KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 18, 2018

School of Art and Design Open Studio Event is Oct. 25

Future Kennesaw State University art students can sample a range of art classes from printmaking to electronic illustration and from drawing to painting when the College of the Arts (COTA) opens its classes in the Visual Arts Building to high school students on Oct. 25 from 5 – 8 p.m. One set of studio courses begins at 5 p.m. and another set begins at 6:30 p.m. Students are welcome to stay for both sessions.

The Open Studio Event is designed to give prospective students and members of the community the opportunity to create their own artwork and take it with them. For example, during the printmaking class, students will learn how to make colorful pumpkin prints. 

Art historians and educators will also be participating in the Open Studio Event, and visitors will be able to walk a self-guided tour of the Visual Arts Building while the classes are in session.

“With new academic programming reflecting the design needs of business and industry in Georgia and the Southeast, we are focused on being the destination art and design school for prospective students in the region,” said Geo Sipp, director of the School of Art and Design. “We are the only public institution in the state offering a degree in digital animation.”

The School of Art and Design’s enrollment has more than doubled in the past five years with more than 700 undergraduate students majoring in visual arts programs. The largest Art and Design program in Georgia, the School also offers the MAT in Art Education degree. All programs are fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

“We’re opening our doors to our studios and classrooms, so prospective students can meet with our students and professors, listen to class discussion and learn about the resources our studios provide,” said April Munson, the organizer of the event and assistant director of the School of Art and Design. “We’ve reached out to hundreds of Georgia high school art teachers to promote the event to their students.”

Munson, who also is an associate professor of art education, says letting visitors watch KSU art students work on their projects and ask questions about their processes and experience provides an authentic opportunity to sample the possibilities.

“This experience differs from COTA’s Spring Arts Festival because it is specifically geared toward high school and college students interested in art and design,” she said. “This is an opportunity for them to experience the classes in action and speak with faculty and students. In addition, students can bring their portfolio and have their work reviewed by faculty.”

The faculty includes 28 permanent, full-time professors, and 27 part-time faculty members. All are practicing artists and scholars who provide an intense, professional learning environment for students. Students, faculty and staff contribute regularly to the University and its creative communities.

— Robert S. Godlewski

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.