The Visual Arts and Design Program of Distinction (P.O.D.) offers students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts an arts curriculum that develops their artistic talents and creativity while creating a talent pipeline that builds on recent private investments in arts education at colleges and universities throughout Arkansas.
The Visual Arts and Design program provides students with opportunities to take immersive, college-level courses in 2D, 3D and other traditional visual arts topics as well as graphic design and digital photography. Courses such as Modern Design and Craft, Ceramics, Digital Art and Graphic Design expand ASMSA’s art offerings beyond traditional painting and drawing classes.
The P.O.D.’s curriculum includes eight courses called the Foundations of Visual Arts Sequence that align with most undergraduate majors and minors in visual art. It allows students with a deep passion for visual arts sufficient time to explore fundamental principles while also focusing on building a portfolio that reflects their own personal interests. The courses culminate in a Senior Studio course that focuses on portfolio building, art as a profession, personal branding, college planning and submitting to various competitions.
The program will provide participating students access to courses that may guide them to a career in the arts while still offering a broad educational experience, said Brad Wreyford, one of ASMSA’s three full-time arts educators.
“Like any degree track at the collegiate level, the program gives prospective students a road map for their time at ASMSA,” said Wreyford, who teaches Modern Design and Craft in which students create pieces in a woodshop. “This allows them to maximize their exposure to our faculty and prepare them for creative endeavors at the university level.
“It also allows students a full, immersive art experience without lessening their non-art-related experiences, giving the student a taste of what being an artist could look like professionally while they are young enough to try new things.”
Students who choose the participate in the Visual Arts and Design P.O.D. also complete a Concurrent Core that ensures all students graduate from the school with at least 30 hours (one year) of college credit. Recent graduates have averaged nearly 50 hours over their four semesters of study at ASMSA.
The P.O.D. will also help students realize that the arts and STEM courses have more in common than they may think, said Sara Henry, an arts faculty member whose specialty is ceramics.
“It will demonstrate that art is as much a STEM discipline as the other courses we offer,” Henry said. “Being successful in fine art is about more than making something that is visually appealing. An artist needs to be versed in many subjects at once in order to meet the demands of the field. It is very competitive.
“The P.O.D. will offer students a well-rounded course offering and schedule so they can feel more in control of what classes they take and learn disciplines they are most interested in.”
Eighteen students are enrolled in the first year of the Visual Arts and Design P.O.D., which is the most recent effort by ASMSA to expand its investment in the arts. The school’s legislated mission was expanded to include the arts in 2004. That change was adopted 18 years ago on July 1, meaning the arts has been part of ASMSA’s name and core mission longer than the original Arkansas School for Mathematics and Sciences moniker chosen when the school was created in 1991.
Over the past decade, ASMSA has used institutional funds as well as private gifts to increase the standing of the arts program at the school. Three full-time art instructors have been added to the faculty, new courses were introduced and new equipment has been purchased.
“This is a wonderful program that grows every year in quality of offerings and the quantity of students and creative space,” Wreyford said. “The P.O.D. establishes a fully-funded and supported academic track where creative Arkansans belong.
“It sends the message to art students in the state that we are ready for them. They won’t be stuck in the corner of an old T-building or in a dark and gloomy basement. We have a plan for their success and a space for them to inhabit.”
Those investments have resulted in not only a more dynamic curriculum but also in students’ abilities and recognition as well. As students are introduced to an increased number of art techniques and styles, they are using them to create award-worthy pieces. Students have earned recognition in the Thea Foundation Scholarship Competition, the Governor’s Young Artist Competition, the Arkansas Young Artists Association Competition and the Congressional Arts Competition among others.
The P.O.D. also strengthens the school’s bonds with Hot Springs’ vibrant local arts community. Additional collaboration with the Hot Springs Cultural Alliance, Arts in the Park and individual artists present students the chance to better engage with local artists and build relationships with community advocates. Student have participated in art projects sponsored by the city, including mural paintings at area recreation facilities.