Tasmeem 2015 invited two visiting artists, Robin Schwartzman and Tom Loftus, to collaborate with VCUQatar students and faculty in order to construct a custom mini-golf course. Small collaborative teams engaged in a rigorous design process from conceptual ideation to final production to create a 9-hole course in only six weeks. The course was located around the VCUQatar building and could be played upon request throughout the year.
I first played an artist concept min-golf course in 2009 at the Walker Art Center, then again during the summer of 2013. At that time I had just started writing a collaborative proposal to direct the next Tasmeem conference. I had so much fun playing the artist mini golf course that I knew I had to find a way to incorporate the idea into Tasmeem. I inititated contact with Tom Loftus and Robin Schwartzman, who were heavily involved in developing both the 2009 & 2013 courses in Minneapolis.
I first played an artist concept min-golf course in 2009 at the Walker Art Center, then again during the summer of 2013. At that time I had just started writing a collaborative proposal to direct the next Tasmeem conference. I had so much fun playing the artist mini golf course that I knew I had to find a way to incorporate the idea into Tasmeem. I inititated contact with Tom Loftus and Robin Schwartzman, who were heavily involved in developing both the 2009 & 2013 courses in Minneapolis.
After winning the bid to co-direct the next Tasmeem 2015 International Art & Design Conference in Doha, Qatar, I engaged in several discussions with Tom and Robin to design an enormous project to develop a 9 hole course at our university during a 6 week time period. This was a huge and energetic project on the part of all parties involved. I was able to involve 60 plus students in the Department of Graphic Design, and three other faculty members. Together, along with tremendous help from our wood shop and fablab liaisons, and with help from two external master craftsman liaisons (John Burrow & Laurids Sonne), we constructed the course.
