Graduation Day!

Ringing the Victory Bell before the Commencement Ceremony.  It is a Coe tradition to ring the bell when you come to campus as a freshmen and as you leave campus on graduation.

Receiving my diploma from President Phifer. 

The Coe art faculty, Sara Happel and I after Commencement.

Tennis Trip Easter Egg Dying!

Thursday through Saturday the Kohawk men's and women's tennis teams travelled to Kalamazoo and Grandville, Michigan to play Kalamazoo College and Grand Valley State University.  The women's team beat Kalamazoo 6-3 and lost to the undefeated Grand Valley State team.  Before the trip we were discussing how it was going to be strange to be on a tennis trip Easter weekend.  The women's team decided to have bring a little Easter to the weekend by dying hard boiled eggs during one of the men's team's matches.  Siblings of players who were there to watch joined in as we decorated two dozen eggs in the lobby of Ramblewood Tennis and Health Club in Grandville, MI.

A special thank you to one of the parents on the trip, Mr. Damisch, for buying us eggs and a coloring kit while he was on a gatorade run!  Below are pictures of the egg dying process!

Senior Thesis Exhibition

Friday night was my Senior Art Show in ceramics.  My parents, family, friends and Coe staff and faculty attended.  It was a great learning experience setting up for the show, doing PR and having the opening reception.  At Coe, art majors get to share a gallery with one or two other people to have a show at the end of their senior year.  This is a one of a kind experience for an art major.  I was able to show 10 pieces because of the extensive gallery space Coe has!  The reception went very fast!  It definitely didn't seem like two hours.  I talked to a lot of different people and answered their questions about my work and future.  It was neat to show people outside of the art world another side of me.

The gallery is open 3-6 pm every day until April 24th if you want to check it out!  You can also see more of my work at http://nataliebordignonceramics.blogspot.com/?zx=6c24773824497a6e.   

Me with one of my pieces,
Tiles From Architecture and Nature 1, 2011, at the opening. 

Nature and Architecture:  Form 6, 2011

Nature and Architecture:  Form 5, 2011

Sara and I at the Opening. 

Events of the Weekend: ASA Spring Retreat, Men's Tennis & Art Show Set Up

Here are a few quick updates from my busy weekend...

This past Saturday my sorority, ASA, spent the night at Camp Hitaga in Walker, IA for our Annual Spring Retreat.  We made a fire, roasted hot dogs, made s'mores and designed and spray painted our own t-shirts using stencils.  We stayed up talking pretty late but a lot of fun was had by all!  Earlier in the day we were a little worried about spending the night at the camp ground because the weather was supposed to be bad but luckily it only rained a little bit!  

Yesterday, the Coe men's tennis team defeated defending conference champion Luther at Coe (5-4).  Congrats to the men's tennis team!  

Last night, I started setting up for my Senior Art Show which opens Friday and runs through April 24th.  There is a lot of setting up left to do but we're ahead of schedule! 

Work in Progress

Below are some pieces I've been finishing up for my senior show next week.  Today, I started my last glaze kilns.  They should be done sometime tonight and cool enough to unload tomorrow night.  Monday, I start hanging and arranging in the gallery for my Senior Thesis Exhibition Friday, April 15th.  It will be a very busy week getting ready for the show but equally rewarding.  I can't wait!

Day 2 at NCECA

Today at NCECA was just as busy as yesterday.  I attended a demonstration and panel discussion in the morning.  John, Mitch, David, one of David's former students (who now teaches college ceramics in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver) and two residents from Cub Creek Foundation in Appomattox, VA went to a sushi restaurant for lunch.  In the afternoon we attended two more panel discussions and did a little shopping for t-shirts and ceramics tools in the vendor hall.  For dinner Mitch and I went to a Vietnamese cafe called Bamboozled Cafe.  On our way back to the hotel we stumbled upon a busy park with live music and hung out for awhile.

Through attending NCECA I've learned a lot about what's right for me and what's not in terms of furthering myself as an artist.  I've encountered a lot of people here who make art as a hobby and because they love it, not to make a living.  They have completely different careers or are retired.  My absolute favorite part of this experience has been seeing so many ceramic artists who all have a different story and a different level of involvement in the field but still love it.

Below are some pictures of things I've seen in the past few days.  Tomorrow we head back to Cedar Rapids!

Demonstration by Brian Kakas and Deborah Schwartzkopf.
They both did two day demonstrations of their work, talked about
their work and answered questions from the audience.  

A Margaret Bohls tea pot in an exhibition set up by Santa Fe Clay.
I've studied the work of Margaret Bohls and looked to her surface
design for inspiration over the past year.
 It was very neat to see it in person.  

A dinner set by Ursula Hargens from the
Santa Fe Clay exhibition.  Her surface design also interests me.    

This is the park we came across on our walk home.
It was surprising to see this much green in the downtown area of a large city.  

Day 1 at NCECA

Yesterday was our first full day at NCECA. We started the day at 7:15 AM and finished around 8:00 PM. It was a very busy day but very exciting as well.  In the morning we attended a wood firing workshop. Then we attended a simultaneous demonstration where two artists were on stage and worked on their own work and took turns talking about what they were doing. There were cameras from all angles so you could see everything they were doing. After that we went through exhibits of work by tons of current big names in the ceramics world. I've studied and/or looked to a lot of their work as inspiration over the last four years. Then Mitch and I had lunch with John and his friend from graduate school. In the afternoon we visited some of the many booths set up by non-profit art organizations and companies selling tools. We also attended a K-12 Exhibit and the Annual Cup Sale.

It was fascinating to see the work of other ceramic artists around the country and world. My main observation yesterday was that ALL kinds of people are at NCECA. There are high school students, undergrad and grad students, professors, resident artists, elementary through high school teachers, and people who are anywhere from in their 40s to 70s who have taken up ceramics as a hobby recently. Some people know a lot and some people know hardly anything at all. Its pretty cool to see so many people who share an interest in clay.

Last night, John, Mitch, John's friend David, and I went to a tapas restaurant in downtown Tampa. At a tapas restaurant you order lots of dishes that come in small amounts and everyone tries them all. We tried 8 different dishes and 4 desserts. Main courses ranged from calamari and crab cakes to stuffed peppers and salad. For dessert my favorite was the white chocolate tart with fresh fruit but they were all good.

We're headed to the convention center now for another full day!

Heading to Tampa Bay for NCECA

I am currently sitting in the Cedar Rapids Airport waiting to fly out to Tampa Bay, FL for the 45th Annual NCECA Conference.  NCECA stands for National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts.  Fellow senior art major, Mitch Iburg, Coe Art Professor, John Beckelman and myself will be in attendance with approximately a few thousand other people from today until Saturday.  Mitch and I wrote grant proposals to the art department for McKean Family Fine Arts Helping Hand Grants to be able to go to this conference.  The art department at Coe reviews proposals for McKean Grants every semester and awards money as they see fit.  Students apply for money to go to academic conferences, to study abroad, to pay for extra materials or for other special projects.  

At NCECA, top ceramics artists, graduate schools, residency programs, and people who just love ceramics gather to talk about art, show what they have been doing over the last year and discuss the future of the field.  There are hundreds of presentations and demonstrations.  So much occurs at NCECA that I am not quite sure what to expect even after looking at the schedule.  But, I am very excited to see what kind of art other people are making and maybe find some new inspiration for my own work!    

Formal and Polar Plunge

Yesterday and today were very busy for me.  Last night was my sorority's formal.  This year it was at the Marriot in Coralville, Ia.  We got all dressed up, had a nice dinner, took pictures and danced the night away.  

This morning, as a sorority, we participated in the Cedar Rapids Polar Plunge to benefit the Special Olympics.  The Special Olympics is one of our national philanthropies and participating in the Polar Plunge has become a tradition for our chapter.  To be in the Polar Plunge you have to have a team of at least 10 people and each person needs to raise $60.  This year we raised over $1,000 so a lot of us were able to plunge!  Plunging consists of dressing up and running into a freezing cold lake as a team.  As a senior, I decided that I definitely needed to take part again (I did last year too)!  There were hundreds of people there and at least a hundred plunged.  It was quite cold but its all for a good cause!   

All of the ASA girls at formal.

Plunging!

Alpha Sigma Alpha 10th Anniversary Celebration

Yesterday, my sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha, celebrated our 10th Anniversary of being at Coe (it was technically on March 3rd) with a dinner and reception at the Clarion Hotel in Cedar Rapids.  It was great to have so many alumnae in the same place and I really enjoyed seeing old friends who have graduated in the last three years.  Our current chapter president, the alum chapter president and the founding president of Theta Alpha Chapter each gave speeches telling us what the sorority means to them, how it has influenced their lives, and what they hope to see happen with our chapter in the years to come.  Overall, a lot of fun was had by all!  The event was a great success and I look forward to more anniversary celebrations in the future!

      

Two of our chapter advisors/alumnae at the
10th Anniversary Celebration

St. Patrick's Day Parade 2011

Yesterday, a group of Coe students, staff, and Charlie the Kohawk participated in the 2011 St. Patrick's Day Parade downtown Cedar Rapids.  Channel 9 News in Cedar Rapids estimated that 25,000 people will in attendence.  We all wore green and ran around passing out green tootsie rolls and beads.  Fun was had by all.  It was very neat to get to represent Coe in the Cedar Rapids Community.  My favorite part of the experience was hearing multiple parents tell their children that Coe is where their mom or dad had graduated from.     

Nafla and Katie with Charlie Kohawk.

The group of students from Coe who walked in the parade.

Jenny in her 4 Leaf Clover Costume. 

Nafla is putting a St. Patrick's Day tattoo on
Cassie before the parade.

New Ceramic Sculptures

Here are some of my recent ceramic sculptures that I have been working on for my Senior Thesis Exhibition in April!

Adventures of the Coe College Tennis Team on Spring Break

This morning our spring break in Orlando ended and we headed back to Cedar Rapids.  It was quite the week.  We played a lot of tennis but also managed to get in some team bonding time and many fun activities including going out for dinner many times, a trip to Old Town Kissimmee and Fun Spot Theme Park, a Braves Spring Training Game and a shopping trip to an outlet mall in the area.  Below are some pictures of tennis and the places we went.   

Getting ready to ride Go Carts.

Hannah and Sara on the "Slingshot"
at the Fun Spot in Kissimmee, FL.

The Men's and Women's Tennis Teams
after our matches with The College of New Jersey.

Michelle and Tai playing during one of our 5 matches. 

Tennis Spring Break in Florida Begins...

Yesterday, the women's tennis team flew into Orlando to join the men's team for spring break.  It was 80 degrees and sunny when we got here.  We checked into our hotel and hit the practice courts right away.  It was strange yet nice to be playing tennis outside again (since we've been on Coe's indoor courts at Clark Racquet Center since late October).  

Today we played The College of New Jersey (Ranked 17th in the the country).  We lost 4-5.  After  today and losing 4-5 to #22 Wheaton last weekend we definitely see that we have improved tremendously and have a great spring season ahead of us.  Tomorrow we play Meredith College from South Carolina.  

Below are some random pictures I've been taking on the trip.  We are staying at a new hotel this year that sits on a lake and has a boardwalk where people are constantly running or walking.  After our match today, a few of us walked around it.  Its a very relaxing area to just hang out in.  After a couple hours of relaxation 30+ (men's team, women's team, and many parents) Coe tennis players and fans went out to dinner near our hotel.  We try to do this the majority of the nights we have in Orlando.  Its always a good time!  

A look at Orlando from the airplane as we got into the city.  

The view from the boardwalk outside our hotel.

Spring Break is Finally Here!

I am officially done with mid terms and critiques until Match 14th.  I am so happy to have a week off and not have to worry about school for a little while.  Today, the Women's Tennis Team hosted Illinois State, a Division I program, in a non conference dual.  The Illinois State coach called Coach Rodgers early this week and asked if we wanted to play tomorrow.  Although it was surprising, Coach Kris and I said it sounded like fun so we said, "Sure!"  We lost 2-7 but it was great experience and I think everyone competed well in each match.

Tomorrow, the women's team, along with Coach Kris, heads to Orlando where we play 5 schools from other regions of the country.  Friday of next week is our "non tennis day" in Orlando.  We're already making plans to try to get to the beach, Universal Studios, Disney, or a water park for the day.

Results: First Tennis Trip of the Spring

The Kohawk Women's Tennis Team ended the weekend in Chicago 1-1.  We defeated Calvin College 5-4 and lost 4-5 to nationally ranked Wheaton College.  Although our loss to Wheaton was disappointing, for me, it was a good learning experience, and as a team it showed us how much potential we have.  It also shed light on the fact that we have all definitely improved since October.  We have a great spring season ahead of us and I have confidence that we will compete with and challenge EVERY team we play.

Now, we have a week of practice ahead of us then we're off to Orlando where we will play 5 matches in 4 days!

Random Thoughts and a Look Inside My Studio

This past week the women's tennis team started practice again.  It is so nice to be back on the court on almost a daily basis with all of my teammates and 3 coaches rather than with only one or two other people. We are preparing to open our spring season by traveling to Wheaton, IL this weekend to play Wheaton College and Calvin College in dual matches.  Both are strong programs and will be tough matches but definitely good experience and a good challenge for the Coe Women's Tennis Team.  You can check out Coach Rodger's take on this weekend's matches for the Men's and Women's Tennis Teams on the Kohawk Tennis Blog.

Besides the tennis part of the trip, we always enjoy playing catch phrase and telling stories on the van ride and having some team bonding time when we stay the night in a hotel.  I know that everyone is looking forward to that!

Below is a picture of my ceramics studio in Dows Fine Arts Center.  Most seniors get their own studio to prepare for their senior show in April.  Here's where I make the work I've been posting pictures of and you can see some works in progress in the photo as well:

THE SNOW HAS DISAPPEARED!

In the past week at Coe all of the snow has melted and temperatures have been in
the 40s and 50s! Its been great!
Although, I have to tell you, it is supposed to snow again tomorrow.

Spring Panhel Open House

Last night Coe's Panhellenic Council, (Panhel is the governing body of the sororities at most schools including Coe. It is made up of members from each of the sororities on campus) hosted an all sorority open house. The open house is a chance for women who didn't go through recruitment in the fall or did not receive bids in the fall to meet all three of Coe's sororities (Alpha Sigma Alpha, Delta Delta Delta, and Alpha Omicron Pi) at once, learn about their philanthropies and events, and to meet the members. The event was ended with an ice cream social. Almost all Greek women at Coe were in attendance as well as the Greek Life Advisor. Its always nice when the three sororities can get together in one place especially since with our busy schedules it usually happens only once a semester. It was cool to see between 40 and 50 girls from each sorority in letters all mixed together, socializing.


Being at the Panhel Open House caused me to do a little reflecting on my 3 1/2 (almost 4 now!) years as a member of the Greek Community at Coe. I must say that I attribute a lot of who I am today as well as my accomplishments to being part of a sorority at Coe. Greek Life at Coe doesn't come anywhere near to the big school stereotype most people think of or what you would see on Legally Blonde or Greek. The Greek Community at Coe brings out the best in people. It creates people who are leaders on campus and successful in whatever careers they choose. I am truly greatful to have been a part of it and would encourage absolutely anyone to check it out and give it a chance!

Newest Ceramic Piece

Untitled, Spring 2011
Terra Cotta glaze fired to cone 04

Campus Kids Day and Redecorating the Tennis Lounge

Yesterday was a very busy day for the Kohawk Tennis Program.  In the morning we hosted a Campus Kids Day event and the women's team gave pointers to tennis enthusiasts ranging from age 2 to 12 while the men's team took on University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in their first match of 2011 (they won 6-3!).

Sara and Michelle help the 2 to 7 year old group with their strokes
on a makeshift court in one of the racquetball courts. 

Based on inspiration from #1 doubles player Michelle Schupbach (and faith in us from Coach Rodgers and Coach Kris), once Campus Kids Day ended, the women's team took on the task of redecorating the "Tennis Lounge" (a classroom located in the Racquet Center).  We painted the walls crimson and gold.  It was a day long project and a great team bonding experience.  I am designing a mural of some sort to paint on the wall next weekend and then its time to shop for some furniture! 

Michelle puts a second coat on the crimson wall in the tennis lounge.
You can see the men's match going on through the window. 

The Tennis Lounge is used for breaks between matches, players study there throughout the day, and when our busy schedules match up we get to just hang out there.  Its a nice getaway for both the mens and womens tennis teams.

SNOW DAY!!!!!!

Today was only the second snow day in my 4 years at Coe.  It was definitely necessary.  I thought I was going to get lost walking back from Dows, the art building at 6 last night.  Until the snow stopped and the sidewalks were plowed this morning, you couldn't even tell where the sidewalk was.  The snow was over my knee in some spots!

Despite the snow, last night, my sorority had a sisterhood event for a couple hours and we all just hung out in our chapter room.  It was very enjoyable to hang out and do nothing, especially considering the fact that we didn't have any homework to worry about for the next day!

Even though day classes were cancelled today, night classes were still on.  That meant we had Advanced Art and still met with the faculty as a senior class.  It was my groups turn to present work and be critiqued.  It went very well for all 5 of us.  I'll be sure to post pictures of my newest work once the blizzard settles down and I make it back to Dows!

Busy, Busy, Busy...but in a good way!

This week has been crazy! With beginning the semester being on a Tuesday and MLK Day causing us to have last Monday off, this was the first 5 day week of the semester.  Therefore, it seemed kind of long!  I've spent a lot of this week in the studio working on ceramics and printmaking for critiques next week as well playing tennis and lifting to get ready for the upcoming season.  The women's tennis team had a team dinner this week as well.  We went to our traditional spot and hometown favorite, Zio's, just across the street from Coe.  They definitely recognize the Coe Women's tennis team there!  We made some plans and brainstormed how to redecorate the Coe Tennis "Player's Lounge", aka a classroom in Clark Racquet Center that Coach Rodgers has claimed for the men's and women's teams.  Our plans include painting, some new furniture and a Kohawk logo mural on one of the walls.  I'm sure you'll see pictures in the future of the room in progress and the completed project!  

Last Sunday was ASA's first chapter meeting of the semester.  It was so nice to get to see all of my sisters after a long break.  Now we are all beyond excited for the fun events of the semester including our Chapter's 10th Anniversary at Coe in March, Formal, the Cedar Rapids Polar Plunge, hosting the Special Olympics, Spring Retreat, and much more!  

Women's Tennis Campus Show Down

Yesterday I played in a Women's Campus Show Down hosted by the Coe Tennis Program at Clark Racquet Center on Coe's Campus.  Campus Show Downs are sponsored by the USTA (United States Tennis Association) and hosted by college tennis programs on weekends.  At these events, players from the community, the college, the conference, and high performance high schoolers from the state come and play sets.  The idea is to play A LOT of tennis against a bunch of different people and to raise money for the hosting program.  Five of Coe's players participated along with 15 other players from Iowa and even Illinois!  It was a very good experience.  I played 6 sets which is about the equivalent of playing 3 matches.  I won about half of my matches and I am happy with that.  There were some very tough players (some of them were my own teammates!) and I learned a lot throughout the day.  Today I've found that I am quite sore, which is no surprise, but I plan on being back on the court Monday!

Yesterday was also the "debut" of my new GOLD tennis shoes.  The Coe Women's Tennis team along with Assistant Coach Kris, has an obsession with tennis shoes that are different colors and kind of flashy.  For the past year and a half I've been wearing all black tennis shoes with bright green laces but for the last semester of my senior season I told Kris that I really wanted gold tennis shoes.  I might as well go out with a bang!  But, we couldn't find them anywhere.  So, a couple weeks ago we took a white pair, taped parts off, and spray painted them gold.  They are pretty flashy (the picture doesn't even begin to show you how shiny they are), but were a huge hit yesterday!  If you'd like, check out the Coe Tennis coaching staff's take on my shoes and the campus showdown (http://kohawktennis.blogspot.com/).

Overall, I think my favorite part of the entire Campus Show Down experience, along with playing tennis (and wearing my new shoes!), was spending the whole day with my teammates.  We are all even more excited to be back on the court as a team everyday when we start practice February 14th as well as to take trips to Chicago, Kalamazoo, MI and Orlando this semester.

3rd Grade Clay

Today was the opening of Third Grade Clay in the Sinclair Galleries at Coe College.  For the Third Grade Clay Exhibit, around 1,200 third graders in the Cedar Rapids School District make something out of clay to be shown in the galleries at Coe.  I am a Gallery Assistant so I assisted with making popcorn and punch for all of the kids and their families that attended the opening tonight as well as with setting up the 1,200 pieces for the last two weeks.  It was definitely exhausting.  I have never seen so many pieces of art in one place!

Each school chooses a different theme for their pieces.  This year they ranged from decorative tiles that hang on the wall to dinosaurs and self portraits.  One of my favorites was a "baby dinosaur."  The dinosaur was wearing a diaper and holding a rattle and a bottle.  The self portraits were cute too!  It is an amazing exhibit and it is very neat to see what a third grader's imagination comes up with!  You'd be surprised.  My favorite part of the whole experience was to see how excited the third graders were to show their parents which piece they made.  I would encourage anyone who likes art or kids to attend!  The Sinclair Galleries are open 7 days a week from 3 to 5pm.

Gallery Assistant Mitch Iburg is getting things ready for the opening!

The Beginning of My Last Semester at Coe...

Hello Readers,

I am very excited to have the opportunity to tell and show you about my life as a student at Coe College!  My last semester has come extremely fast.  I can't believe that I will already be graduating in May!  Classes at Coe have been back in session for a week now and things are starting to get busy again (in a good way)!  Even though my term as President of Alpha Sigma Alpha ended in December, between playing tennis, my new internship in the Office of Admission, homework, ASA events, and spending time with friends, I have definitely filled up my free time.

This semester I am taking Statistics, Printmaking III, and Advanced Art to get ready for my Senior Thesis Exhibition in Ceramics in April.  I am beyond excited for my show.  At Coe, senior art majors get the opportunity to share a gallery with another senior, put up a large body of work, and even have an opening for family, friends, and the Coe community to attend.  It is a one of a kind experience for an undergraduate student.  Below is a picture of one of my pieces from last semester. Actually, I should be heading to the studio now!

Untitled, Fall 2010