2026 SPE Annual Conference: Catalyst for Exchange
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print this pageFloodplain Projects: A Collaborative Studio
Eliza Gregory
Friday, March 20 - 2:30PM to 3:30PM
Atlanta 2
Floodplain Projects is a collaborative studio. We produce visual art, publications, exhibitions, podcasts and events. We bring together emerging artists, students and professional artists for projects in the Central Valley of California.
I started Floodplain Projects for two reasons. Firstly, I had a cohort of students who I felt needed to do some collaborative projects with visiting artists as a way to bolster their confidence and their art-making skills. I invited a few artists in to work with us in the senior portfolio class, and we ended up finding ways to produce publications from the work we did together. I deeply wanted students to graduate from Sac State with tangible proof that they had been artists. I wanted them to have books to put on their shelves at home that reminded them of the great artwork they had done in some unexpected contexts.
Secondly, my students do not have an easy time finding work in creative fields when they graduate. They have been trained enough to make some really great pictures, but their design skills, their professionalism, their ability to apply for things are all in very early stages of development. They have a hard time writing (and reading) emails. So I wanted to start finding ways to employ them on professional projects. I wanted them to have mentorship and guidance making products for clients, and get paid while doing it, in order to give them a bit of a boost once they go out into the world and start competing for work.
The projects I am sharing have all employed students or recent grads in some aspect of their creation. I will talk about these projects and the structures I have used to build them. I have engaged in extensive fundraising, both from private donors and from internal university sources. I have taken advantage of state employment programs and funding from community partners. I'm also excited to hear from audience members about their own strategies for supporting students entering creative fields.
speaker
Eliza Gregory
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