studioELL artist from London, GB, Winter 2021
F405i Special Projects: Social Engagement & Collaborations: Building Your Project’s Road Map
Q: What does asynchronous and synchronous mean? Can you give me an example of what a possible course schedule might look like (for example: dates of the course, dates/times of synchronous meetings, if any)?
A: Asynchronous course sessions allow enrolled artists to complete course material on their own time. Deadlines are provided and all course materials (weekly assignments, uploaded content etc.) are shared in the Online Studio.
Synchronous courses, led by the professor, meet in real-time via Zoom. Meeting times are scheduled and posted prior to the start of the course to ensure all enrolled artists are able to join. Synchronous meetings allow for more in-depth conversation or impromptu and spontaneous discussion. Course materials for synchronous sessions will also be uploaded for discussion in the Online Studio. Studio visits and presentations may also be scheduled during synchronous meetings.
Example course schedule:
D101i Drawing 1 Intensive — ONLINE
June 07 — July 26, 2021
Monday, 2-3.30pm (Eastern/US)
8 Weeks / 8 Sessions
June 07 — ASYNCHRONOUS: information provided in the Online Studio in addition to welcome email from professor; no live meeting.
June 14 & 28, July 12 & 26 — SYNCHRONOUS: enrolled artists and professor meet live via Zoom, 7p-8p (classes are recorded and uploaded to Online Studio).
June 21, July 05 & 19 — ASYNCHRONOUS: information (assignments/prompts/deadlines) posted in Online Studio; no live meeting.
Q: What is a typical class size @ studioELL?
A: Class sizes vary. studioELL averages a class size of five enrolled artists. Courses may run with as few as two. Depending on the course, we typically cap each course enrollment at eight. Minimum and maximum available slots are determined by the course professor.
Q: My internet connection is a little spotty. What should I do?
A: There are many factors that may effect your internet and wifi connection. Have a look here are some troubleshooting tips for anyone experiencing wifi connectivity issues from your at-home studio.
Q: What can I expect to get out of a studioELL class? Is more emphasis placed on skill development and craft, learning how to develop/revise my own work, or being in community with other artists, providing critique and feedback?
A: We hope that you get a multitude of experiences from your studioELL course. We focus on building upon practice, enriching your existing studio work, while helping to push you in new directions. Courses are set up to offer critiques both in the Online Studio with enrolled artists, as well as with the professor, where your own skills will be honed and new ones developed. No matter the course, your curiosity and autonomy will guide your learning process. If you want to learn new techniques, or further develop specific aspects of your practice, it’s always OK to ask your course cohort or the professor to discuss with you.
studioELL artist from New York, NY, Summer 2020
F402i Developing Practice: Independent Study
Q: Are there any one-on-one opportunities to study with professors?
A: studioELL offers independent studies throughout the year, as well as studio visits, with select professors; both opportunities allow for more individualized feedback. We are also developing a mentoring program which will be similar to the independent study course offering but allow more flexibility in both frequency and duration. Please contact us with questions or for more information.
Q: How much feedback and support will we receive from professors?
A: The frequency differs between courses and professors. Typically you will receive feedback each week or after each course session. The frequency differs between courses and professors, but a full schedule will be available in the course guide, which you will receive before the start of your course. Once the course guide has been circulated you will have access to your professor. Before enrolling, you can always reach out to us and we can help answer questions, or put you in touch with the professor directly.
Q: Do professors have ‘office hours’? What are the expectations/boundaries around working with professors and contacting them during the course?
A: All professors maintain office hours which are clearly noted on each course guide. During that allotted time, professors can be reached through their preferred method. Typically, all you need to do is reach out to your professor via email and arrange a meeting time. It is important to us that you feel supported and comfortable approaching your professor for guidance when needed.
Q: How long will I have access to the Online Studio and any materials or lectures stored there? Can I stay in contact with my classmates beyond/outside the class?
A: You will typically have access to all course material throughout the entirety of the course and up to two months after your course has ended. We recommend downloading all pertinent information from the course that you wish to keep. We maintain an archive of all course materials, so if you are unable to locate something, we should be able to retrieve it.
studioELL believes in building networks. We ask all enrolled artists if they are comfortable sharing emails with the course group, and will make those available to each enrolled artist so that you can maintain relationships outside and after the course.
Q: What if I can’t keep up with the course work or am unable to meet the expectations of the course?
A: Unfortunately, because we are an artist-to-artist network, and we aim to pay our professors up-front at the start of courses, course refunds are not available. If there is an exceptional or unforeseen circumstance where you might need to take a leave and/or be unable to finish a course, we will work with you on an individual basis and make sure an appropriate agreement is reached. This might take the form of a partial course credit and/or offer to complete course work at a later date with your professor.
studioELL artist from Nashville, TN, Spring 2020
F405i Special Projects: Creating Your Archive
Q: Who should I contact with website/platform/technical questions?
A: Before the start of each course, you will receive full instructions on how to access and use the studioELL platform. At any time, if you have questions, Agnes Álvarez, our website/technical guru is available at mail@studioELL.org to answer all your technical questions. Specific questions about your course should always be directed to your professor.
Q: I’m a little nervous about sharing my work and I’ve never provided feedback or critique to other artists; are there any guidelines, or helpful ground rules, I should know?
A: studioELL wishes to allow autonomy in the classroom, so different professors will have different ways in which they like to critique. Critiquing is a skill learned over time, enhanced by your understanding and fluency of visual language. If you are having difficulty, we ask that you reach out to your professor to discuss how they would prefer to work on this as a group. Often, listening to how others in the course approach this will help you learn ways of talking about work.
Q: Do courses ever get cancelled? I understand that you don’t give refunds mid-course, but what happens if my course has been cancelled?
A: We always hope that our courses fill and that we can run our outlined programming each term. Minimum enrollee requirements are determined by each professor for each specific course. Our typical enrollee minimum is three but courses may run with as few as two. (These numbers do not typically affect independent studies, mentorships or studio visits.) If a course has less than four enrolled artists, studioELL will reach out to those enrolled to be sure they are made aware of this in case they were hoping for a larger group dynamic. At that point, artists will have the chance to either opt into, or out of the course. A full refund will be offered to artists who opt out of the course. Full refunds will be given to all enrolled artists if studioELL cancels a course due to low enrollment.