Art is an important part of every culture. Art can inspire, teach, intrigue and excite people using various methods. The Department of Art and Design at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff thrives to achieve the same. Be it through the faculty, the students or the alumni, the department has ways of leaving its mark on the community and inspiring those who have had the opportunity to experience the Golden Lion touch.
In 2018, the UAPB art department received $2.2 million from a Windgate Foundation gift for scholarships and art education in the Delta. The Windgate Foundation is a private foundation based in Little Rock, Arkansas, that aims to improve and increase contemporary crafts and visual arts throughout the United States. As a result, the Department of Art and Design flourished with a similar goal in mind.
With the expected annual earnings of $80,000 to $100,000 from the investment, four UAPB students were awarded scholarships each year.
As a result, over the last five years, student enrollment and graduate students in art-related programs at UAPB more than doubled. In addition, the number of projects and events the department could perform also increased within the same time frame.
Such events include painting murals on buildings within the Pine Bluff community and hosting art exhibits that feature art created by the alumni, faculty and students of UAPB.
Karen DeJarnette, the department chairperson, said, “These events are what I like to call ‘placemaking events.’ The purpose of these events is to spotlight people and locations important to history and educate the community of their significance.”
DeJarnette said that these events seek to benefit students, as they provide experience in producing art, collaborating with other artists and businesses, managing art as a business and increasing the overall quality of art projects.
Several projects have been implemented in collaboration with public schools, senior citizens, and veterans, while others have been done within the department alone.
One of the most noteworthy projects is the Old Miller Theatre mosaic, which honors the history of the early 20th century Miller Theater in downtown Pine Bluff. The mural was displayed in The ARTSpace on Main for public view.
The mosaic took about 810 hours, consisting of multiple clay panels weighing 100 pounds each. The project involved participation from UAPB students and faculty.
A professional printmaker, Joseph Norman, who was visiting the Art department as a visiting artist in residence, also worked with students during the fall semester. Norman graduated from UAPB as an art major in 1980 and is currently a Professor of Art at the University of Georgia’s Lamar Dodd School of Art.
Norman’s works have been displayed in some of the most important museums and public collections, including The Museum of Modern Art, NY. The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The National Gallery and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Washington, DC.
Today, the long legacy of influential artists from UAPB still collaborates with current students.
Jordan Green-Lee, a sophomore in art education, said, “Mr. Norman motivated me as an artist to keep driving and going with all the things I have with my art career.”
“He was also picking up our aesthetic and referencing and giving us an artist we can relate to,” Green-Lee said.
DeJarnette said, “It is important for students to meet alumni who have excelled in the field.” All these events provide extra experience for the students. As a result, the Department of Art and Design exhibits a unique curriculum that extends beyond the classroom walls and into the heart of the Pine Bluff community.