KNOXVILLE—It was a day full of intense artistic practice, as University of Tennessee, Knoxville, faculty members, graduate students, and undergraduate students in the School of Art gave high school students from East Tennessee a glimpse into the possibilities of becoming an artist within a university setting.
Late last month, more than 100 high school students representing thiry-three high schools in East Tennessee gathered at UT for the eleventh annual UT High School Arts Academy. The day consisted of seven comprehensive studio workshops designed to give students experience in professional, college-level instruction and to open students’ eyes to the larger and more complicated world of the various media for making art.
Student participants enrolled in a workshop of their choice: ceramics, drawing, graphic design, mixed media, painting, photography or printmaking/book arts. The workshops were taught by School of Art faculty and former and current graduate students.
Throughout the day, participants were exposed to professional artists, sophisticated equipment, quality instruction, unusual materials, and the role of ideas, originality, hard work, and community in making works of art. Students also had the opportunity to tour the facilities of the School of Art and to see UT student work on exhibit in the Ewing Gallery.
Anna Boyd attended the academy in 2006 as a sophomore at Oak Ridge High School and took film photography with Professor Baldwin Lee. She is now a senior majoring in studio art at UT, and this year she served as an undergraduate assistant at the academy.
“Being an assistant at the UT High School Arts Academy has been an amazing way for me to give back and reach students who want to pursue art in college,” Boyd said. “I was able to show students my studio and answer several questions about the 2-D art/drawing program. It is my hope that the high school students feel more confident about the art they make and more comfortable with the idea of taking art classes in college.”
Marcia Goldenstein, professor in the School of Art, and Peggy Leland, instructor of art at Central High School, have collaborated on the UT High School Arts Academy since its launch in 2002 in order to extend the university’s teaching mission to high school students in Knox and surrounding counties. Participation has grown from forty-five students in 2002 to roughly 100 students in recent years.
“Students, public and private art teachers, and parents look forward each spring to this unique opportunity to participate in the Arts Academy,” said Goldenstein, who received the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Outreach Award in 2011 for her efforts with the initiative. “It has become an important program in creating a strong and significant relationship with the public and private art programs in our community and beyond.”
Area high schools that participated in the 2012 UT High School Arts Academy included Bearden, Berean Christian, Central, Chuckey-Doak, Clinton, David Crockett, Farragut, Gibbs, Greene County, Greeneville, Hardin Valley Academy, Heritage, Jefferson County, Knoxville Catholic, L&N STEM Academy, Lenoir City, Maryville, Morristown East, Oak Ridge, Pigeon Forge, Powell, Roane County, Science Hill, Sevier County, South Doyle, South Greene, Sullivan Central, Sullivan South, Tennessee High, Unicoi County, West, West Greene, and William Blount.
Funding for the 2012 UT High School Arts Academy was provided by the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Art, and local suppliers, including Jerry’s Artarama.
—
C O N T A C T :
Marcia Goldenstein, 865-974-9398, mgoldens@utk.edu