Desy Schoenewies

What's New at BHSU?

Just about everything! The fine arts program at BHSU has been redesigned, now offering a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree starting in 2017! The new BFA includes studio art, photography, and graphic design, bringing together all fine arts areas under one degree program. We have expanded our physical space to accommodate major upgrades in facilities, digital technologies, new equipment, new courses, exclusive studio space for art majors, and so much more. Fundamentally, the fine art program at BHSU has transformed from a strictly traditionalist approach to visual arts learning experience that professionally prepares students for global relevancy. By integrating contemporary ideologies with multidimensional techniques in our foundational studies, our students are versed in critical concept within a multitude of design applications for the immersive artist. This presentation will unveil the substantial program changes that have taken place at BHSU within the last five years. Existing within an unprecedented visual landscape, Black Hills State University is the destination for the fine arts. Please join us to hear a little about the exciting future of art and art education at BHSU!

Greg Blair

Our Band Could Be Your Life: How Punk Rock Made Me an Artist and an Educator

When I was sixteen, a friend handed me a cassette and said, “You have to listen to this… it is so fast and awesome!” The cassette was an album by Black Flag called Damaged. From that moment on, punk became a permanent fixture in my life in one form or another. Now, twenty-five years after that first blast of distorted guitars, I have been able to reflect on the influence of punk – as a philosophy, an aesthetic, a strategy, and attitude – and have realized that punk provided me with two incredibly valuable insights to becoming an artist and educator. The first of these insights was a model for how to be an intellectual and professional without having to transform myself into some pre-existing notions that define academics and artists. Punk gave me the idea that I could be an artist and a scholar but remain subversive, unconventional, and true to my self. The second insight that punk provided was a DIY methodology. This mode of production encouraged doing things outside of the existing system. These concepts would both influence my development as a young artist but have also directed my teaching philosophy as I became an educator.

Mark Stemwedel

Arts Advocacy: What’s Your Art Story?

Those of us that are part of the art community, whether as art connoisseurs, artists, educators, or administrators, already understand the importance of having art in our lives. We are all well-versed in the critical ways that arts education can positively affect the lives of young people. We have read studies and reports on the impact that the arts can have on a community both culturally and economically. We know these things anecdotally because many of us have grown up with the arts in our lives. However, it seems that this is not as apparent to others. Art education is often considered superfluous and a luxury by those that make policy and funding decisions. It can be seen as a secondary subject behind math and science and is thought of as an indulgence. We know differently. Arts advocacy needs to be seen as a vital part of our mission as art educators.

There are many ways that we can advocate for the arts. The approach I wish to speak about I refer to as “What’s your art story?” How did you get interested in the arts? What was your journey to where you are know? I have begun reflecting on this idea quite recently and have started to write and speak more directly and openly about my art story. In many ways, it is a typical story that for me appears to be completely normal. We forget that many people haven’t engaged in art in one way or another to the same capacity that many of us have. We all have a particular perspective on the impact art has on students. Do you share that with others? We all need to be better advocates and more open to extending the dialogue to a wider audience. “What’s your art story?” is a great way to open up this dialogue.

Ari Albright (Friday)

Arts in Health (AIH) Certificate Program at USD

“A growing body of research demonstrates how the arts – including literary, performing, and visual arts as well as architecture and design – can greatly enhance the experience of healthcare, contributing to improved health outcomes, a better patient experience, and lower healthcare costs.” - Daisy Fancourt, Arts in Health, Oxford University Press

The University of South Dakota’s newly approved Arts in Health (AIH) Certificate Program is designed to educate and train students for employment in this diverse, multi-disciplinary field. The 12 credits, based on national professional standards, include the following courses; Introduction to Arts in Health; Populations, Ethics and Multiculturalism; Materials Use & Safety; and Internship. Deborah Mitchell Travel as Inspiration: Visual Research in the Cradle of Civilization A snapshot of Professor Deborah Mitchell’s travel through Turkey and Greece and its relation to research, artmaking, and teaching.