Senior art students can let creative sparks fly in new studio spaces

There's a mini labyrinth in the Washburn Art Center (WAB) that is just for senior art students. Entering this newly created studio space, you meander through a dozen 90-degree-angled nooks that will be home to critiques, creativity, and a lot of feels as the year goes on.

Seniors majoring in Art and Media Design immerse themselves in a year-long project, preparing them for professional careers. They research a field they hope to pursue, such as graphic design, film, or photography, and develop a proposal to create a body of work connected to that field. Each student then spends their final academic year developing and delivering their work, culminating in an end-of-year show, professional portfolio, and website.

To carry out this tall order in the past, students used to have to carry their work and art supplies between classrooms and their own homes because they didn't have dedicated spaces to work and store their materials. This summer, Professor Scott Carollo and Associate Professor Mava Vazquez changed that.

They cleaned out a large room used primarily for storage on the second floor and built the nooks so each senior could have a designated area to keep materials and work. There's also a communal space, large storage units for 2D work, and a space to take professional photos of their work for their portfolios.

The space is also intended to create a sense of community. Seniors can display their completed projects and works in progress - faculty regularly come to each studio for critiques. The studio space is open until midnight, so students can come and go as they please, whenever inspiration strikes.

One of the nooks is for senior Troy Bohan, who says, "I was shocked when I saw it! The offer of a studio is so nice - I can use it for myself and feel great about it, truly." He adds that students can't typically afford dedicated studio space, so to have it provided on campus allows for a unique experience.

"We didn't realize how excited they would be," Carollo says. "We are experimenting this semester and hope these changes elevate students' work."

In addition to the studio spaces, there's a new study area on the second floor. Several easels have been placed around WAB as part of another new initiative: After each art project, students vote on the best work, which gets a place of honor on an easel for display. Rather than displaying all work, faculty decided to be more selective to provide motivation for students. "This way they can respond to their critiques, and it motivates students to do better and improve their work for the next class project," Carollo says.

Previous art students who traversed the halls of WAB will also have new attention drawn to their work. Carollo took time to go through their archives, where he found art by students dating back to the 1970s. He hung these pieces throughout the building to inspire the current generation of students and to point to a longstanding history of great Deaf creative minds.

More changes to WAB are in the pipeline to share space and collaborate with other units and programs on campus. Carollo wants everyone to know that the Art and Media Design program doors are open to non-art students and the broader GU community alike to take a look!

Save the date for an open studio, senior proposal presentations, and a screenprinting exhibition on December 9th.