ADAPTING TO COVID -19
Students take watercolor course during threeweek session Assistant Professor of Practice in Studio Art and
activities that were specifical-
Foundations Coordinator Byron Anway taught
ly designed to succeed in this
Beginning Watercolor I during the January three-
remote situation.”
week session. It is a course taught infrequently in
tercolor takes patience, but not
popular with 40 students enrolling.
necessarily a lot of time.
“I decided to take this course because it was
“I like that it requires a lot
really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Joselyn
of planning before you start
Andreasen, a studio art major from Kennard,
painting because watercolor is
Nebraska. “As well as watercolor being a mystery to
not as forgiving as oil paint,” she
me, and many others, it seems like a good tool to
said. “The benefits of taking this
put in my skill set.”
in a three-week class are that I
Cicely Pickel, a studio art major from Davey,
was able to apply what I already
Nebraska, took the course to count toward her
knew and add so much more information about
studio art credit.
art history, composition, and what makes a really
“It seemed like a less stressful option than taking
good painting. Byron was very good at teaching
it during the normal semester length,” she said. “I
all this important information in a non-stressful,
am also trying to see if I can graduate early, and this
encouraging way.”
seemed like a great opportunity to get that done.” Anway said he was initially hesitant to teach the class online. “I was worried students wouldn’t be able to have
24
Pickel said she likes how wa-
the School of Art, Art History & Design, so it was
Anway hopes to offer the course again. “This January watercolor course gives students the opportunity to take something that’s not normally offered,” he said. “These three-week
the communal experience and that it wouldn’t
courses help students graduate on time, and it’s
meet this idea in my mind of what it was supposed
an opportunity for students outside of art to
to be,” he said. “I decided to change. Instead of
engage with our department and our curriculum
worrying that it won’t be what it was, I would
and have an art experience. Everything about it
design the whole class with assignments and
feels kind of like a gift.” ■
HIXSON-LIED COLLEGE of FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS | FALL 2021
Top: Joselyn Andreasen’s View from her Studio Window assignment. Left and Bottom Right: Cropped details from Ryan Bromm’s watercolor assignment.
