University Fast Links Academic Affairs Academic Calendar Academic Community Engagement (ACE) Academic Planning and Assessment Accepted Students Admissions (Undergraduate) Admissions (Graduate) Admission Requirements Analytical Laboratory Advising (Medical/Dental Related) Advising (SAM Center) Agricultural Sciences and Engineering Technology Alumni Association Alcohol and Drug Abuse Initiative Army ROTC - Military Science Athletics Banner Banking Bearkat Camp Bearkat Express Payment Bearkat Marching Band Bearkat OneCard Bearkat Transfer Scholarship Blackboard Blinn College Transfers Bookstore Books & Supplies Budget Office Bursar's Office Business Administration Calendars Campus Map Career Services Catalogs Class Schedule Computer Account Creation Computer Labs Continuing Education Controller's Office Correspondence Course Division Counseling Center Criminal Justice Current Students Dean of Students' Office Departments Department of Dance Dining Services Directory Education Educator Preparation Services Emergency Management Employment Opportunities English Language Institute Enrollment Management Environmental, Health and Safety Office Exchange Mail Facilites Management Facilities Space Management Faculty Senate Faculty/Staff Directory Final Exam Schedule Finance and Operations Financial Aid Fine Arts and Mass Communication First-Year Experience General Information Graduate Studies Great Names Health Sciences Honors College Homecoming Human Resources Humanities and Social Sciences IT@Sam IT@Sam Service Desk Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) Institutional Effectiveness Internal Grant Program Institutional Review Board (IRB) International Programs Joint Admission Students KatFacts Library (NGL) Lone Star College Transfers Lowman Student Center Map - Campus Marketing & Communications Math CAMP Medical & Allied Health Programs McNair Program Military Science Mobile Go Center Music Music Choir News Nursing Office of Business Services Office of the President Online Information Request Organization Chart Orientation - New Student PACE Parent Relations Office Parking Payroll Office Procurement and Business Services Procurement Opportunities Project Connect Property Prospective Students Public Safety Quality Enhancement Plan Reading Center Recreational Sports Registration Registrar's Office Research and Sponsored Programs Residence Life Risk Management Sam Shuttle SACS Reaffirmation Sam Houston Memorial Museum SamMenu (Download) SamWeb Sciences Services for Students with Disabilities Schedule of Classes Scholarships SHSU Marketplace Spirit Programs Staff Council Student Activities Student Government Association Student Health Center Student Legal Services Student Money Management Center Student Services Student Services Calendar Summer Camps Technology Tutorials Testing Center Theatre and Dance Today@Sam Tour the University Transcripts Transfer Equivalency Guide Transfer Students TRIES University Advancement University Center University Hotel University Park - Northwest Houston Campus University Police Department Veterans Visitor & Alumni Center The Woodlands Center Writing Center

 

WASH Mentors To Produce 'Independent' Exhibit

Aug. 20, 2012
SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt

 

Advanced art students who served as mentors for freshmen WASH Program students in the spring will show off their own works on Aug. 30 as part of the WASH Mentor Gallery Show. —Photo from the WASH Facebook page

 

A group of Sam Houston State University artists, who themselves were once a part of the art department’s Workshop in Art Studio+History foundations program, came full circle last spring when they became leaders for new WASH students as part of a mentorship program.

The result of a semester’s guidance will be on display for one day, Thursday (Aug. 30), during the “Independents” exhibit. The works of 11 mentors will be on display from 5-7 p.m. that day, at the WASH building, located at 2220 Ave. M.

“Independents” will include a wide variety of media, from photography, painting, sculpture and woodwork to projection art, fabric and transfer work, and even a form of taxidermy, according to Colton Clifford, who will present his work along side artists Farrah Al-Sulaiman, Hannah Campbell, Nic Campbell, Misty-Dawn Haney, Kelly Hathaway, Emily Howard, Nathan Howard, Kevin Mulcahy, Jesse Ovard and Jack Weidman.

“It is such an awesome thing to see come all together because we are all such different artist,” Clifford said. “I think coming to see this show will also show people different viewpoints of art because all of these mentors handled their art in different manners, such as, 2-D, 3-D, media, concepts, and especially individuality.”

The WASH Mentor Program was developed to connect advanced art students with freshman WASH students. WASH comprises a series of courses that introduce young artists to both art and the visual arts at the university.

(Above) Clifford's photograph, entitled "Smoke and Mirrors." (Below) A piece by Nic Campbell, courtesy of Facebook.

Mentors were selected by Valerie Powell, visiting assistant professor of art, who not only worked with the freshmen but were required to take an independent study course with Powell that focused on critique strategies and leadership, as well as develop an independent body of artwork of their choosing.

“The exhibition idea evolved at the end of last semester, during our final critique over their artwork,” she said. “I was honestly impressed with the work and felt strongly that other people needed to see what these students have accomplished. I felt that this mentor group as a whole was really strong and am thrilled that the upcoming fall mentors and current WASH students will be able to see the work; it will set the bar high for our program and hopefully get people excited about making art.”

The work process for the WASH mentors was very different from that of a normal class structure in that it required a lot of time, for both their own work and developing their critiquing methods, two things that also led to plenty of introspection as well, according to Clifford.

“Being offered a WASH mentorship has opened a lot of doors for me; I don’t necessarily even mean offers from people that want to work with me, but inner doors. As a mentor I have gained so much personal knowledge about myself and the way I evolve my work as an artist,” he said. “It is a great learning experience but also a great self-learning experience too.

“I feel that we as mentors get to see what its like to teach another artist and to guide them. It is also beneficial to the WASH students to get to hear about the past work and to get insight on what works and doesn’t,” he said. “I think that having the mentors and bringing in a new group each semester helps to grow not only the program but also helps to grow some of the most fine artists that we have on our Sam Houston campus.”

During the “Independents” exhibit, all 11 mentors and Powell will be on hand to answer questions about the experience and their works. Art students also can get Art Card credit.

For more information on the WASH Mentor Exhibit, contact Powell at 936.294.4451 or vjp001@shsu.edu, and to stay up-to-date on WASH and other art events, follow the program on Twitter at @shsuWASH.

 

 

- END -

 

 

This page maintained by SHSU's Communications Office
Associate Director: Julia May
Manager: Jennifer Gauntt
Located in the 115 Administration Building
Telephone: 936.294.1836; Fax: 936.294.1834

Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu.