For many incoming students, a career in the arts may be hard to justify to others or even to themselves, but the University of Memphis Department of Art seeks to erase such worries and instill a sense of passion and career stability for students.
Unlike other departments, the Department of Art focuses on creative output and expression, rather than traditional textbook studies. The UofM Department of Art differentiates itself from other art schools in that it does not require a submitted portfolio to enroll in its program. The department is open to any student interested in art, whether they have a background in it or not.
For many students, this is a major benefit the department offers that other art schools do not. By being more open to anyone, the Department of Art houses one of the most diverse groups of students on campus, from a wide variety of backgrounds and majors. This ensures many different opinions and viewpoints are heard around the department at once, giving different student perspectives both in their art and in their daily lives interacting together.
To ensure that students working through the program have a set of basic skills for the upper-level courses, students first take the foundation classes. These classes function as the basic core components of the department, making sure each student has the skills necessary to succeed in later classes. These foundation classes are currently coordinated by Hamlett Dobbins, a graduate of the department himself. When asked about the strengths of the departments, Dobbins was quick to highlight not only the diversity of the students but of the staff and teaching styles as well.
“We have a bunch of different professors each with their own approach to art,” Dobbins said. “There’s old school professors as well as more modern ones, and because of that, I think we give a really well-rounded learning experience to our students. We touch on so many different backgrounds, and that helps equip students with the tools they need to succeed outside of the department.”
A major goal of the department as a whole is to provide students with the ability to succeed in whatever career they pursue once they graduate. Although a career in arts has a stigma of being low-paying and difficult to do as a living, professors urge students to remember that what you learn in the program can be applied to much more than just being creative.
“The biggest barrier we find is the perception that there are no jobs in the arts, but that’s simply not true,” said Lisa Williamson, a second-year visiting instructor, “You can’t solve that with a simple Google search, but the skills you learn here can help you in far more than just creative works.” Students gravitate toward studio work, but a degree in art is a degree in the creative field. Tons of graduates have gone on to work in galleries, or become small-business owners themselves, still using the skills they learned through an art program.”
This thought process is what the art department prides itself on: the idea that a degree in the arts opens up a world of opportunity in any field. Instructors at the Department of Art believe that no matter your skill level or experience, any student can enroll in a course and come out of it stronger, even if their artistic ability has not drastically changed. By offering a variety of perspectives, they hope to help students see the world in a new way, and provide them with a new tool to better handle future challenges. The department encourages any student interested in the program to enroll in a foundation class and flex their creative muscles, and they may be surprised to see what they can learn when they do.
