After 3+ years in WAM Collective, Likeness will be my last event as a member. My favorite memories with the group involve meeting people and collaborating with artists, and I'm so glad that my final event encapsulates those elements so beautifully.

In the midst of the late July downpour last week I made my way over to the University of Minnesota faculty artist studios to visit Paul Shambroom's and ask him some questions about his work in Silence and Echoes the Weisman’s summer feature show. Shambroom has two photographs in the show, though his work has changed significantly since the days when he snapped them.

This Fall, WAM Collective is partnering with local artist Sean Connaughty to perform an Anthropocenic Midden Survey of the Mississippi River. On August 13, WAM Collective, students from the Sustainability Office, Sean Connaughty, and volunteers from the community collected trash from the banks of the Mississippi River to be cleaned, studied, and catalogued in a survey of the impact of University of Minnesota litter on the waters and surrounding eco-system.

While the first snow settles across campus and everyone scatters from their last class to head home for the holiday weekend, the WAM Shop staff is busy stocking and arranging new items preparing for the influx of holiday shoppers.

Enter you. Maybe you are looking for a small gift to bring to your weekend hostess, a house warmer for friends you'll share your holiday with, or the perfect accessory for a snowy date.

Gülgün Kayim is the Director of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy for the City of Minneapolis. She spoke at Bring Your Own Business Card, our networking event for creative students last week. Essentially, Gülgün’s work is to facilitate growth and improvement in the creative sector. I had the chance to ask her a few questions about resources and programs she has worked on, and ways that students can learn from them.