Tag: Paul Erschen

USF News

Art & Design Program Connects with Gary Galassi Stone & Steel

Joliet, Ill. – Educational institutions are regularly seeking ways to partner with local businesses and organizations as a way to enhance course offerings for students. For the University of St. Francis (USF) Art & Design Department, a new relationship with Gary Galassi Stone & Steel in Romeoville is creating new and exciting opportunities for students taking courses with instructor Paul Erschen, MFA.

Erschen takes regular notice of the company’s facility during his daily commute to and from USF and decided, one day, to stop in and introduce himself.

“I pass the company on my daily commute to and from Chicago. I did some research into the company and decided to stop by last month and introduce myself,” Erschen said.

He is certainly happy he decided to do so.

“General Manager Chris Galassi couldn’t have been friendlier. He gave me a tour of their facility and even invited our students for a post-pandemic site visit,” Erschen added.

During Erschen’s visit, Galassi Stone & Steel also gifted several beautiful limestone pieces to Erschen. Those pieces will be used as part of an upcoming project in the three-dimensional design course Erschen teaches at USF.

“Limestone is a traditional sculptural and architectural material, so we will use the stones as part of a ‘Reductive Sculpture’ project. Students will learn how to accurately translate two-dimensional drawings into three-dimensional, hand-carved forms. Students will use traditional stone carving tools throughout the process,” Erschen said.

Erschen also plans to share the students’ completed works with Galassi once they are completed.

“On a practical level, high quality stone is very expensive and difficult to source. In terms of an institutional relationship, this is a great way for our students to see a direct connection between art/architecture and business, and hopefully gain a critical experiential learning component. Finally, most people, let alone students, are unaware that the highly skilled art of stone carving is practiced right here in the southwest suburbs,” Erschen said.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 51,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF News

USF Introduces Midwest Art to SUSE Students in China

Joliet, Ill. –  A new University of St. Francis (USF) art and design course is bringing Midwest art to students at the Sichuan University of Science and Engineering (SUSE) in China.

USF instructors Paul Erschen, MFA, Department Chair & Associate Professor of Art & Design, and Michael Chester Costello, MFA, Professor of Art & Design, launched their new course, “The American Artist: Chicago & Beyond”, this week over Zoom to a class of approximately 50 students. The course serves to introduce the students at SUSE to the diverse range of studio practices and artistic careers found in Chicago and the Midwest.

“One focus within the course will be on new media, graphic design, performance art, and video. I will be showing works by international artists, including Matthew Barney, Yayoi Kusama, Nancy Burson, Olafur Eliasson, and Nam June Paik, among others,” Costello said.

Erschen added that the new course is part of a long-range plan that includes additional courses and students eventually taking on-campus courses at USF.

“This is a pilot course and will likely lead to additional course offerings as we move forward. For now, we want to introduce students to our teaching style, our art practices, and the careers of artists in the United States,” said Erschen.

Erschen and Costello also hope to do a seminar at the SUSE in China in 2021.

Visit stfrancis.edu/art-design to learn more about the USF Art & Design program.

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Currently celebrating 100 years of higher education rooted in Franciscan values, the University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 51,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF News

USF’s Erschen Leads Week-long Kiln Workshop in Wisconsin

Joliet, Ill. – Last month, Paul Erschen, University of St. Francis (USF) Art & Design Department Chair and Associate Professor of Visual Art, conducted a week-long Charcoal & Lime Workshop at the ACRE Artist Residency in rural Southwest Wisconsin. The labor-intensive workshop was attended by international, professional artists and involved the construction of two kilns for the manufacturing of hydrated lime (the binding agent in concrete) and hardwood charcoal.

Erschen directed the construction of an earthen lime kiln, created with straw and clay dug from Wisconsin’s Kickapoo River. The kiln firing had a strong USF connection, as Joliet limestone was super-heated above 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, thus converting it to slaked lime.

Erschen also demonstrated the construction of a steel barrel kiln for the production of hardwood charcoal, a process technically known as pyrolysis. Erschen plans to use the resultant charcoal, which was derived from Art & Design wood shop scrap wood, in a workshop with his USF students to produce drawing material and handmade oil paint.

“Both kiln firings involved close monitoring and fuel replenishment over a late-night period of four to six hours, which created a wonderful communal atmosphere,” Erschen said. “We were able to work together through the processes of preparing the firewood and monitoring kiln temperatures, while also enjoying lively conversation and s’mores.”

The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves over 4,000 students nationwide, offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 50,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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