Brookie images of Santa Barbara appear on flat-screen tv's throughout the airport. Image provided by ProDIGIQ.
Brooks Institute has recently partnered with a company called ProDIGIQ, Inc. to complete a wonderful visual project with the Santa Barbara Airport. As of January 1, 2009, Brooks Institute’s students and alumni are showcasing their work of the Greater Santa Barbara Area through digital video content and dynamic slideshows of still photography on huge flat screen TVs throughout the Santa Barbara Airport. More than 1 million passengers use the Santa Barbara Airport every year. This is such a tremendous opportunity for the students and alumni to exhibit their talent and creative work at the airport. Next time you’re in the Santa Barbara Terminal, make sure to look up, and view the wonderful images of our students!
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Airport, Brooks Institute, Santa Barbara
Photo Credit: Paul Myers
Brooks Institute Alumni Matt Mallams and Elyse Butler displayed photographs, scrapbooks, and video footage as part of the opening reception for, If the Way is Open.
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Elyse Butler, Matt Mallams, Multimedia, Photography, Public Gallery, Visions Gallery
Photo Credit: Paul Myers
During the artist reception for the gallery opening of If the Way is Open held on January 22nd, Ventura Gallery Director Jesse Groves and I presented Marriott Ventura Beach General Manager Pat Seminario with a plaque to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Visions Gallery. The unique joint partnership between Brooks and the Marriott to establish a public art gallery at this premier Ventura hotel has been a great success for both parties.
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California, Marriott, Public Gallery, Ventura Beach, Visions Gallery
Photo credit: Austin Bockelman
On Tuesday, January 20, the Brooks Institute Student Council sponsored an open forum for all students to meet with the President, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Program Directors. Over 40 students attended Pizza with the President. This informal get-together was held in the Ventura Campus Screening Room.
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Brooks Institute, Student Council, Ventura
Last week I met with Professional Photography program student Benjamin L. Ariff, who serves as president of the 10-member Brooks Institute Student Council. Benjamin proposed that we form a group of faculty, staff, and students to identify and implement ways to make Brooks Institute “greener”. Curiously, I had just finished reading Thomas L. Friedman’s fascinating #1 bestseller, Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need A Green Revolution – And How It Can Renew America. Benjamin and I agreed to form a Brooks Institute Green Team that he would chair and Controller Tim Halsey would co-chair. I will meet with this new group at its first meeting in early February to provide it with a charge and focus. Brooks Institute is already involved with many green initiatives but there is plenty of room for improvement. Specifically, the Green Team will want to review “best practices” used by other colleges and companies throughout the United States. The Green Team can then determine what is applicable and appropriate for our school and how these may be implemented at one or more of our six campuses in Santa Barbara and Ventura. Stay tuned for updates!
Related to our green theme, three-time Emmy award winning Film & Video Production Program faculty member Tracy Trotter will premier his film, Green from the Ground Up, at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival next week. Tracy’s film documents the building of a modern-day “green” home. He worked on this project with Brookies Blair Madigan and Nick Passick.
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Documentaries, Film and Video Production, Film Education, Going Green, Green Education, Green from the Ground Up, Green Schools, Movies, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, SBIFF, Trotter Productions
One of the top news stories last week was the U.S. Airways plane that landed safely in the Hudson River in New York. On Thursday, January 15, more than 150 passengers found themselves in the frigid Hudson River off Manhattan after the jet apparently hit a flock of birds and lost both engines. The pilot made an incredible landing with no major injuries to anyone on board the plane.
Eric’s dramatic and fantastic pictures prove the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
Another Brookie who demonstrates the Brooks Institute values of “passion, vision, and excellence”.
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Eric Thayer, New York Times, Photography, Sportsshooter.com, U.S. Airways, Visual Journalism
Image by Matt Mallams
We invite the public to attend the artist reception for If the Way is Open at our Visions Gallery in the Marriott Ventura Beach on Thursday, January 22 from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. This exhibit portrays the ebb and flow of life as seen by two Brooks alumni, Matt Mallams and Elyse Butler. The Marriott is providing food and beverages and covers parking in the hotel lot for the reception. This should be a fun evening for everyone.
The public is also invited to attend the next exhibit at Brooks Institute’s Gallery 27 located at our Cota Street campus (located at 27 East Cota Street in downtown Santa Barbara). Under the Sea showcases unique underwater images created by our students and graduates. This stunning multimedia exhibit details the elegance and fluid motion of life captured underwater. The artist reception is scheduled for Thursday, February 5 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. As I mentioned in my last posting, Brooks Institute is a major player in the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization’s First Thursday art celebration and gallery tour each month. Refreshments will be served at the February 5th reception.
Several people have contacted me regarding information about Brooks Institute’s accreditation. Brooks has institutional accreditation from the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), a national accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Several years ago the school decided to move to “regional” accreditation through the Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC). Obtaining WASC accreditation is a comprehensive and lengthy process that involves three distinct stages. In August 2008 Brooks achieved Eligibility, the first stage. The school is presently engaged in satisfying the requirements of the second stage and hopes to achieve Candidacy by the end of 2009. We would then focus our efforts to obtaining the third and final stage of Initial Accreditation. We optimistically expect that our school would complete the third stage and then become WASC accredited by the end of 2010. However, I must stress that this process is quite complicated and dynamic and may require more time to complete than we anticipate at this time. Once Brooks becomes WASC accredited, we would then not continue our accreditation with ACICS. I welcome any questions or comments you have on this matter. Please feel free to comment on this blog.
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Accreditation, Art, Brooks Institute, Exhibits, Gallery, Santa Barbara, Ventura
In addition to providing a unique and personal perspective on Brooks Institute, I will be posting comments during updates of the blog.
Although Brooks Institute has held over 300 graduations in its 63-year history (six ceremonies annually!), the commencement held on Sunday, December 21, 2008 was quite special. Accomplished actor, author, film director, and photographer Leonard Nimoy was the featured speaker. Mr. Nimoy’s funny and insightful remarks were enthusiastically received by the large crowd at the historic Arlington Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara. Mr. Nimoy also shared over 30 photographic images from his illustrious career. He expressed sincere appreciation to receiving an honorary Master of Fine Arts degree in photography from Brooks Institute.
This bright sunny and unusually warm morning in Santa Barbara will definitely be memorable for the 63 graduates as well as their families and friends. (At our next commencement on Sunday, March 1, 2009, Lynda Weinmann (of lynda.com fame) will be our featured speaker.)
Brooks Institute has over 11,000 alumni – called “Brookies” who live and work around the globe. Alumni reunions have recently been held in New York City, Chicago, and Southern California. The Alumni Association of Brooks Institute is an active, vibrant organization coordinated by a 10-member Board of Directors, whose members are located throughout the United States. During graduation ceremonies, I frequently quote the classic last line from The Eagles’ hit Hotel California, “You can check out anytime you want but you can never leave.” Such is the case with Brooks Institute alumni: once a Brookie, always a Brookie!
Did you know that Brooks Institute has a fantastic public gallery at the Marriott Ventura Beach hotel called The Visions Gallery? Six different shows are displayed each year with an opening reception featuring the artist. We also have a public gallery at our Cota Street campus in downtown Santa Barbara. Brooks Institute’s Gallery 27 is one of the most popular stops for people participating in Santa Barbara’s 1st Thursday celebration. Student work is also exhibited at the Jefferson and Ventura campuses.
I will be updating this blog twice each week. Please click back in frequently to stay in touch with us!
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Brooks Institute, Gallery 27, Photography, Photography Schools, Visions Gallery
