Three walls is another one of those great organizations that we have been researching this semester in cyberped class. The one thing I don't seem to get about places like these is how I have been in the city for over 10 years as an artist/teacher and haven't heard about them. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the fact the we are learning about them now in grad school but I wish that these resources were more known in the Chicago community.
Threewalls, according to their mission statement on their website, "is dedicated to increasing Chicago’s cultural capital by cultivating contemporary art practice and discourse, and by creating a locus of exchange between local, national and international contemporary art communities through a range of programs." Again, another great concept which offers artist residencies, space for exhibits, resources and a great blog for artists to present news and events.
In critiquing the threewalls website, I thought that it was similar to the Experimental Sound Studio in Ravenswood where everything was simply organized with great images, nice color schemes and good overall flow. I especially liked to blog and calendar sections of the site. This is one of the first sites that I have seen that effectively had a blog that was interesting to read.
The only thing that I would really change about the website is the homepage. I think the homepage of any site should address what this website is about right from the start. For someone like me who explored this site not knowing the organization, it seems very vague and confusing. I also find it annoying when the first thing you notice is the organization asking you to help them out by applying for membership. Maybe it's just me, but asking for membership when you don't even know what the organization is all about seems a little bold. Regardless, once exploring the site, I did find the value in the organization and would like to check it out more.
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2 comments:
three walls is a great space, and if you get the chance, you should stop down for a visit. they do great work, and several of the staff are actually saic alums.
they do kind of just jump out there and ask for help on the homepage, but in this day and age, at least they're up front and honest about it. :)
great point about the homepage. eventually i noticed the "about us" link and got the full background, but i was a little confused at first (and i HAVE heard about the organization before). design is simple and usability fine, but i think the content could use some reorganization, reemphasis, and clarity in the form of the basic facts.
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