Cultural Connections Project
1) This project was somewhat challenging for me. At first, it was challenging because no one very close to me has died, so I couldn't do a family member. I then started thinking about some of my interests and hobbies, and Nike happened to come up a lot. I decided to do my ofrenda on Bill Bowerman, the co owner of nike who had passed away. This worked out because I was able to use some old Nike boxes I had, and do a little bit of research about him to figure out the decorations. Another challenge arose when It was difficult to find details about his life through my research. I eventually found everything I needed and I think my ofrenda turned out fine in the end.
2) I enjoyed the making of my ofrenda the most. I had fun and learned a lot when I was making my ofranda, and I think it turned out pretty well. It had been tough figuring out what decorations to use, but I eventually figured it out. It was also most enjoyable for me because I got to see other peoples ofrendas in the process, and It was cool to see an array of decorations and personalities within these boxes.
3) I received critique on a few things. I first off received critique on my illustrated journal by a few classmates, and the feedback was very helpful. We ended up adding a bit more to our journal, along with making some of the pictures more detailed. I also received feedback on my ofrenda from some students, and a parent (alex’s dad). All of that critique really helped me improve my ofrenda, along with making sure I had all of the necessary components to pass. All of this critique in the end turned out for a much better final product in the end.
4) I think I deserve an A on this project because I worked really hard on my ofrenda, and on my illustrated journal. It was somewhat difficult to find the information I needed on Bill Bowerman, the person I did my ofrenda on, but I made it work in the end. I also had all of the necessary components that you needed to get an A on the project.
5) If I could change one thing about this project, I would change the amount of time we had to work on it. I feel like if we just had a few more days, I would be able to improve upon my ofrenda. Other than that, I think that this project was really well thought out and it turned out really good in the end.
Artist Statement:
My ofrenda is dedicated to Bill Bowerman. He was born on February 19, 1911, and died on December 24, 1999. Bill Bowerman was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 22 NCAA champions and 16 sub-4 minute milers. During his 24 years as coach at the University of Oregon, the Ducks track and field team had a winning season every season but one, attained 4 NCAA titles, and finished in the top 10 in the nation 16 times. As co-founder of Nike, he invented some of their top brands, including the Cortez and Waffle Racer, and assisted in the company moving from being a distributor of other shoe brands to one creating their own shoes in house. Bill had also been in the ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps), and joined the US army as 2nd lieutenant. After the war, Bowerman returned to his position at Medford High School. Bowerman's third son, Tom, was born May 20, 1946. The family then moved to Eugene, Oregon, where he became the head track coach at the University of Oregon on July 1, 1948. It was there he met Phil Knight, the other co owner of Nike, and the rest was history. Bill was born and raised in Portland Oregon, and went to college at the university of Oregon.
I chose the objects in my ofrenda based on Bills career, and some of his favorite things. The Medals are based on his immense track career, both playing and coaching. The Nike logos and slogans are there for obvious reasons, being the creator and co owner of Nike. The waffle is in there because, all though it may not have been his favorite food, it was representative of his original waffle iron design on the bottom of his prototype shoes. This design was very popular at the time, and is really what kick started the company.
This ofrenda is a good reminder of the revolution that Bill Bowerman, and Phil Knight created. I hope Bill knows that he is remembered by many.
2) I enjoyed the making of my ofrenda the most. I had fun and learned a lot when I was making my ofranda, and I think it turned out pretty well. It had been tough figuring out what decorations to use, but I eventually figured it out. It was also most enjoyable for me because I got to see other peoples ofrendas in the process, and It was cool to see an array of decorations and personalities within these boxes.
3) I received critique on a few things. I first off received critique on my illustrated journal by a few classmates, and the feedback was very helpful. We ended up adding a bit more to our journal, along with making some of the pictures more detailed. I also received feedback on my ofrenda from some students, and a parent (alex’s dad). All of that critique really helped me improve my ofrenda, along with making sure I had all of the necessary components to pass. All of this critique in the end turned out for a much better final product in the end.
4) I think I deserve an A on this project because I worked really hard on my ofrenda, and on my illustrated journal. It was somewhat difficult to find the information I needed on Bill Bowerman, the person I did my ofrenda on, but I made it work in the end. I also had all of the necessary components that you needed to get an A on the project.
5) If I could change one thing about this project, I would change the amount of time we had to work on it. I feel like if we just had a few more days, I would be able to improve upon my ofrenda. Other than that, I think that this project was really well thought out and it turned out really good in the end.
Artist Statement:
My ofrenda is dedicated to Bill Bowerman. He was born on February 19, 1911, and died on December 24, 1999. Bill Bowerman was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 22 NCAA champions and 16 sub-4 minute milers. During his 24 years as coach at the University of Oregon, the Ducks track and field team had a winning season every season but one, attained 4 NCAA titles, and finished in the top 10 in the nation 16 times. As co-founder of Nike, he invented some of their top brands, including the Cortez and Waffle Racer, and assisted in the company moving from being a distributor of other shoe brands to one creating their own shoes in house. Bill had also been in the ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps), and joined the US army as 2nd lieutenant. After the war, Bowerman returned to his position at Medford High School. Bowerman's third son, Tom, was born May 20, 1946. The family then moved to Eugene, Oregon, where he became the head track coach at the University of Oregon on July 1, 1948. It was there he met Phil Knight, the other co owner of Nike, and the rest was history. Bill was born and raised in Portland Oregon, and went to college at the university of Oregon.
I chose the objects in my ofrenda based on Bills career, and some of his favorite things. The Medals are based on his immense track career, both playing and coaching. The Nike logos and slogans are there for obvious reasons, being the creator and co owner of Nike. The waffle is in there because, all though it may not have been his favorite food, it was representative of his original waffle iron design on the bottom of his prototype shoes. This design was very popular at the time, and is really what kick started the company.
This ofrenda is a good reminder of the revolution that Bill Bowerman, and Phil Knight created. I hope Bill knows that he is remembered by many.