Terri Ciofalo – Armagh Project 2014

Presentation Order

Terri Ciofalo — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 22:16:58 +0000

Here is the order we will present our work:

Welcome from Terri

100 Ways to Cook the Salmon of Knowledge (Nessa’s Piece)

Clare’s Brewery Piece

Tir na Scealta (Maureen’s Piece)

Kelly’s Gaol Piece

Weapons of Another Kind (Rachel’s Piece)

Christmas is Cancelled (Mateo’s Piece)

Cori’s Apple Orchard Piece

Something Left (Dan’s Piece)

Wild Bees (Kimberley’s Piece)

Then we drink wine

Casting for Monday!

Terri Ciofalo — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 19:11:55 +0000

Nessa’s Play:

Fionn – Rachel, Oscar – Terri, Deidre – Maureen, Gerry Wallance – Dan, John Torode – Kimberley, Narrator – Mateo

Kimberley’s Play:

Yeats – Doug, Georgie – Clare, Leanhaun Shee – Kelly, Fairy Voice – Rachel, fairies – all

Maureen’s Play

Doherty – Dan, O’Neill – Mateo, Mrs. Kathleen – Kimberley, Daily Twins – Mateo & Kimberley, Crows – Clare, Cori, Kelly

Rachel’s Play

Poet – Libby, Soldier – Cori, Colonel – Mateo, Male Soldier – Dan

Dan’s Play

O’Malley – Clare, Joey – Kelly, Donnavan – Maureen

Mateo’s Play

Oliver – Dan, Mrs. Regina/Servant 2/Soldier – Kimberley, Denis/Actor #8/Soldier – Maureen, Drama Teacher/Father/Soldier – Rachel

Lines and Circles

Terri Ciofalo — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 23:25:25 +0000

This time we challenged everyone to find patterns. The mosaic work in the Catholic Cathedral has always stayed in my mind for it’s rich, detailed patterns. It is something I look forward to seeing each time I visit here. Today though, I also noticed the striking sculpture out front of the Marketplace Theatre in the square. I see it every day when we go to class, to the grocery store, to the cafes but today, as I looked for patterns, it was almost like seeing it for the first time. I like these observational challenges that bring out new information from what was unremarkable just moments before.

And the Winner Is……

Terri Ciofalo — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 18:48:05 +0000

Everyone did great work on the visual scavenger hunt but, after extensive closed door deliberations by our panel of expert judges, we are pleased to announce the winners of the First Annual Armagh Project Visual Scavenger Hunt:

For Most Creative Interpretation: Cori Rhode for her photo of an Interesting Sign

For Best Composition: Clare Bonnyman for her photo of Solitude (among many others…)

For Most Unique Location: Kelly O’Brien for her photo on Windmill (or was that Lighthouse?) Hill

For Most Interesting Fact: Clare Bonnyman for her facts about the Memorial Garden and the “Ordinary” Bicycle

Congratulations to all! See Terri to claim your prize!

Texture Journal

Terri Ciofalo — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:01:46 +0000

We asked the students to do some visual blogging about the textures around them as a way of exercising observation skills and to practice seeing the ordinary in a different way. I keep a texture journal as one of my facebook albums. I am not a visual artist but i find inspiration in my texture collection and the emotions and symbolism they can evoke. Here are two textures I collected on a short walk to town today:

A Second Home

Terri Ciofalo — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 22:31:03 +0000

Inside my passport, haphazardly spread willy-nilly across the pages, are four entrance stamps at Dublin airport, the first stop on my now yearly journey to Armagh. Each one represents a first impression that has become memory. My very first trip here in 2006 was in November, over Thanksgiving Weekend, and it was dark by 5:30p. The streets seemed solemn, the cafes were few, and the people we met friendly, but cautious. When I returned in 2012, I immediately noticed the openness the longer days gave. People gathered in a new cafe at the corner of the square, some of the boarded up buildings were now rented. I learned my way around the streets and learned how “th” was pronounced in the North. Last year, the hostel was refurbished and a new fence was put up around St. Brigid’s Well. I started slipping into a lyrical speech pattern that mixed in Northern Irish pronunciations with my slightly New York accent. It was warm for here, but nothing like the humidity I had abandoned back home. I didn’t cry this time when we went to Belfast and looked at the Peace Walls, but my students did.

This year, I can’t sort out my first impressions from my memories any better than I can figure which one of those entrance stamps belongs to which journey. I feel like there are more shops open and the town seems lively, but maybe I am just projecting my own happiness about returning to a place that feels like a home.