"Obscura" Georgia College and State University Magazine

Obscura Georgia College & State University Department of Art

Contents 01 Discover GCSU 03 Department of Art 05 Majors, Minors, & Degrees

11 Department of Art Buildings

17 Faculty & Staff 21 Student Exhibitions

23 About the Author

Discover GCSU

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Welcome to Georgia College the state’s designated public liberal arts university where a practical education meets transformational, real-world experiences. Cultivate your career and discover the boundless ways to thrive at Georgia College and beyond. As an undergraduate at Georgia College & State University, you will receive a liberal arts education combined with life-altering, real world experiences. No matter what major you choose, you will have ample opportunities to study abroad, volunteer and get involved in the community, gain internship and leadership roles, participate in research, and a whole host of other experiences that will prime you for success as you further your studies or enter into a rapidly-evolving workforce.

Georgia College & State University is a unique setting where you can discover what truly drives your spirit and learn how to develop your talents to make a difference in the world. Georgia College delivers the best of both worlds - it’s small enough to offer you personal, one-on-one learning and individual attention and public enough to offer you the affordable tuition of a state school.

Georgia College - an incomparable place to launch your life’s journey.

A wide range of campus activities are provided for students and are the efforts of many students, faculty, and staff. The Department of Student Engagement is responsible for coordinating major campus-wide events such as Week of Welcome, Hanging of the Greens, Homecoming, Bobcat Marketplace, Bobcat Awards & Recognition and Midnight Breakfast The department also works handin-hand with the Campus Activities Board in planning and implementing programs and activities year round.

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GCSU Art Department The Art department at Georgia College prepares you to be an art practitioner with skills and values that make an active and responsible participant in society. They will prepare you to engage in questions of self-expression, artisanship, identity, community, values, politics, and meaning. The major balances studio work, history, and theory courses to organize them around a combination of activities. These include: various teaching methods in your courses, visiting artist experiences, exposure to contemporary art through the coordination galleries on campus, independent learning opportunities, and a senior project. problem-solving The classes are small with low faculty to student ratio.

social perceptiveness

active listening innovation teamwork vizualize

comprehension

research creativity Leadership detail-oriented Analysis and critical thinktime-management adaptability ing are central to the visual communication experience and production reasoning persistence of fine art. Our goals for

service oriented reliable

our students are to inculcate the visual language as a problem-solving tool, to bridge the gap between the history of visual cultures, the theories of contemporary art strategies and how they are applied to the production of art. Our students will strive to be visually literate in order to be able to decipher the relationships between art and society within the multiple-contexts of history, politics, literature, and issues of gender, identity, and multiculturalism.

Vision

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coordination

flexibility

Four key Objectives Students will learn historical and contemporary analytical skills including the ability to research, define, analyze, and critically formulate positions on contemporary issues in visual and public art from historical, ethical, formal, and sociopolitical perspectives.

Analytical Skills Students will learn audience understanding including the ability to define, investigate, and analyze community-audience issues. They have the ability to practice effective problem-solving, communication, and community-sensitive work, the ability to evaluate accountability, and the ability to achieve interdisciplinary collaboration and display community-organizing strategies within an arts project.

Production skills Students will learn production skills including the ability to create, understand and manipulate media, and the ability to complete and present artworks or projects. Within the arena of production the student will consider how to present and distribute artwork in multiple formats and contexts.

Audience Understaning

Students will learn critical and evaluative skills including the ability to assess, critique, and analyze formal properties, audience relevancy, and impact.

Critical Skills

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Majors, Minors, & Degrees Our faculty strive to foster collaborative learning and encourage development in both art theory and artistic practice. With four different concentrations, our students prepare for further study at the graduate level, and the demands for a workforce requiring exceptional, creative problem solving skills. Our Visiting Artist series, as well as the regular exhibitions of renowned artists in our various galleries, expose students to current trends in regional, national, and international art.

Museum Studies

Art History

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Fine Arts

Graphic Design

Art B.A Art History & Visual Culture Students primarily engaged in historical research and written arts scholarship should declare this concentration. Following completion of Area F, media and other upper division coursework in diverse areas of art history and visual culture, the Art History and Visual Culture concentration student will complete their major requirements with a senior capstone. Seniors will begin their final year with research, development and some production of a new, scholarly work.

Multiple faculty reviews and ongoing mentorship will support this research. Their final semester capstone will include high production, media relations, and presentation of this thesis under the guidance of their faculty committee.

Students entering GCSU in the Fall 2023 or later semesters may declare this concentration. Students who entered GCSU prior to Fall 2023 will pursue this concentration under its previous title, Art History. These students who entered GCSU prior to Fall 2023 may declare the Art History and Visual Culture concentration only if they use the 2023-2024 or later catalog requirements to complete all degree requirements. Students should speak with their academic advisor if they are interested in making this change.

The Art History and Visual Culture minor is a focused exploration of art history, theory, and visual culture. The minor program is designed to an opportunity for those students majoring in other disciplines, but with a strong interest in the history of art and visual culture to gain further knowledge. A total of 15 hours is needed to complete this minor

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Art B.A Fine Art Studio Students who want to focus their creative energies on studio work, performance and installation should declare this concentration. Investigations of various media in upper division coursework and extensive work in the Cognate Area, the Fine Art Studio concentration student will complete their major requirements with a capstone. Seniors will begin their final year with research, development and some production of a new, cohesive body of work. Multiple faculty reviews and ongoing mentorship will support this research. Their final semester Capstone will include high production, media relations, installation, exhibition, reception, and deinstallation of this thesis work under the guidance of their faculty committee.

The Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art concentration track culminates in an interdisciplinary yearlong Senior Capstone experience. The first semester of the senior year involves working closely with a professor and members of the Art Faculty to research and develop skills and ideas for a Senior Thesis Exhibition. The second semester of the senior year is focused on creating a body of original artwork and mounting a Senior Thesis Exhibition for public presentation.

A wide variety of courses are offered including basic art skills such as Drawing and Two-Dimensional Design, traditional art history surveys and upper-level Studio Art courses in Ceramics, Graphic Design, Painting, Photography, and Printmaking.

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Art B.A Graphic Design The Graphic Design concentration provides a learning environment that nurtures creative thinking and skill development. The curriculum is carefully assembled to fulfill the growing interest in graphic design from students in the Department of Art and beyond. Courses are designed to help students acquire the applicable skills and knowledge of design principles to gain professional proficiency in every aspect of the graphic design profession. The concentration will also prepare students for further study at the graduate level and to meet the demands of the workforce. A wide variety of courses are offered including Intro to the Computer in Art, Graphic Design Studio from beginning to advanced level, Typography, Publication Design, Corporate Identity, Packaging, Motion, Senior Capstone experience that focuses primarily on research, design ideation and portfolio development, and Special Topics in Design. The topic will vary from section to section and may include high-end security printing, environmental design, web design, motion design, wayfinding design, and exhibition design, among others.

The Graphic Design concentration provides a learning environment that nurtures creative thinking and skill development. The curriculum is carefully assembled to fulfill the growing interest in graphic design from students in the Department of Art and beyond. Courses are designed to help students acquire the applicable skills and knowledge of digital software to gain professional proficiency in every aspect of the graphic design profession. The concentration will also prepare students for further study at the graduate level and to meet the demands of the workforce.

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Art B.A Museum Studies

The Museum Studies concentration is a Bachelor of Arts degree program offered in the Department of Art. It is one of only a few undergraduate programs of this emerging field offered in the United States.

Students in this program learn and understand the internal operations of a museum organization. The courses include Introduction to Museums Studies, which explores the history and function of museums, their missions, diverse collections, exhibition programming, and interaction with audiences and communities. In Exhibition Design, presents museum and gallery design principles and exhibition construction The Museum Studies concentration is a focused study techniques. Critical and Curatorial on museums and future employment opportunities Theory & Development focuses on curawithin the museum field. Studies culminate in a public torial practices for the development of presentation, at a professional level, of an original exhibitions and collections in a museum creative research project produced during the senior environment. Museum Administration year. focuses on the organizational structure of museums.

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Minors The Department of Art offers a wide range of minors to allow students to participate and be involveed in many forms of art on campus. This allows students who do not major in art to still get the opportunity to gain the knowledge and experience in whatever minor they choose. The list of minors seen below aare all art minors offered and students can find more information on the GCSU department of art’s website.

Ceramics Graphic Design Museum Studies Painting Photograpy Printmaking Sculpture in Expanded Media

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Department of Art Buildings Georgia College and State Univeristy art department has the unique advantage of having four art department building where students particpate in hands on learning curriculam. The Department of Art provides an exhibition program that brings to the campus contemporary works of art in ceramics, drawing, fiber arts, installation, painting, photography, printmaking, performance art, sculpture, and time based Our changing world challenges artists to become media by recognized artists. Exhibitions flexible practitioners and participants who can think, are held in the University’s Leland research, organize, and produce work that transGallery at Ennis Hall and the Museum forms people, places and our times. The power of of Fine Arts at Underwood House. art lies in artists connecting themselves in reciprocal relationships with their publics, in order to create a more humane life relevant to their time and place. The Art program provides a balance of Studio, Art History, Museum Studies and theory courses organized around a combination of core concept and skill courses, visiting artist experiences, exposure to contemporary art through the Leland Gallery at Ennis Hall, the Museum of Fine Arts at Underwood House, and independent international learning opportunities, culminating in a senior Capstone experience.

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Ennis Hall 320 W. Hancock St.

Ennis Hall was dedicated in 1920 in honor of Sen. J. Howard Ennis (1873-1953), who had fought successfully, together with President Parks, to ensure that GN&IC would be adequately funded, able to confer four-year degrees on its graduates, and no longer be considered a “department” of the University of Georgia. (Ennis later served as mayor of Milledgeville from 1924 until 1927.)

Ennis Hall was renovated in 2014 and is know the key building for the department of art at Georgia College and State University. Conissiting of four floors the building is one of the biggest on campus as far as classroom space and accessibility.

GCSU is is commited to supporting student success, and as such, it provides access to essential student resources. Beyond its academic functions, It also plays host to various culutral and social events. Lecture series, art exhibits, and other cultural activities contribute to a vibrant campus life, creating a sense of community among students, faculty, and staff. Ennis Hall stands as a testament to Georgia College & State University’s commitment to academic excellence and community engagement. Its rich history, architectural background, and veratile spaces make it an integral part of the univeristy’s community life.

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Ennis Hall is comprised of four floors with each floor being a different area of art study. The ground floor is comproside of the photogrpahy and studio classrooms for graphic design and photography majors.

With four classrooms and three darkrooms and photography areas for diverse learning objectives for the majors.The first floor has unique classrooms for adminstration offices and studio spaces for students to work in. The first floor is also the home of the Leland gallery where students exhibit their works during the second semester of their senior year for Capstone 2. Seniors will begin their final year with research, development and some production of a new, scholarly work. Multiple faculty reviews and on going mentorship will support this research. The second floor is home to the 2D floor that has space for painting, drawing and classroom space. The third floor is used for the 3D departments for ceramics other three dimentional elements used in art. It is also the location of the Fab Lab where students have access to three-d printers, and other fabrication materials. Ennis Hall is suited for the students needs in mind for them to excel at their course material and prepare their for their specific course study.

The photography studio on the ground floor fo ennis is home to two dark rooms for student access and developoment. Students have access to camera equipment and hands on techniques that teach them to beomcme developing photographers

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Located on the ground floor are the art history classrooms,graphic design classrooms, and photgrpahy studios While the below image is the first floor and the entrance to Ennis Hall.

Grassman Studio

Grassmann Ceramic Art Studio is located behind Blackbridge Hall. We make ceramics about craft, memory, materiality, the object, time, work, life, food, experience, identity, information, color, geology, science, science fiction, history, nature, design, waste, systems, abstraction, education, chance, environment, and so much more.

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Miller Annex

100-124 E Thomas St

Miller Annex is home to the printmaking and woodshop aspects of GCSU art. The Georgia College Printmaking Department is located at the former Atlanta Gas Light building, or, Miller Annex. Comprised of several rooms fully equipped for a variety of print processes, our department prides itself on the inky fingernails and dynamic imagery of our print student community.

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102 South Columbia Street

Underwood House Gallery

In 2010, Georgia College acquired the home of Lucy Underwood, emeritus professor of Music (1962-1998). The house was originally constructed by Mrs. E. D. Napier, Milledgeville, Georgia, and designed by famed architect Philip Trammel Schutze. The house currently serves as the Georgia College Museum of Fine Arts.Now a gallery space for student work and guest works the exhibition is open to students and faculty for the installation and recgnition of artworks.

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Faculty & Staff Administrative Team

Valerie Aranda Professor of Art, Drawing & Painting, & Program Coordinator

Matthew Forest Interim Chair and Associate Professor of Art, Printmaking matthew.forest@gcsu.edu

Lori Watson Office Coordinator

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Art History & Musuem Studies

Elissa Auerbach

Ruben Yepes

Professor of Art History

Assistant Professor of Art History

Fadhili Mshana Professor of African Art

Megan McNaught Gallery Director & Lecturer of Museum Studies

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Studio Art Faculty

Abraham Abebe Associate Professor of Art, Graphic Design

Seth Cook Lecturer of Photography

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William(Bill) Fischer Professor of Art

Curtis Stewardson Ceramics Studio Technician

Sandra Trujillo Professor of Art, Ceramics

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Leland Gallery Student Exhibtions Laila Campbell 2023

Samantha Threkheld 2023

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Kimberly Tran 2023

Mattie Thompson 2023

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About the Author: Jacob Phipps Hi, My name is Jacob Phipps and I am currenlty a second semester junior with a major in Graphic Design and a minor in Marketing. My passion for graphic design has allowed me to create some great artisitc designs and developments here at Georgia College and State Univeristy which I hope to translate to a job after graduation. I love to draw and like the feeling and creativity of line work throughout my pieces.I encourage you to explore further or even consider reaching out to current students, faculty members, or alumni to gain a more personalized understanding of the vibrant atmosphere within the department. Whether you’re an aspiring artist, a prospective student, or simply someone intrigued by the world of art, your curiosity and engagement can contribute to the ongoing narrative of creativity and innovation at GCSU.Below are some of my samples work that i have created here at GCSU including a simplified self portrait and poster design.

Mark Simonson is a well known American type de signer who lives in St. Paul Minnesota. Simonson’s fonts are used in sites such as NBC, BuzzFeed, Mashable and his unique grotesque designs are known all over the world.

Proxima Nova (2005) bridges the gap between typefaces like Futura and Akzidenz Grotesk. The result is a hybrid that com bines modern proportions

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with a geometric appearance.The original six fonts (three weights with italics) have been expanded to 48 full-featured OpenType fonts. The Proxima Nova family is a complete reworking of Proxima Sans. One of the most common, Italic Regular (this font) has become one of the most used fonts on the internet in web de signs.

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