ECC student Josh Selvig
Elgin Community College (ECC) student Josh Selvig is looking forward to transferring to the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) in the fall of 2025 after being awarded a scholarship for $25,000. MIAD was drawn to Selvig’s art portfolio, specifically the “Fountain of Thought” art installation he created at ECC.
“I couldn’t be more thankful for the time I spent here,” Selvig said. “I think a lot of people feel the pressure to figure everything out while they are accumulating a lot of debt at certain schools. I was very blessed not to have that happen because I came here, but also the people and faculty here have fostered and taught me a lot.”
Selvig came to ECC in 2019, transferring from Northern Illinois University (NIU), where he studied visual communications. However, he was not quite finding his fit with the program.
“I didn’t really feel direction with it, and I wanted to figure out what kind of art I wanted to make,” Selvig said. “One of my friends recommended that I check out printmaking classes here, so I started with that. I’d never tried it before, and I ended up loving it.”
Along with finding his passion and excelling in printmaking, Selvig also began as a student worker for the art department, working for Juan Fernandez, the former director of visual and performing art facilities. There, he learned how to build frames, hang art, document art, and talk about it.
“Juan has been such a big mentor for me, and just through working at the gallery, I’ve gotten so much life experience and work experience as an artist,” Selvig said. “It’s not only classroom stuff.”
Fernandez and Amy Brandolino, professor of art history, encouraged and challenged Selvig to expand his artmaking outside of printmaking and think of art as an interdisciplinary act. Selvig, along with three other students, was given an independent study. Through this challenge, Selvig developed the “Fountain of Thought.”
After brainstorming with his peers and professors, Selvig knew he wanted to create something similar to the vinyl stickers he created and put up in the hallway of the Renner Academic Library, but he wanted his installation to be about the creative process.
“I feel like a lot of galleries I see, it is presented in a very sterile space,” Selvig said. “Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I wanted to make something that represented the griminess of the process.” To activate the grime, Selvig, with the help of Fernandez, built a bathroom to express the sense of ‘pooping out ideas.’
“The creative process is what artists use to process their lives and their life lens,” Selvig said. “But, everyone does that; they just don’t necessarily make art with it. They do other things. So it’s like, everyone poops.”
In the installation, Selvig drew images with markers along the walls and left toilet paper outside for people to write or draw, which they would then put in the toilet. He then hung up their papers inside to represent the changing environment of the mind and how it processes stuff.
At MIAD, Selvig looks forward to pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree and continuing to focus on the passion he adopted at ECC: printmaking. After that, Selvig plans to take things one step at a time.
“I’m just going to give it all I got and see where things go,” Selvig said. “I could end up doing anything.” Learn more about ECC student and local artist Selvig below.
What’s one thing you like to do outside of ECC? I make music with my friends. I have been playing the drums since I was around 12-years-old. The music we play is all over the place, but right now, it’s been more lo-fi indie music and maybe some psychedelic music, too.
What did you want to be when you were growing up? Honestly, an artist. I was drawing for the longest time. It was mostly that until I started translating it into printmaking. But as a kid, I was always drawing.
Dogs, cats, or houseplants? Dogs, but only because I’m allergic to cats. I love all animals; cats just make my nose itchy.
What’s one thing that really makes your day? Getting to spend time in nature.
What’s your favorite meal to cook or eat out? I like to cook salmon, but my favorite meal out is probably ramen.
