TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Art and Design are key elements in any modern, college-level arts program. These disciplines are valuable to students who desire a well-rounded education. As an educator, it is my job to see to it that students are given compelling assignments and a dynamic classroom setting that will further growth in their ability to create visual art and bring a vital component to a liberal arts curriculum.

A competitive, high-quality studio art curriculum must:

• Provide the backdrop that will allow students to set goals for themselves in a broad sense as well as with each academic course
• Presents art as a practice rooted in both ideological and visual traditions.
• Encourage a student to trust their personal knowledge and use what they are learning in new and significant ways
• Provide exchanges with students through one-to-one and group critiques
• Provide a curriculum that provides business-minded skills that are essential to becoming a successful graphic designer (such as how to interview for a job) and artist (such as how to set a budget and schedule so you can make art).

To be an effective educator, a studio/design instructor must:

• Provide the encouragement necessary to aid students to gain an understanding of what art and design is to them and to bring their ideas to fruition
• Challenge the students to perform at their best level through constant attention to needs, concerns and interests.
• Share my experiences as an educator, designer and artist with students.

It is important for students to grasp the idea that contemporary art and design is rooted in both ideological and visual practices. Studio coursework should involve creative and problem-solving assignments as well as reading assignments.
Group critique is the greatest opportunity to determine student growth. Their perception of each others’ projects can give an educator insight into how they understand the assignment. It is also crucial that they have the opportunity to listen to my critiques of their peers’ work as that will likely effect how they view their own analysis and choices they have for future projects.
With degree majors, reading assignments should be given and discussed both individually and collectively, as it is important for the student to be able to work within and outside of the classroom dynamic. The reading assignments can involve design theory and contemporary marketing practices, but should pass into other areas of the humanities – art history, social and political theory, philosophy, semiotics, science, etc. Graphic design is fundamentally a service-based industry and the more well-rounded and informed the student, the more well-rounded and informed the artist/designer.
Regular one-on-one critiques are also indispensable. Conversation and argument are an important part of the development of a sophisticated thinker. This skill is useful in all areas of life and should be cultivated in the classroom to prepare students for life outside its walls. It is a useful skill to be able to speak succinctly to others about your work as a professional and cultivating this ability is the whole point of critiquing.
Seminars on career options and establishing a career are essential for all students. These seminars should include open discussions on what it means to be successful, what kinds of jobs are available for designers, how to apply for a job, how to interview, how to put together a portfolio, how to read a contract and other topics that will help a student post-graduation to either get into graduate school or establish a successful career.