection of valuable content captured from past conversations in the Glass House, the team knew they were beginning a very special undertaking. Check back frequently over the course of the next few months to see what the student team will be doing to “continue the conversation.” The team will be live-blogging the project’s progress.
All photos are taken by Jason Santa Maria. For more photos, see his Flickr page.
