Bess Siritanapivat
Bess Siritanapivat serves The Art Galleries (TAG) as the Coordinator of Exhibition Design and Installation. Bess received her MFA from the University of Iowa in Metalsmithing and Jewelry. During her time there, she experimented with jewelry and sculpture techniques to create work that focuses on interaction. Her latest installation, Guerilla Golf, was displayed during the West Austin Studio Tour at ACC’s Highland Campus. This work was a fully functional miniature golf course made of cardboard that visitors could play during the tour. Before joining ACC in 2018, Bess taught classes on metalsmithing, laser cutting, and 3D printing at Techshop Makerspace. She also assisted the Makerspace users with sewing, routing, welding, waterjet, and milling equipment.
Faculty Spotlight
What are the benefits of making or studying art? How does this personally affect you and/or what is art’s role in society?
I’m a huge proponent of teaching STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) vs. STEM in our schools. Art is where STEM converges and it can be used to help communicate these ideas to students. It’s a way to apply abstract concepts to something physical or visual and give students another avenue to understand information. As someone who has always participated in creating art, I’ve found that my problem-solving skills are quite comprehensive. Through my art practice, I learned the ability to find multiple solutions to a single problem and how to be flexible in my thinking.
Is there another medium or area of research that you have always wanted to explore?
I would like another go at ceramics. I feel like I would be much more successful now that I understand the importance of moisture management. Also, hot metal casting. Wearing a spacesuit while pouring molten metal sounds dangerously fun.
If there was one artwork that you could bring home and display during this period of quarantine, what would it be?
What is your favorite technique or topic to teach? Is there one lecture or selection that is the most fun for you to teach?
I’ve always enjoyed teaching students how to silver solder. It’s quite magical showing someone how you can manipulate fire to create something new out of metal. Occasionally, it is also a convenient lesson on how to calmly put out a fire.
What do you most hope students will take away from your class?
I want students to learn that process and applying feedback are an important part of their art practice. It will build students’ confidence to experiment and take risks with their work.