“You keep busy. It’s impressive. It’s good.” - Dana Moser, MassArt SIM  

BusyJulie.com is the personal blog of Julie Chen, Artist, designer, and photographer.

For many years, I had been a professional architectural model maker/model services coordinator for an architecture firm in the Fort Point Channel area of Boston. I worked with laser-cutting, 3D computer modeling, and 3D printing as well as photography on occasion. I have some undergraduate education in architecture from Carnegie Mellon University.  

Currently, I am enrolled in the Studio for Interrelated Media (SIM) at MassArt in Boston, where I have been a teachers assistant for some classes, Communications Director for the Solar Decathlon Team, Team Massachusetts (www.4Dhome.us) with the Architecture Department, and currently Executive Assistant for TEDxMassCollegeofArtandDesign (TEDxMassArt.com). As for SIM, it’s not the typical art program where you pick a medium and focus on just that medium. Instead, it’s up to the artist to learn whatever media skills needed to integrate into their artwork, depending on the concept. So far my work has involved photography, small sculpture installation, typography, web, electronic music, and performance.

I am also a self-taught HTML coder, and made my own websites. My husband was a founding member of Common Boston. After he introduced me to the organization in 2007, I was webmaster for several years and helped with some design odds and ends. After I complete my program at MassArt, I plan to rejoin the group.

From March 2008 to March 2010, I was a board member of the Association of Professional Model Makers (APMM) and served as the “VP of Communications” on the board, which is the fancy way of saying I write the newsletter, do some graphic design, and give input on general visual communications issues. This year, I helped with the international APMM 2010 Conference, which was held in Boston in March.  

Flora of Mount Liberty

Photography is another passion of mine and I shoot what catches my eye. I often shoot a lot of family and travel shots since my husband and I love to travel and hike, but I also intend to integrate it with my artwork. I have also done event photography for my volunteer organizations, friends, and family. I currently shoot a lot of artist documentation for SIM. I have photography and studio lighting education from RISD-CE, and have taken Street Photography at MassArt.     

It doesn’t end there. I have been in a rock band. I have done some theater acting. I co-produced a non-fiction short video. While I’m at MassArt, I plan to pick up more video, animation, kinetic art, and music skills.     

Is that busy enough?