Alle School of Fine Arts and Design
Donation protected
Dear family, old and new friends, please help me launch a Graphic Design program at Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
Alle (also spelled Ale) is Ethiopia’s oldest (and only degree program in Art) fine arts institution and feted for its Painting, Illustration, Print Making and Sculpture programs. Most of Ethiopia’s long list of famous contemporary modern artists including (a tiny sample and in no particular order) Gebre Kristos Desta , Bekele Mekonnen, Tadesse Mesfin, Mezgebu Tessema, Dawit Abebe, Desta Hagos, Eskunder Bogossian, Wossene Kossorf, Achamyele Debela , and others with renown attended the Alle School.
My name is Guenet Abraham. I am an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the Visual Arts Department. My Graphic Design MFA is from Yale School of Fine Arts. I was awarded a Fulbright Core fellowship for research and teaching for 2017-18. Since September 2017, I have been teaching Alle’s first formal graphic design courses. I am pleased to say that the program has been so successful that I was awarded a second Fulbright for 2018-19.
Here is a link to a feature about my time in Ethiopia: Guenet Abraham receives Fulbright awards to teach graphic design and research a multimedia project in Ethiopia
I was born and lived in Ethiopia until my family fled in 1974 — settling in the US in 1976 — to escape the murderous communist dictatorship of Mengistu Haile Mariam .
How you can help: Graphic design is a global digital profession that uses Apple computers overwhelmingly. Alle currently lacks that physical infrastructure.
Alle students are well-positioned to enter varied professional design/art fields. By their third-year, they have a strong foundation in illustration, painting and color study. Attached photos are samples of class work done for the most part by 1st and 2nd year students. The portrait drawings are all done by a single first year student as part of course work. The black and white line studies are also done by one first year student, all by hand. Students are required to present a body of work for each course and each assignment at the end of the semester.
While I have jump-started the school’s graphic design program, the lack of digital infrastructure (no Wi-Fi, aged computers that were donated already outdated, no printing facilities for students’ work, etc.) pose an ongoing challenge.
Currently, I deliver my course material using my projector and my Apple laptop. But I know my demos and lectures are ineffective if students can’t explore, practice the tools, develop their conceptual thinking, and try out ideas. They struggle to do homework and waste countless hours attempting to do simple tasks due to the limited access to technology. Despite these roadblocks, the students have universally embraced the course and material. I am pleased to say that they continue to surpass my expectations As you can see in the class photo, they sit grouped together to work on the few computers that work. I know given the opportunity with a better equipped classroom, they will live up to their potential as multi-skilled visual artists.
My funding goal: To raise $37,000 for the following purposes (numbers rounded for taxes.)
· $22,000 for nine IMac computers
· $15,000 to refurbish the classroom to provide a better learning environment and appropriate teaching tools for the instructors. The list below breaks down this cost
The new classroom will contain:
· One aaxa Technologies Pico projector. $379.00
· One flatbed scanner: Epson Perfection V39 $100.00
· Large window shades to darken classroom for lecture sessions. $3,000
· Large locally-made tables to accommodate the computers with security locks. $5000
· One large locally-made table for students to use to prepare their work for presentations. $2,000.00
· Locally-made shelves to store student work $2,000
· HP LaserJet Enterprise 700 Printer M712n $2200
My
2018-2019 goals:
· Launch the first degree program in Graphic Design in Ethiopia
· Establish a design computer lab with contemporary equipment and set hours.
· Train and work with young Ethiopian self-taught graphic designers who may decide to apply for acceptance into the Ale School of Art Graphic Design Program.
· Establish a Web platform to link design students and professors.
· Enlist students that have completed my first-year courses to mentor incoming students with the goal to establish a system for continued instruction.
· Offer a two semesters long capstone course to those students who completed my first-year course.
· Maintain a digital infrastructure that will be functional for years
· Open the computer lab to the Alle’s school’s burgeoning animation program.
My promise:
· After I complete my fellowship in July of 2019, I will resume my teaching at UMBC, however I am committed to return to Ethiopia at least once-a-year to offer 4-to-6 weeks long workshops at the Alle School and follow up on the program for as long as I am able to.
· I will update all donors on the school and students progress
I appreciate any support you are able to give. This is a worthwhile investment that will make an immense difference to the program and the students. The school admits only up to the top 25 applicants a year.
UPDATES:
· Take a look at the updates on the special gifts from Ethiopia and the Alle school. You can also get the update on the gift by going to this link. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lqmxwhcu3yirn4r/AAAQGI4FxWIBR4-pPC5MWL2Fa?dl=0
Alle (also spelled Ale) is Ethiopia’s oldest (and only degree program in Art) fine arts institution and feted for its Painting, Illustration, Print Making and Sculpture programs. Most of Ethiopia’s long list of famous contemporary modern artists including (a tiny sample and in no particular order) Gebre Kristos Desta , Bekele Mekonnen, Tadesse Mesfin, Mezgebu Tessema, Dawit Abebe, Desta Hagos, Eskunder Bogossian, Wossene Kossorf, Achamyele Debela , and others with renown attended the Alle School.
My name is Guenet Abraham. I am an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the Visual Arts Department. My Graphic Design MFA is from Yale School of Fine Arts. I was awarded a Fulbright Core fellowship for research and teaching for 2017-18. Since September 2017, I have been teaching Alle’s first formal graphic design courses. I am pleased to say that the program has been so successful that I was awarded a second Fulbright for 2018-19.
Here is a link to a feature about my time in Ethiopia: Guenet Abraham receives Fulbright awards to teach graphic design and research a multimedia project in Ethiopia
I was born and lived in Ethiopia until my family fled in 1974 — settling in the US in 1976 — to escape the murderous communist dictatorship of Mengistu Haile Mariam .
How you can help: Graphic design is a global digital profession that uses Apple computers overwhelmingly. Alle currently lacks that physical infrastructure.
Alle students are well-positioned to enter varied professional design/art fields. By their third-year, they have a strong foundation in illustration, painting and color study. Attached photos are samples of class work done for the most part by 1st and 2nd year students. The portrait drawings are all done by a single first year student as part of course work. The black and white line studies are also done by one first year student, all by hand. Students are required to present a body of work for each course and each assignment at the end of the semester.
While I have jump-started the school’s graphic design program, the lack of digital infrastructure (no Wi-Fi, aged computers that were donated already outdated, no printing facilities for students’ work, etc.) pose an ongoing challenge.
Currently, I deliver my course material using my projector and my Apple laptop. But I know my demos and lectures are ineffective if students can’t explore, practice the tools, develop their conceptual thinking, and try out ideas. They struggle to do homework and waste countless hours attempting to do simple tasks due to the limited access to technology. Despite these roadblocks, the students have universally embraced the course and material. I am pleased to say that they continue to surpass my expectations As you can see in the class photo, they sit grouped together to work on the few computers that work. I know given the opportunity with a better equipped classroom, they will live up to their potential as multi-skilled visual artists.
My funding goal: To raise $37,000 for the following purposes (numbers rounded for taxes.)
· $22,000 for nine IMac computers
· $15,000 to refurbish the classroom to provide a better learning environment and appropriate teaching tools for the instructors. The list below breaks down this cost
The new classroom will contain:
· One aaxa Technologies Pico projector. $379.00
· One flatbed scanner: Epson Perfection V39 $100.00
· Large window shades to darken classroom for lecture sessions. $3,000
· Large locally-made tables to accommodate the computers with security locks. $5000
· One large locally-made table for students to use to prepare their work for presentations. $2,000.00
· Locally-made shelves to store student work $2,000
· HP LaserJet Enterprise 700 Printer M712n $2200
My
2018-2019 goals: · Launch the first degree program in Graphic Design in Ethiopia
· Establish a design computer lab with contemporary equipment and set hours.
· Train and work with young Ethiopian self-taught graphic designers who may decide to apply for acceptance into the Ale School of Art Graphic Design Program.
· Establish a Web platform to link design students and professors.
· Enlist students that have completed my first-year courses to mentor incoming students with the goal to establish a system for continued instruction.
· Offer a two semesters long capstone course to those students who completed my first-year course.
· Maintain a digital infrastructure that will be functional for years
· Open the computer lab to the Alle’s school’s burgeoning animation program.
My promise:
· After I complete my fellowship in July of 2019, I will resume my teaching at UMBC, however I am committed to return to Ethiopia at least once-a-year to offer 4-to-6 weeks long workshops at the Alle School and follow up on the program for as long as I am able to.
· I will update all donors on the school and students progress
I appreciate any support you are able to give. This is a worthwhile investment that will make an immense difference to the program and the students. The school admits only up to the top 25 applicants a year.
UPDATES:
· Take a look at the updates on the special gifts from Ethiopia and the Alle school. You can also get the update on the gift by going to this link. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lqmxwhcu3yirn4r/AAAQGI4FxWIBR4-pPC5MWL2Fa?dl=0
Organizer
Guenet Abraham
Organizer
Catonsville, MD