It operates as a public project and is organized as a course in the Art and Design Department at Grand Valley State University. Civic Studio was initiated to develop ways of practicing and presenting art in public contexts, and to invest in the social, educational, and institutional inquiry and development necessary to have art serve its public function. Each project takes place in a specific situ
ation, which is organized as a work space that is publicly accessible. We research the history and context of the site and engage socially and experientially. Work is done individually and collaboratively and involves a precarious mix of organizational, social, scholastic, and artistic functions. Areas of focus emerge from context, process, and dialog. Studio products are publicly presented. The project was created in 1999 by Paul Wittenbraker with support from the Dorothy Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University. In 2006 it was established as a regular course offering in the new Visual Studies BFA program of the Department of Art and Design at GVSU. Visual Studies reflects interdisciplinary approaches in contemporary art including work that focuses on spatial, curatorial, and civic contexts and the use of digital and interactive media in visual works.
