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Welcome,
The phrase "Life More Life" found on
the WKU seal points to evolutionary potential. Artists have historically
benefited from the support of community as seen in Paris, Zurich
or New York.
We are enjoying a 5-year enrollment expansion from
1999-2002. The number of majors has grown from 193 to 265. This
growth is the best demonstration of an energetic program resulting
from the combined interest and involvement of WKU students and faculty.
Facility development is ongoing. This summer, through
extensive grant writing, we were able to add a second computer graphics
lab, install in a new ventilation system in painting and add new
equipment in sculpture, ceramics and lecture hall 156. Students
independently redesigned the graphic design area and maintained
an active summer schedule.
These accumulating refinements support creative
growth and professional preparation. We are receiving an increasing
flow of alumni reports of successes and accomplishments. This ongoing
engagement reflects a positive educational experience.
What this means is that the potential for networking
and extension is growing. We are sharing an expanding array of ideas
and experiences in a growing community that challenges and supports
intellectual, technical and creative growth.
As preparation for a lifetime of learning students
must take responsibility for their own education. The Art Guild
and the student gallery, "The Cube," support community
and provide internal opportunities for growth and experience. Increasingly,
students are seeking and finding external opportunities to present
their work in public arenas and venues in the community and beyond.
Graduating seniors provide exemplary leadership in being accepted
at strong, top competitive graduate programs.
Many thanks for your contributions of memories,
dreams, beliefs and commitment.
Who we are together is who we are.
Kim Chalmers
Head, Art Department
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Faculty News |
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Tom Bartel (ceramics)
was asked to be Summer Faculty at OX-BOW (Summer School of Art-SAIC),
Saugatuk, MI where he taught a 2 week course “the figure in
ceramics”. Tom was also selected to participate in a 2 week
summer artist residency at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts,
Newcastle, ME where he presented an artist’s lecture and worked
along side 25 ceramic (national and international) artists. In March,
Professor Bartel Accompanied 6 students to the NCECA Conference
(National Conference on Education for the Ceramic Arts) in San Diego,
CA. Jurors Joe Bova, Patti Warashina and Jeff Oestreich selected
(Clay Times Award) his work for inclusion in the NCECA Clay National
Exhibition, R.B. Stevenson Gallery, San Diego, CA. From 558 entries
only 65 works were chosen. Bartel was the recipient of 2 grants:
Individual Artist professional Development Grant, The Kentucky Arts
Council, Frankfort, KY and a Faculty Development Research Grant,
Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY. He also conducted
a 3-day artist’s workshop at Texas Tech University, Lubbock,
TX. His artwork was selected for Lark Book’s Alternative Kilns
& Firing Techniques: raku / saggar /pit/ barrel. Bartel presented
2 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous regional and national
exhibitions. ~Tom Bartel
Kim Chalmers (department head/painting)
held Solo Exhibitions from an Outreach Exhibition Series at Lindsey
Wilson College in Columbia, KY. It consisted of a mixed media on
paper installation titled “Quagmire: inquiries into war.”
In October another exhibition, titled “Night Train,”
will be shown at the Hopkinsville Community College. A digital animation
“Spin Cycle,” was selected by juror Julien Robson to
be shown at the 2003 Kentucky National, at the Eagle Gallery, Murray
State University, Murray, KY. Summer travel included Paolo Soleri’s,
Arcosanti near Phoenix Arizona, the opening of the new Dia: Beacon,
Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, the Matthew Barney Retrospective
at the Guggenheim Museum of Art, and the new Contemporary Art Center,
designed by Zaha Hadid, in Cincinnati, Ohio. ~Kim Chalmers
Miwon Choe (art education)
As a new art education faculty filling in the big shoes of Dr. Neil
Petrie, who retired in 1989, Prof. Miwon Choe has made an exclusive
effort to improve the quality of the WKU art education program.
The initial thrust of which began with obtaining funding from the
Council for Post secondary Education (CPE) to implement an out reach
program, the Arts and Humanities Institute which took place in April
and June 2002. In June 2003, Prof. Joon Sung, the new digital media
faculty and Prof. Choe collaborated to teach a Digital Media class
where P-12 art teachers created web pages of their art curricula.
This class was made possible by the additional funding of the CPE
grant. The web pages will be linked to the revised WKU Art Department
web site as an electronic art education curriculum outreach by the
end of December 2003. Prof. Choe also acquired a Special Initiatives
Grant for the 2003 Fall KAEA conference she hosted at Western campus.
Aside from the program development, Prof. Choe presented her research
entitled "Metaphor as a Tool and as a Lens", International
Conference for Arts and Humanities, University of Hawaii in January
2003. Prof. Choe is an Editor for Teaching Voices, the newsletter
insert on teaching practices of the United States Society for Education
through Art (USSEA). In October 2003, Prof. Choe has taken an official
position as a president-elect of the Kentucky Art Education Association
(KAEA).~Miwon Choe
Jeff Jensen (graphic design)
designed the new WKU football uniform and helmet design as well
as developing a Logo, Letterhead, and Envelope design for the Growing
For Christ, Outreach Campaign, Christ Episcopal Church, Bowling
Green, KY. He attended the Council on Post secondary Education Advising
Conference, February 20 - 21, 2003. Additionally, Prof. Jensen received
the Potter College Faculty Award for Student Advising.~Jeff Jensen
Michael Klein (art history)
presented a paper, "Meyer Schapiro and the Jewish Factor,"
at the 2003 conference of the Midwest Art History Society in Pittsburgh
in April.~Michael Klein
Laurin Notheisen (printmaking)
exhibited 11 watercolors in March at Owensboro Museum of Fine Art’s
"A Painter's Point of View: Four Solo Exhibitions". Her
digital print, The Retreat, won a purchase award in the 2002 Delta
National Small Prints Exhibition at Arkansas State University. Her
drawing, Colorado Aspen, was accepted in the 2003 national drawing
competition, Border to Border at Austin Peay State University. Locally,
Professor Notheisen exhibited in the 2002 Annual All Kentucky Juried
Art Exhibition and received a merit award in the13th Annual Women
in the Arts exhibition.~Laurin Notheisen
John Warren Oakes (painting)
exhibited two paintings at the following Cultural Centres in Belgium:
De Borre of Bierbeek; Casino of Houthalen; Ter Dilft of Bornem;
De Ploter of Ternat; De Bosul of Overijse; Cultural Centre of Koksijde;
Het Loo of Tessenderlo. He has five engravings in the fifth edition
of "The International Small Engraving Salon Carbunari 2003"
Exhibition at the Florean Museum in Maramures, Romania. His intaglio
print "Self-portraits and Secrets" is in a traveling exhibition
in North Sydney, Australia. A digital print in was exhibited in
"Dormant/Potent" organized by Laura Dunn in Biddleford,
Maine. "At Home On Tour" models were installed by Oakes
and Andee Rudloff at Ruby Green Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee and
in the CUBE Gallery, WKU. His architectural model of the L &
N Depot was displayed at the sHOw Expo, L & N Depot, Bowling
Green, Kentucky and his diorama was viewed on cable television daily
during January and February. Another architectural model of a viaduct
bridge and module designed and produced by Oakes was part of a display
that won first prize in the annual GATS show in Nashville Memorial
Auditorium. Oakes conducted a photography workshop for Western Kentucky
University's Merit Badge University for boy scouts and presented
an architectural and scenery modeling workshop at the sHOw Expo
at the Knights of Columbus Hall locally.~John Oakes
Brent Oglesbee (sculpture)
devoted a great deal of time in the fall to the major curriculum
changes the department and sculpture underwent. With the help of
Prof. Petkus, he developed a grant/workshop this spring on Professional
Development for art majors. It was well attended, with 90 participants
for the three sessions. New photo equipment was purchased for the
department with workshop funds. His exhibitions of note included
two solo museum shows (South Bend Regional Museum of Art, Museum
of Art at the University of Memphis), and three juried national
competitions.~Brent Oglesbee
Yvonne Petkus (painting)
was the recipient of the 2003 Potter College Teaching Award. Curator
Norman Lundin selected Petkus' work for inclusion in the exhibition
and catalogue, Perceptual Experience: Contemporary American Figure
Drawing at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle. Her paintings were featured
in 'New American Paintings' (Volume 46), a juried exhibition whose
venue is an internationally distributed periodical (Ron Platt, Juror).
Other exhibitions include: Kentucky National: A National Exhibit
of Contemporary Art (Julien Robson, Juror) at Murray State University,
Contemporary Approaches to Drawing at the College of William &
Mary in Virginia, The Nude 2003 (Third Award) at the Lexington Art
League (Gary Chapman, Juror), Nude in The Post-Modern 2002 (Second
Award) at the Brad Cooper Gallery in Tampa, FL (Corey Postiglione,
Juror) and the 2002 Annual All Kentucky Juried Fine Art Exhibition
at the Capitol Arts Alliance Inc. Gallery where she received the
Milliken Law Firm Award for Best Charcoal.~Yvonne Petkus
Heather Pulliam (art history)
presented a paper, "The Decorated Initials of the Corbie Psalter"
at the Villa Barberini, Piazza San Pietro, Vatican City; co-sponsored
by the Institutum Patristicum Augustinianum, the Vatican and the
Medieval Institute, University of Notre Dame. Summer research included
cataloging several ninth-century manuscripts from the Vatican collections
in Rome and the Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek in Munich. Additionally,
Dr. Pulliam taught a three-week art history course in England and
Scotland as a part of the CCSA study abroad program. An exhibition
of the student artwork resulting from this trip will go on show
in the near future.~Heather Pulliam
Joon Sung (new media)
produced “Art in Motion,” a student showcase of experimental
2/ 3D animation, video, and multi-media work (IWFAC 156). He taught
the digital media class for P-12 art teachers at the Art and Humanity
Summer 2003 and conducted a “Web design Workshop” for
the KAEA Conference. Professor Sung received a Grant Incentive Faculty
Fellowship and exhibited in the Tom Bartel, Joon Sung Exhibition
(IWFAC Gallery). He began and continues the process of renovating
the Art Department web site. Additionally, Professor Sung developed
a new course, Art 343 Digital Media: Time-Based and created a teaching
web site for more effective and frequent interaction between the
Instructor and students: http://www.wku.edu/~joon.sung/media/. Additionally,
Prof. Sung has established a sisterhood relationship with the College
of Fine Arts, Kyung Hee University (Seoul, Korea) and the Art Department
of WKU.~Joon Sung
Matt Tullis (graphic design)
completed his third year of teaching by guiding his students to
a national win in the "Wolf Trap Student Poster Competition".
For the second year in a row a student in Prof. Tullis' Art-438
class took first place honors. This year's poster, designed by Tiffany
Melcher, illustrated the theme, "A Celebration of Flight".
Prof. Tullis also directed his students to a first place finish
earlier in the year in the Memphis-based "PUSH" design
competition. Additionally, he received a $12,860 grant to develop
a student-directed design service. This design boutique will continue
to provide opportunities for students to take part in collaborative,
interdisciplinary design projects. Prof. Tullis designed numerous
promotional materials for departmental programs across campus as
well as a comprehensive visual communication campaign for ALIVE
(A Local Information and Volunteer Exchange) as part of a $500,000
U.S. Department of Justice Grant. Prof. Tullis wrapped up the year
by designing the first in a series of silk-screened posters for
"Premiere Performances and Lectures" under the direction
of Potter College Dean, Dr. David Lee. Watch for the mini-poster
mailer highlighting this years events!~Matt Tullis |
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State of the Arts: Department
Areas |
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Art Education
The WKU art education program has undergone a major revision in
the last two years. There has been a dramatic increase in enrollment
both on undergraduate and graduate levels since Dr. Choe's arrival
at Western in 2001. The two new art education methods courses were
developed in conjunction with appropriate practical teaching experiences.
For the initial practicum experience, the art education program
pioneered a collaborative effort with Dr. Julia Roberts at the WKU
Center for the Gifted Studies to offer four to six children's art
classes in the fall semester. The art classes are offered in the
art department. A new art history course, Art 325: Asian, African,
American Art also was added. The revised art education program has
been approved by the National College Accreditation for Teacher
Education (NCATE) and by the Western Kentucky University Curriculum
Committee.
In October 3 and 4, the WKU art education program successfully hosted
the Kentucky Art Education Association (KAEA) annual state conference
and concluded with a record number of membership participation from
the Caveland region and throughout the Commonwealth. At the opening
session, Dr. James Flynn, Assistant to the Provost at Western, received
an outstanding arts advocate award from KAEA. Dr. Flynn has been
a crucial facilitator in securing generous funding from the Council
for Post secondary Education (CPE) and Special Initiatives Projects
in support of the arts education. The fall
conference not only marked a new leadership of KAEA, but showcased
Western as an outstanding higher education institution for the advancement
of the arts education in the upcoming years ahead.~Miwon Choe
Art History
The art history program incorporated some new classes into the curriculum,
including a class on African, Native American and Asian art. Students
from Dr. Pulliam's art history classes made several visits to the
Frist to see exhibitions (Andy Goldsworthy, W histler, Sargent,
and Steer: Impressionists in London From Tate Collection, Reflections
in Black: Smithsonian African American Photography) and attend an
artist's talk by Calton Wilkinson. Lucy Clifford from the London
College of Music and Media spoke to the Contemporary Art class on
"Virtual Realities." Additionally, there was an art history
class held in Great Britain for three weeks.~Heather Pulliam
Graphic Design
The graphic design program had an active year with the addition
of new faculty, new lab facilities and a continued increase in enrollment.
Joon Sung joined the Art department and has brought the welcome
addition of his expertise in the field of new media and animation.
Over the last few months final touches have been added to the newest
Art Department lab facility. Complete with the latest Mac-based
equipment and software, this second lab will prove to be a modern
and valuable resource for students and faculty. The design program
has enjoyed the challenges of a rapid growth cycle and we look forward
to meeting the needs of the students in the WKU visual arts program
during the upcoming academic year.~Matt Tullis.
Studio 2D
The studio areas of painting and drawing have had an exciting year.
A senior year intensive studio experience has been implemented,
linking certain courses to each other to maximize studio time and
artistic growth. These changes were passed by the University Curriculum
Committee and provide new and clear structures to give our students
a concentrated finale for their undergraduate education while also
a preparation for the professional life of the studio artist. Professor
Petkus, with the help of students, Stefanie Bruser, Catron Peterson
and Maree Emberton, created seven semi-private studio spaces for
advanced painting majors. To provide a more safe and healthy environment,
a ventilation system has been added to the main painting and drawing
studio. This past fall, Professor Petkus enabled fifteen WKU art
students to travel to the Saint Louis Art Museum to see the exhibition,
"Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi". They also attended
a two-day symposium, "Artemisia Gentileschi: Taking Stock",
which brought together ten major Baroque and Gentileschi scholars
for an in-depth series of lectures and panel discussions. In October,
the painting studio hosted as artist-in-residence Ecuadorian Artist,
Fausto. Intermediate and advanced painting students were given the
opportunity for individual critiques by artist and Adjunct Professor,
Jeff Leake. Our painting majors are proving to be quite competitive
on a national level. Stefanie Bruser, (BFA, spring 2003), has been
accepted by many of the top graduate painting programs in the country
and will be attending The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston
this fall. Patty Zachery (BFA, fall 2002) was also accepted by several
excellent graduate schools and will be working toward her graduate
painting degree at the University of Cincinnati also this fall.
Catron Peterson, (BFA spring 2003) was selected for sponsorship
in the Lexington Arts and Cultural Council's Dynamic Doors project.
Her painting titled “The Rooster Crows at Dawn” is on
display at the Central Bank, Plaza in Lexington. With several very
strong artists moving into advanced levels, we look forward to another
vital year for our program.~Yvonne Petkus
In printmaking, digital was added to the list of media for advanced
courses and taught this spring. The weaving studio acquired new
reed hooks while the printmaking area added plywood walls, a metal
drying rack from the Kentucky Museum and a large format scanner
and a 13" x 19" archival inkjet printer were added to
printmaking. Beginning and advanced level weaving class were exhibited
in The Cube in September, 2002 and January, 2003. Printmaking students
showed their work in May at Spencers coffeehouse and the Capital
Arts Center in Bowling Green.~Laurin Notheisen
Studio 3D
The dustier end(s) of the art department have initiated a number
of changes this past year.
Most notable from the sculpture student’s perspective is the
addition of a new course offering, Art 372. This course is devoted
solely to figure studies. We expect it to be a popular class and
beneficial to advanced studies in foundry.
The ceramics area continues to reorganize its space to allow clearly
designated areas for hand building, wheel throwing and intermediate
and advanced students. Recent sculpture equipment upgrades include
a metal brake and plasma cutter. Both tools will ease the work of
bending and cutting metal in our welding class. The courtyard has
become “user-friendly” to ceramics and sculpture, with
the addition of gas lines and a roof. New kilns are being built
and with them new methods of production and finish for both areas.
Sculpture and ceramics bid farewell to two BFA graduates each. All
are continuing their studio work in various capacities. In sculpture:
Clay Smith and Josh Edwards. Clay will begin his MFA at the Museum
School of Art in Boston. Josh currently works for a foundry in Montana.
In ceramics, Tabby Griffith is pursuing graduate school (ceramics)
and Chad Haverly is continuing his studio work at Artopia in Louisville,
KY.~Tom Bartel and Brent Oglesbee. |
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| State of the Arts: the Guild
and Gallery |
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From the Student Art Guild:
The art guild was responsible for the Halloween party, which was
a huge success. Smaller activities included a drawing marathon that
involved figure studies, the screening and design of Guild t-shirts,
and participation in numerous other events. The largest (and still
on-going!) project is the remodeling of the newest gallery space,
“The Underground”, located under Java City. Students
painted the space and are still making final arrangements for the
necessary hardware. We also hosted a black-and-white masquerade
ball and screen printed posters for that event.~Brianna Little,
Art Guild |
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University Art Gallery |
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We began our 2002/2003 gallery season
with an exhibition titled, Process, which is a dynamic display of
the way that artwork and professional designs are created by giving
a glimpse of the faculty's own processes for the students to experience.
In October, we were pleased to host a two-person exhibition of the
work of Jim Tisnado and Beth Blake. Both East Carolina University
Professors, Jim Tisnado exhibited ceramic and mixed media objects
and installation pieces while Beth Blake displayed her oil painting
portraiture and prints. Professor Tisnado also lectured on his work
and hosted a workshop through the support of the Bramham/Collins
Visual and Performing Guest Artist Endowed Fund. Involving the help
of our students, he built a kiln in the sculpture area that has
become an active part of our facilities. Our annual Juried Student
Exhibition, was juried by Sue Mulcahy, a Nashville-based artist
and Associate Professor of Art/Chair of the Visual and Performing
Arts Department at Volunteer State Community College. Many commented
on the strength and exciting growth in the student work of the Department
of Art. This was followed by a display of work by our December graduates
in the bi-annual Graduating Senior Exhibition.
We opened our spring schedule with our annual Faculty
Exhibition. In February, Nashville-based artist Lesley Patterson
gave an artist lecture on her process to accompany the exhibition
of her multi-media works. Through the generous support of the Bramham/Collins
Visual and Performing Guest Artist Endowed Fund, Seo Eo, Associate
Professor of Art/Ceramics and Area Head at East Carolina University
of Greenville, N.C. lectured on his work and created a site-specific
installation using fabric and mixed media. This piece took one week
to create and several of our students were able to participate.
During April, Los Angeles-based artist Amy Bouse exhibited a series
of paintings exploring psychological states drawing inspiration
from studies of botany, human anatomy and quilt patterns. We closed
our gallery season in May with the work of our spring graduates
in the display, Graduating Senior Exhibition.~Yvonne Petkus, Gallery
Committee.
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2003 Scholarship Awards |
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Once again, the department would like to express our gratitude and
appreciation for those individuals and groups without whom these
scholarship awards would not be possible and our warmest congratulations
to the student recipients listed below.
DAVID ANGLE *Jeff Jensen Scholarship
STEPHANIE BRUSER *Ruth Hines Temple Award
JORDAN CAREY *Hesta Petty Munns Scholarship
JOSHUA EDWARDS *Ruth Hines Temple Award
MAREE EMBERTON *Sherilyn Gale Rinehart Scholarship
LOREILEI ESKER *Helen and Mark Hooper Scholarship
MEGAN KLAWITTER *Irmagarde Mielke Scholarship
GREG LEPPERT *Jack E. Lunt Scholarship
EMILY LOEHLE *Irmagarde Mielke Scholarship
DARYL MINTON Ivan Schieferdecker Scholarship
KELLY MCKIBBEN *Ann McKeel Ross Scholarship
METRA MITCHELL *Ruth Hines Temple Scholarship
BENJAMIN MOFFETT *Jeff Jensen Scholarship
BEN NUNERY *Jack E. Lunt Scholarship
LAUREL STEELE *William D. "Bill" Thomas Scholarship
JENNIFER WHITE Joe Downing Scholarship
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| Letter from the Editor |
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The department underwent a significant
number of changes this year. Professor Walter Stomps, who taught
art at WKU for 28 years, went into full-retirement. Prof. Stomps
is perhaps best known for his deep rumbling voice, crisp critiques,
and abstract painting. Professor Stomps' interests are extremely
varied, ranging from Persian miniatures to the German art collections
in Bavaria to Kentucky day lilies (perhaps the world's foremost
authority on them!). The department wishes him all the best and
happy gardening; we miss him already.
The department received a great deal of recognition
this year for the growing number of majors, the number of exhibitions
in juried regional, national and international shows, alumni achievements
in the arts, the number of students entering into high-level graduate
programs and design positions. We have had several workshops, including
the Graduate School Information Panel (Kim Chalmers, Yvonne Petkus,
Laurin Notheisen, Jeff Jensen, Matt Tullis and Tom Bartel) and the
Professional Development Workshops (Brent Oglesbeee, Josh Edwards,
Kim Chalmers, and Jeff Jensen). We are especially indebted to Chuck
Swanson (Swanson Reed Contemporary Art Gallery, Louisville) and
Carol Swanson (Public Arts Administrator), who led the first of
these workshops. From a personal view point, the confidence and
vitality of the students themselves has proven the most memorable
aspect of the year. Students traveled nationally and internationally
to see and participate in shows, workshops and exhibitions. Perhaps
the most tangible evidence of our student success was the BFA/BA
graduating student show, which reflected the outstanding development,
abilities and personalities of our students.
Finally, the art department would like to express
its thanks to the many donors, alumni, and supporters of our program.
Development, change and external recognition distinguished this
year for our faculty, students and alumni. We look forward to even
greater things next year, please keep in touch.
Heather Pulliam
Newsletter Editor |
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