Since October is a popular month for visual arts undergraduate students to begin researching and applying for graduate schools, I’d like to share some reflections from current MFA sculpture candidate, Kimberly Day as to why she chose Clemson University over a big city school.

Although many students are drawn to Clemson University because of its reputation for having a highly ranked football team, this was not on Kymberly Day’s list of criteria when looking for a strong MFA program. After graduating with her BFA, Kymberly joined a Greenville independent studio. During this time she applied to “big city” graduate art schools, two Portland universities and Clemson University. Some of Kymberly’s main concerns were affordability, living proximity, the program’s reputation, and the pace. Clemson’s MFA program ranked highly in each of these categories, making Clemson University Kymberly’s first choice.

The year-round paid teaching assistant position was a huge influence in Kymberly’s monetary minded decision. Clemson is in a rural location and has a lower cost of living comparative to some bigger city schools she was considering. Working in large three-dimensional sculptures and not having to rely on public transportation was a huge advantage as well. Clemson’s program is also known for placing graduates in teaching positions which is a rarity with other schools. Lastly, Kymberly found that the pace and social environment of the program was very supportive, a refreshing reality to more cut throat programs.

If you are looking to apply to the Clemson MFA program, search for dates and application requirements at http://www.clemson.edu/caah/departments/art/academics/graduate/applying.html or contact our MFA Program Coordinator, Dave Detrich, ddavid@clemson.edu.

The Center for Visual Arts – Lee Gallery at Clemson University is known to be a catalyst for showcasing the research of art students, faculty, national and international artists. What is not commonly known is that it also offers an internship opportunities to Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) students. The program is run by the gallery director, Denise Woodward-Detrich. Student interns gain hands on experience and professional development by working on real life projects. Students also receive custom course credit based on hours not to mention valuable experience to put on their resume.

The program involves students researching and writing about artists and events, handling artwork, welcoming guests, and preparing interviews for artist visits. This semester, 11 student interns have worked on a variety of projects on campus in addition to traveling to art lectures and artist studios. One visit even included Skype meeting with the Director of the Andy Warhol Museum.

Earlier this semester, interns learned to hang frames for the installation of the most recent student juried show, Connections and Conversations. This exhibit is currently on display in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities Dean’s office. They also drafted questions for a studio visit with David Detrich after representing Clemson in a forum on public art at the Anderson Arts Center the previous week.

Interns, Hannah Cartee and Leah Brazell developed and delivered a gallery talk with interactive activities to almost 50 middle school students. Activities took place at a permanent art installation in Hardin Hall and at MFA alumnus, Richard Lou’s,  Stories On My Back installation in the Lee Gallery. Additional projects include introducing visiting artist, Richard Lou at his artist talk and writing an article for the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) thesis exhibition, Solastalgia, which is scheduled to open in the Lee Gallery later this month on Monday, Oct, 31.

Most recently, student interns, Johnny Murphy and Caroline Herring prepared condition reports for the Foundations exhibit. In addition, Hannah Cartee and Leah Brazell worked in the woodshop to make frames for an upcoming photography exhibit in the spring.

Interns not only execute tasks for the Lee Gallery, but also learn by preparing future projects which is an essential practice of gallery work. Reliability, efficiency, and knowledge of art are all characteristics displayed by good interns. Lee Gallery functions with the contribution of the student interns, who in turn, benefit by gaining rich professional skills of hands on activities and communications as undergraduates.

Earlier this month, Center for Visual Arts-Lee Gallery at Clemson University interns visited the studio of sculpture professor and the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) graduate program coordinator, Dave Detrich. All of the art department professors are not only teachers, but they are working artists. Interns were able to view his sculpture in person and they had an opportunity to ask him questions. Here is a summarized account of his answers.

What is your visual arts background?

Detrich was initially interested in architecture. His mentor and professor, Dan Lowery, at Southwestern Illinois College, served as huge inspiration and motivation towards a career in art. He received his BFA from the Kanas City Art Institute, Missouri and his MFA from Alfred University, New York. Viewing the building of the St. Louis arch inspired questions about the anomaly on the landscape within his work.

Has your industrialized location influenced your work?

St. Louis’s urbanization, industrialization, and its city parks are all cultural initiatives that have inspired Detrich’s sculpture. His father’s job working on a motor assembly line also influenced the direction of his work.

What is the context that your work presents itself?

Detrich focuses heavily on preparatory research and values originality of content he is addressing. Often, he extracts elements discourse subjects to create irony.

Is there a reason you have been using wall sculpture versus sculpture in the round in your current work?

The wall is a place he consistently goes to as a building site. His current work considers consumerism in the automotive and fashion industries. He is using a coring tool to create circular cuts in magazines of these subjects and arrange these chance cuts into connected images.

Is there a reoccurring starting point that you return to for inspiration?

Through collecting, Detrich tries to find the ironic connections between things unrelated. Many of his ideas are the result of months of processing through ideas, making the forecast of his work unpredictable.

You wrote that your sculpture is most successful when it poses a question rather than make a statement. If it does this, what action do you want your viewers to take?

He believes his work is successful when it invites his viewers to ponder rather than answer a question for them. He does not seek an editorial approach, but rather one that initiates a dialogue.

Detrich’s current works are investigating the poetry of paint chip names, the intersections between automobiles and fashion, and the elements of Piet Mondrian’s minimalism.

The visit was enlightening to the students. They were able to understand Detrich’s artistic journey, his particular mode of working, and his translation of ideas through his sculpture and its impact on viewers.

Each year, the Department of Art hosts a potluck dinner for all of Clemson’s BFA and MFA students. At the potluck, students have the opportunity to enjoy a meal, talk with their classmates and hear exciting and crucial information regarding internship, scholarship, research and travel opportunities. This year’s potluck was full exciting presentations highlighting the Clemson Fine Arts students working and learning around the world.

Casey Bunda, BFA, traveled to London, United Kingdom for an internship she obtained through City Internships, a third-party internship placement organization. Bunda landed the perfect job as a social media and photography intern at a co-working creative space in the heart of London. Bunda researched and interviewed for the position via Skype. After receiving her offer, Bunda worked with the Dept. of Art to receive course credit for her internship.

Deighton Abrams, MFA (Ceramics), was the recipient of the Jeanette S. Dreskin Award, general Department of Art Fellowship and a Professional Enrichment Grant (PEG). These scholarships and awards are obtained through Clemson University. They are awarded based upon the hard work and merit of the applicant. Deighton’s graduate thesis project won him these awards. He chose to use his scholarships to attend the International Society for Ceramic Art Education and Exchange (ISCAEE) Symposium in China. Deighton also traveled to Iceland for further graduate thesis research.

Dalia Delanuez, MFA (Sculpture), received a Department of Art scholarship to travel to Italy and Honduras for graduate research. She applied for this scholarship through the Department of Art and worked with faculty to best utilize her time and scholarship during these two separate excursions.

Hannah Gardner, BFA, obtained a scholarship from the Calhoun Honors College. She used this award to supplement a three-week art program excursion to Tanzania, Africa. While in Tanzania, she was exposed to numerous art careers, including shadowing art therapists and teaching art classes to neighboring villages.

Megan Hueble, BFA, was a summer intern at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. During her time as an intern, Megan shadowed several teachers to learn about the numerous studios and options within art education. Additionally, she was able to take full advantage of her unlimited access to the entire museum. This internship was made possible by an award she received Department of Art scholarship committee.

Lacey Miller, MFA was able to use her Department of Art scholarship to attend the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA ) annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri. While at the conference, she experienced numerous ceramic lectures, demonstrations and artwork.

Carey Morton, MFA (Sculpture), spent his summer at the Penland School of Crafts in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. While at Penland, he was a part of a team hand carved Fox Canoes. Morton acquired unique building technique skills and expanded his artistic knowledge with this special opportunity.

Teisha Holloway, BFA, worked as an intern at The Bascom, an art gallery and visual arts center in Highlands, North Carolina. Holloway learned how to run a gallery space. She also helped to design exhibitions and displays, worked in the community with partners and learned about several forms of art professionalism.

We are so proud of all of the impressive things our students were able to experience and accomplish over the past few months. The Department of Art is committed to continue to provide scholarship, internship and travel opportunities to students who have shown dedication to their work in and out of the classroom.

GREENVILLE — During the second weekend of May, connections to Clemson University’s visual art program were on full display at Artisphere, Downtown Greenville’s annual arts and crafts festival. Beyond the orange splendor of Clemson’s festival tents, STEAM and the Art Department demonstration, there were numerous more connections to Tigertown to be found by looking a little harder at the other displays that lined Main Street. We are proud to announce the orange ties for those who may have missed them.

• Syd Cross, Visual Art Professor Emerita, Contemporary Print Collective
• Tom Dimond, Visual Art Professor Emeritus, Artists of the Upstate Exhibit
• Marty Epp-Carter, MFA, OpenStudios Retrospective
• Michael Marks, MFA alumnus, Artists of the Upstate Exhibit
• Jo Carol Mitchell-Rogers, MFA, OpenStudios Retrospective
• Carey Morton, MFA candidate, metalworking demonstration
• Alexia Timberlake-Boyd, MFA, OpenStudios Retrospective
• Ryan Roth, MFA alumnus, Artists of the Upstate Exhibit
• Kathleen Thum, Visual Art Faculty, Artists of the Upstate Juror
• Mike Vatalaro, Visual Art Professor Emeritus, OpenStudios Retrospective

We were inspired by all of the work of our former and current students and faculty. It is always encouraging to see Clemson’s innovative spirit on full display. Greenville, Clemson’s ‘Home City,’ certainly got a taste for the excellent and talented people who represent the Visual Arts at Clemson University. Thank you and congratulations!

To see photos from the Clemson exhibits at Artisphere 2016, click here.

Congratulations to 2014 MFA graduate, Brent Pafford, for winning $25,000 at Artfields 2016! Brent’s work, entitled “Remember this as a Time of Day,” took home the Juried Prize Award, the second highest prize in the entire competition.

About Artfields (from the Airfields website):

ArtFields® started in 2013 with a simple goal: honor the artists of the Southeast with a week’s worth of celebration and competition in the heart of a traditional Southern small town. With over $100,000 up for grabs, awarded based on the input of every visitor to ArtFields and a panel of judges made up of acclaimed artists and educators, the competition offers life-changing amounts of money to all artists in all media who live in the twelve Southeastern states. Over 400 masterpieces will be displayed in locally-owned venues, from renovated warehouses from the 1920’s to Smithsonian-qualified art galleries to upscale restaurants and start-up boutiques, in a mutual celebration of art and community. What was once one of South Carolina’s most prosperous agricultural communities now becomes a living art gallery as we continue to demonstrate the best of the Southeast and recognize the incredible talent we have to offer.

About Brent’s Work:

At the intersection between generations, things are lost. Domestic items lose their potency in daily life, and rarely are objects created, manufactured, or bought with intentions to spend a quality amount of time with them, care for them, and pass them along to younger generations. The work I create is a reaction to this reality. Contemporary society is consumed with disposability, and people are no longer connected to the objects that aid in their sustenance. Making objects formed with touch, labor, and time, imbued with value and worth counterpoints this disposability—the objects I create patiently wait to be discovered and enjoyed, retained, and later passed on to others.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Brent Pafford grew up on a family farm in South Carolina. He earned an Associate’s Degree specializing in 3-D animation and digital effects from Piedmont Community College and furthered his interests as he completed a BFA in Studio Art from Winthrop University. Working in the organic grocery industry for a number of years allowed Brent to witness people’s interactions and relationships developed over nutrients consumed to sustain life. He became interested in functional ceramics due to the relationships forged between maker, object, and user. After graduating Winthrop University he continued to make functional ware while exploring various firing techniques. Brent continued his education by completing his MFA at Clemson University in 2014. Brent has exhibited nationally and internationally. As he continues to develop as a ceramic artist, he hopes to begin completing residency programs among reaching other goals in New Orleans.

Congratulations, Brent! You continue to make Clemson proud with your nationally renowned artwork.

As the spring semester came to a close, Art Foundations students at Clemson University installed pieces in the Center for Visual Arts – Lee Gallery and a reception drew faculty, staff, friends and family to enjoy the wide range of unique student art. This exciting event celebrating the hard work of these students is invaluable to the creative growth process.

The Art Foundations end of the year visual review provides art students the opportunity to achieve preparing and organizing a display of artwork in a professional manner. It also allows students time to reflect upon the work created in the first few years as an art major in order to prepare for moving forward through the department of art curriculum.

Any undergraduate art student who has completed all four studio foundation courses is invited to participate. The department of art classifies Art Foundations I, Art Foundations II, Foundation Drawing I and Foundation Drawing II to be the four classes required to complete this fundamental phase. Every student submits eight to ten works of art of their choosing, keeping in mind the idea of displaying a cohesive collection of the best work to date. The students also submit a written statement analyzing their collections.

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About The Center for Visual Arts
The Center for Visual Arts (CVA) at Clemson University is where students, visitors and scholars explore contemporary perspectives in art and culture through research, outreach programming and studio practice. With a mission to engage and render visible the creative process, the CVA is a dynamic intellectual and physical environment where art is created, exhibited and interpreted. It educates through academic research and practice with art at its core, drawing upon varied disciplines to examine critically cultural issues and artistic concerns.