Finding Home in the Arts

from October 2022: The Modern Arts Issue

Quiz: Which Period of Art are You?

BY TATE RAUB PHOTOS BY AMBRIELL SHANNON

The first thing one sees on the Ohio University College of Fine Arts’ website is, “Don’t just find your place in the world. Create it.” Bold, simple words to introduce what has the potential to be someone’s academic home for the next four or so years of their life. Scroll down a bit to find the School of Art + Design and then ‘B.F.A. Studio Art.’ Within this branch of the school, getting a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree provides the opportunity to take foundations, art history, and studio classes that create the building blocks necessary for undergraduate students in the program. Within the College of Fine Arts as a whole, the ceramics, film, and printmaking programs are world-class and highly regarded.

Once they have the essentials, which are generally wrapped up at the end of their second year, students declare a concentration in one of seven areas: ceramics, painting + drawing, printmaking, photography + integrated media, art therapy, sculpture + expanded practice, and digital art + technology.

“There’s just a lot of really unique opportunities,” Jenna Tucker, a junior studying studio art, said. “I got to help my professor build a kiln over the summer … (it) was actually a part of a summer apprenticeship, which is really cool. And I know there’s a lot of different programs that will hire apprentices over the summer.” While she loves and appreciates the program, Tucker said that a common misconception people have about it is thinking it will be super easy. She said that it’s certainly fun, but requires putting in a lot of time and effort to get as much out of it as possible.

Noel Reed, a senior studying environmental studies, has had a slightly different experience in the Fine Arts program. His interests in art were piqued by the prospect of getting into art somehow so he decided to take a couple of foundations classes to get a better understanding of the program. Fast forward to his junior year and he had declared a studio art minor.

For Reed, his work in studying the environment bleeds into his favored art forms of sculptures and ceramics. He has a vested interest in how things like urban planning and the current political, economic, and architectural systems are perpetuating environmental degradation.

“I’m currently working on my thesis,” Reed said. “(Which) is going to be a creative project but I’m also going to have to write a 25-page paper explaining why I’ve made the creative decisions and showing all of the research that went into the thing I made.”

Tucker and Reed each explained that they, as well as their peers, greatly enjoy the community of the fine arts program. The students and faculty work closely together to build an environment in which students are valued and there are plenty of opportunities for them to share their art with their peers and anyone else who places high value on creativity.

For more information about the program, check out the website and check out the respective social media platforms for all of the different schools and programs within the college.