The Student Shop Managers Consortium (SSMC) is an organization and a community of practice for academic shop professionals and associates. Their mission is to foster cooperation, information sharing, and the advancement of making in higher education.
Occupy Vacancy was an invited speaker at the 2022 SSMC Conference hosted at Washington University’s James McKelvey School of Engineering. Brianna and André presented to a full lecture hall on the topic of Shop Life to Real Life. As both artists gained design and fabrication skills through experiences in student instructional shops, the presentation discussed each artist’s distinct relationship to making and how those skills tie into the realization of Occupy Vacancy. The conference was an opportunity to connect with old friends and foster new connections with artists, designers, and fabricators at institutions and universities both locally and nationally.
All presentation attendees were invited to the soft opening of Rite of Location.
