Michael “Chester” Alamo-Costello, MFA, professor of art and design at the University of St. Francis (USF), has received a $6,000 grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs to photograph in Southwest China during the next year. The grant will cover travel and project costs while Alamo-Costello is in China.
“The plan is to photograph faculty, students, and staff at Sichuan University of Science and Engineering (SUSE) in the same format as that procured at USF since 2000, while also working with individuals at SUSE on writings on their teaching philosophies and practices,” Alamo-Costello said.
“I have worked with faculty and staff at USF in a similar format in recent time. Initially, I intended to create a USF portrait book. Now, my focus has shifted to contrast the photographs and writings from the two institutions to illustrate their differences and similarities. I’ve discussed putting this into book form with SUSE/USF personnel in the future. There are feelings this approach will offer a deeper understanding of education approaches in the 21st Century,” he added.
For a glimpse of Alamo-Costello’s work as part of this project, visit alamo-costello.com/documents-visual-archeology/sichuanchina.