Twice a semester, the students of Art 350 and Art 450 participate in a critique where their work is adjudicated by their professors. This event was open to students and faculty for observation. Coffee and donuts were provided for all who attended, along with great conversations.
Both classes are open seminar courses, giving students the opportunity to experiment with different media in a classroom setting. Professors will teach students certain concepts that they feel would be helpful and are able to give feedback based on each of their skill levels. The classes only meet once a week, and students are required to do either eight or ten hours of art a week. This all leads up to their capstone senior thesis, which is generally an exhibit Critiques like these help to prepare students to display their work in the future.
One such student is Grace Garrison, a junior taking Art 450. Over her past five semesters here at Asbury, Garrison has experimented and grown in her skills to create the art she wants to. She appreciates the openness of the class format. “Especially for 350, it’s just a lot of exploring. Like, there’s a lot of creative liberty and just find out what you like and what you’re passionate about,” said Garrison.
For this critique, her medium is pen and ink with watercolor paints, a skill she has developed at Asbury. “I’ve never done actual pen and ink until I took Josh Smith’s drawing class. I was like, ‘I really like this, ‘” said Garrison.
The exhibits also had a different theme. Garrison’s theme was reflecting on the importance of average everyday things. Her pieces depicted slow-moving animals, like snails and sloths and young children playing. Many of her pieces were quite small, being on a piece of paper or canvas the size of a photograph. Another example of a theme was the idea of growing up. The student used oil pastels to depict a young woman getting older and her uncertainty in different stages of life.
When walking through the halls of the Art Annex, one would find a line of brightly colored doors each leading to a student-held studio. In order to get their own studio, Art and Design majors have to ask permission from the department and prove that they are doing work that is messy enough to require one. Inside, visitors would find a display reflecting each of the students’ visions and themes.
Each student displayed seven to 10 pieces that they had been working on in the class so far. These ranged from oil pastels to pottery. A couple of students used more than one medium in their pieces, such as fabric in an oil pastel or soda cans on drawn pictures. These created a 3D effect.
While each of the pieces are different, the unique amount of time and work put in is evident. “The actual work of doing an art piece is kind of painstaking. It’s like a puzzle,” said Garrison. This critique acts as a starting point for some in deciding what their focus will be, but also as a continuation for others who continue to develop the skills they have and make them better.
