A Trip to the Art Department

A group of Graham High School Art students visited Concord University’s Art Department on January 22, 2015. The visit was a collaborative effort between Holly Wood, Graham High School Art teacher and Concord University alumni, and the Concord University‘s art department. During the recent visit the students were given a guided tour of the art studios located in the Alexander Fine Arts building.

During their visit they were also given the opportunity to view various demonstrations including pottery and graphic design. Jamey Biggs, Associate Professor, demonstrated his skill as a potter by throwing a large pot on the pottery wheel and discussing the ceramic’s program. Assistant Professor Kevin Bennington talked about the Graphic Design Program and showed past student work from all of the different graphic design classes. He also shared some of his own interactive work with the students.

The students enjoyed lunch in the cafeteria and were given a tour of the campus by the Admissions office. Their visit was concluded by learning about Aesthetics and the Art Education program. Assocaiate Professor, Dr. Lauri Reidmiller, lead a hands-on art lesson with the students. The students worked in teams to create sculptures out of ice. Graham’s High School student, Mckenzie Riffe said, “The project was really fun and I learned so much. It really educated me in art”.

Each team was given specific criteria and Principles of Design that they had to incorporate into their sculpture. “The project challenged us to think about structural integrity and our creativity. Working in groups was a lot of fun and it was by far my favorite part of the trip,” stated Alicia Boyd, Graham High School student.

The students were very involved in the creative process and had to use cooperation and their problem solving skills to complete their sculptures. “The project seemed nearly impossible at first but after putting all of the teams ideas together, we created a unique piece of art. It was really fun and messy, ” Kara Compton.

After the groups completed their sculptures they were asked to present them and explain how their piece fulfilled the requirements. I was very impressed with their sculptures and their presentations. The groups were photographed with their projects and copies were sent to Mrs. Wood. “The project was fun and challenging. I never thought of using water balloons that way. That will be a memory I will never forget,” stated Brittiany Ratliff.

After their visit Graham student Shannon Woods shared, “The project was really fun. I went home telling everyone about it and even asked my mom if we could get the stuff and do it at home. I'm glad I was able to experience it.” During their visit many students expressed their desire to attend Concord. Brittney Kuehling stated “The project we did was awesome. It was really fun to do. I loved going to Concord,”

I believe there is no substitute for the experience of visiting a University campus. Visitors can see firsthand why students choose to come to Concord University. Perhaps we will see more students from Graham High School on our campus in the next few years.