WagingArt

Last week’s recap:

• This blog is about art and workforce education.
• It will function as a journal of transforming a traditional art curriculum to include financial literacy, career exploration and practical skill sets.
• It will become a source for artists, teachers, students, employers and administrators asking similar questions.

Step1 A. Art Program Profile

This entry will focus on my starting point; describing the *Associate of Fine Arts program that I direct at Westmoreland County Community College, herein WCCC. The second part of this entry will articulate steps taken to transform the program and what it might look like, as well as questions that as yet cannot be answered. As I improve on my blogging skills, I hope to have a range of resources, including statistics and projections, something necessary to provide when proposing program changes.

The *AFA is an associates degree, designed for seamless transfer to a four -year institution wherein a student in good standing may begin as a junior.  We have four options in the AFA degree – Art Therapy, Studio Art, Graphic Design and Music. I direct the art therapy and studio art options, the general focus of this blog; however, topics will no doubt overlap to include these additional creative fields. The AFA degree requires 61 credits. 19 general education credits are distributed over the areas of communication, mathematics, social and natural sciences. Students also complete 24 credits in the major. The remaining 18 credits are taken as required courses and restricted electives related to the major allowing the student to explore individual areas of interest within the field.                       Key notes on our program:

• On average we have 55 majors in our program, mixed between studio and art therapy.
• Our program requires ALL majors to take either a small business management or social media and marketing class as part of the general education requirement, not just as a course imbedded in arts management.
• Our program is also unique in course offerings – in addition to drawing, painting, 2D, 3D foundations, and printmaking, we offer typography (not as a graphic design class, though we have one in the curriculum), but as an historic overview that includes calligraphy, letterpress technology and digital type design basics. We also offer bookarts, textiles and illustration, all of which develop skill sets where one can envision participating in the explosive craft, “Maker Movement.”
• We have a unique agreement with Touchstone Center for Crafts to provide students with an affordable opportunity to experience national artists for an intensive week of work and earn three credits towards their AFA degree.
• Our program has included 3D printing in our 3D design class for the past four years and have worked with our robotics students on a number of collaborative events including an art/robotics exhibition in 2013. Recently we hosted an animatronics competition entitled “Head Games” with our 2014 visiting artist Jake Corrick, who now serves on our program advisory committee.
• And speaking of visiting artists, our WCCC cultural programming committee has funded a professional artist to visit our campus for the past six years. The artist works with students for a week, exhibit their work in our gallery and offer a public lecture about their process and career journey.
• We offer two portfolio classes – level I focuses on articulating goals, documenting work, writing an artist statement and attending to current issues in the art field. Level II is our capstone class and students are required to design a public exhibition of their work including all stages of promoting the event, installing, lighting and dismantling the exhibition. Students are required to give an oral defense of their work to three chosen faculty and must write an exhibition statement.
• We have instituted an exit exam into the capstone class, one that tests on basic knowledge of key art terms, techniques, works and contemporary issues. This gives our students confidence in the degree they receive as they move forward in their careers.
• As members of the Council on Undergraduate Research, our art students compete with colleges and universities across the country to present and exhibit their work on a national stage. Art students have successfully presented in the past four years that WCCC has been a member, one of the few community colleges in the council.

As transfers, our students have a reputation as being top-notch with institutions in our region such as Seton Hill University, Edinboro University, California University of Pa, and Indiana University of Pa. Our students have also been accepted at premier programs in the country such as the Chicago Art Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Cleveland Art Institute and Virginia Commonwealth University to name a few.

This is a solid curriculum, but in spite of the attention towards useful, obvious skill sets, there still exists a gap – not only in program offerings but perhaps more importantly, perceptions. We still need to make connections more effectively, and link skill sets across disciplines as an integral mission of the program. The conceptual process imbedded in the curriculum provides a framework for students to think in terms of connections. The imperative is for creative thinkers to apply that thinking to some unexpected career tracks.

Step 1 B. Setting the Sights

The first thing to ask is “What would this program look like if resources weren’t an issue?” This is a big question. We so often get use to the habits of working with what we have that in time it’s daunting to think of getting and offering more. Nonetheless, a dynamic program needs to ask this question regularly. While the whole vision is yet to come to fruition, a few things I do know will strengthen our program toward financial literacy and sustainable, creative career tracks:

1. The addition of two certificate programs as stackable credentials –

• ART/BUSINESS that would include a class on finance for creative careers, grant writing and museum careers.
•  ART/TECHNOLOGY that would include classes on animatronics, robotics and software applications for designing and prototyping.

2. Collaborate with our Advanced Technology Center, especially in relation to machining and fabrication, design and prototyping , welding and putting “art” into STEM programs, commonly known as “STEAM.”

3. Engagement with the local businesses and community organizations.

• ExOne company in Irwin PA has toured our art students and works with our ATC center.
• The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. This gem of a museum has been a most valued partner for years, and offers our students opportunities within museum culture to learn about a range of professions around art.

4. PEOPLE. Having an advisory committee for any program is a must. I try to meet at least once a month with a few of my advisors, and as I move forward, this blog will be my way of regularly communicating how our program is progressing. I have a mix of faculty, within and outside of my program, a former graduate, local community and business leaders and experts in the field. The list of advisors I use will be in my “about” tab, as soon as I procure their permission.

Next Step – Currently, I’m in the process of working with our grant writer for resources to infuse our program with technology, training, and more sustainable goals. This week I will be working on the grant narrative, while simultaneously working on certificate proposals.

Hazard yet Forward…..                                                                                                            As a graduate of Seton Hill University, (ever so long ago…) I feel honored to use their motto…… It suits this endeavor. If you have read all of this, thank you. I appreciate feedback as I do feel like a new born calf with wobbly legs, both with what I’m undertaking and even blogging! You may have noticed I have changed the appearance of this blog, don’t be surprised if it changes again until I get comfortable with the most usable format and enlist the help of our talented students.