Art & Design Archives - Page 2 of 3 -

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Rebekah Quinlan — Leave a comment

Designing the Design Minor for 2017

In recent years, Grove City has been taking leaps and bounds in the Department of Communication. Not only are great new opportunities emerging within the writing program, but within the visual arts program as well. In the past five years, design professor Nate Mucha has been working hard to single-handedly build Grove City College’s Design courses from the ground up. In fact, a Design minor is set to be available starting in the fall 2017 semester. This week, I had the chance to sit down and get an inside look at Professor Mucha’s experience with the Design program here at Grove City.

Professor Mucha began teaching at Grove City College in the fall semester of 2012. At the time, the school offered one design class taught by visual arts professor Kathy Rhoades. During his first semester, professor Mucha brought his own new design course with him: Intro to Visual Communication Design. Intro to VCD hones students’ practical visual design skills through abstract and applied design principles, introducing students to the grid system and to Adobe InDesign. In the spring semester of that same year, Interactive Design and User Experience was born. This new course incorporated visually appealing design with a practical application for product and web interaction. In 2015, the rest of the current design classes were added to the curriculum: Visual Communication Design I and II, as well as online classes Design Software and Design History.

VCD I and II further incorporate the skills acquired in Intro to VCD and apply them to real-world creative projects such as magazine layout and package design. Design Software utilizes Lynda.com to provide students with a crash course in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop: the industry standard software for designers everywhere. Design History utilizes a more traditional teaching style to take students through the evolution of design from its origins through modern design trends. At the same time when these courses were introduced, professor Mucha gave the school’s original design class, Design Principles, a complete makeover, and a new name: Design Thinking. It is an introductory course with an objective to get students into a practical design mindset, taking students through everything from problem solving and being able to make mistakes to brainstorming and collaborating.

Professor Mucha said that if he had to choose his favorite class to teach, it would be the series of VCD I and VCD II. In the Introduction to VCD class, students are generally starting out in design and curious to learn more about it and discover whether or not it is for them, but the VCD I and II series typically only sees students with a true passion for design, who have completed the basic level design classes. These students aren’t afraid to settle down to get real design work done and create many valuable portfolio pieces throughout the year. As time goes, on, professor Mucha’s classes are attracting more and more students with an interest in design. When he taught his first Intro to VCD class here at GCC, it had 12 students who were curious about design and eager to know more about it. Nowadays his students often know about design coming into the classroom, but they want to experience design classes to expand and apply their skills and learn whether they want to pursue design as a career.

The potential Design minor has seen interest primarily from students within the Communication, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship disciplines. Professor Mucha has also spoken about a Design minor with a handful of Biology and Physics students, as well as Computer Science students who work diligently to make the time to add a minor to their hectic schedules. Some science students are able to incorporate design classes into their schedules by also pursuing a technical writing concentration, which requires a combination of general science, writing, and design classes.

In total, the Design minor has attracted about 10 students so far. It has been received with great enthusiasm, although some seniors graduating in 2017 are disappointed that it won’t be available in time for them to declare it. Even though it won’t be official until next year, a Design minor has actually been in the works for a number of years. As soon as professor Mucha returned to Grove City College to teach, he knew he wanted a Design minor to be made available. With a small Communications department at the time, he knew there was much room for expansion. Professors from all over the school, including the Business, Communication, Art, and Computer Science departments got behind the idea, seeing how the program would be able to elevate all areas of academic thought. Being a discipline that can enhances communication in all areas, design focuses not on itself, but on its message. It is a growing area of study with which we should all become familiar, because it can benefit everyone.

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Angela Kim — Leave a comment

Student Artist Survey: From the Hollow

From the Hollow, a singer-songwriter duo, began at Grove City College when Christie Goodwin was asked to perform at Bridgefest – a concert on campus featuring student musicians.

Goodwin is a senior majoring in English Secondary Education from Farmington Hills, Mich. and has been dabbling in art and music for many years. She did not start to sing and write music seriously, however, until her sophomore year in college.

Originally, Goodwin planned to perform at Bridgefest alone, but as the performance day approached, she faced a dilemma. “I realized that I was not going to make it by myself,” says Goodwin. “My music needed to be filled out, and I needed someone more confident than me, so I emailed Corey because we performed together at AEX Live.”

Corey Kerstetter, a sophomore Marketing Management major with a minor in Biology, hails from Lancaster, Pa. He played piano since second grade, bass and guitar since high school, and is currently teaching himself banjo.

Goodwin continues, “We played together at Bridgefest, and after that people responded really well to our music. So we kept playing.”

Together, they formed From the Hollow.

On Feb. 1, 2017 they released their first EP called American Strife.

One of the most powerful songs in the EP is also called American Strife with lyrics as follows:

Baby cries, no one hears
And you regret the last six years
And move away from here
Throw out your line but nothing bites
Maybe that’s a woman’s right
This is our American
American Strife

Goodwin wrote this song at 1 am. “The phrases really fit together for me,” she says, “There’s a sense of hope and also disappointment.”

While they are both songwriters, the songs on their first EP were all written by Goodwin. Kerstetter has written a few songs recently as well.

“Her lyrics convey her message very clearly and powerfully.” Kerstetter reflects, “When we played at Bridgefest, I actually started crying in the middle of it.”

The music these student artists created is hauntingly beautiful and full of meaning. Concerning music itself, Goodwin says, “I want to write music that has a meaningful story. For other people, it becomes a fame thing. To me, music is storytelling. Music should tell a story.”

Both Goodwin and Kerstetter agree that the Grove City College community has supported and encouraged their music. They appreciate the natural music culture on campus, especially highlighting Stonebridge – a student organization which does a lot to bring music on campus and feature student musicians.

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Daniel Peiffer — Leave a comment

Inside The Studio – Student Worker

One of the biggest questions I had before applying to Grove City College is what type of art does the school offer? Magic happens in the art studio located in Pew Fine Arts Center. Grove City College offers over 23 courses in the visual arts, from pottery to design to sculpture. I highly recommend everyone take at least one of those classes. Not only you get to keep the art you created, but you will feel artistic and a sense of fulfillment.

In this last part of Inside The Studio, I explore the idea of working in something you enjoy doing. I interviewed Alexandria Ridderhott, who is an art student worker. Her job is to fire the clay, and having the last process completed.

This is a great opportunity for people who are interested in learning more in-depth on the process of biscuit ceramics.

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Daniel Peiffer — Leave a comment

Inside The Studio: Sculpture

This is the second part of Inside The Studio video series. This video explore one of the projects in the sculpturing class offered in the art studio. I interviewed Bethany and Caitlin about creating their plaster project, and what is the meaning behind creating this sculpture.

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Daniel Peiffer — Leave a comment

Inside The Studio: Wheel Throwing

Inside The Studio is a short video series that explore the art create in the studio. In this video, I interview Margaret Baker who talks about the process of Wheel Throwing.

Posted on March 15, 2017March 16, 2017 by Daniel Peiffer — Leave a comment

Your Passion is Here: 2017 Create Conference

Are you worried that your passion is not one of the majors offered by Grove City College? Is there a hobby that you would like to develop? On March 18, Abby Cunningham and Alexis Marnejon with the Communication and Visual Arts Department, Entrepreneurship Department, and Student Government Association will hold the 2017 Create Conference. This conference will be hosting professionals representing a wide range of creative fields such as photography, graphic design, fine art, and multi-media production. The day will feature main stage talks, workshops, small seminars, and a retail/connection event.

This event is really exciting – one of the guest speaks is from The Neighborhood Film Company. As a huge movie buff with dreams to one day to enter the film industry, this is a great opportunity for me to learn and connect.

With conference and events like this, I am sure that my passion will only grow and develop more. Having workshops and making a connection creates a door for my career path.

I have created a promo video for this coming event. Check it out!

Posted on November 29, 2016November 29, 2016 by justicecp1 — Leave a comment

“Anything Goes” with the Grove City Theater Department

Each semester, the Grove City College theater department puts on a major production, as well as a few smaller theater performances with students from all disciplines. This fall’s performance was Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” – a musical filled with gangsters, sailors, and of course hopeless romantics. Weeks of preparation and hard work by the cast and crew, sound and lighting technicians, and orchestra pit performers, went into creating this amazing show.

“Anything Goes” is a well-loved show about many outspoken characters on a ship from New York to London searching for love, money, and an entertaining time. The main character Hope Harcourt was played by freshman Jordan Luntz. This was Jordan’s first production at Grove City College, and as a mechanical engineering major it was a bit of a handful. “I was worried that coming to college as a mechanical engineering major, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to be as involved as I would like,” Jordan explained, “but Grove City is a truly special place with truly special people that made my production easy and enjoyable.” As an underclassman, she explained how many upperclassmen and directors helped teach and encourage her to make the production an easy and enjoyable experience. “The entire cast was accepting and just a pure joy to share the stage with. They did their best to work with my schedule and make my life as easy as possible,” she said.

Our theater department goes far beyond actors and technicians, and there are many opportunities for students to get involved in ways that are convenient to them. Senior Jonathan Fisher is a communications major with a passion for theater. Jonathan was able to give some insight about what it’s like behind the scenes of larger productions, specifically as a spotlight operator. Jonathan explained how he felt right at home with the cast and crew, even as a spotlight operator. He said, “we had a lot of fun bonding, even if it was just over pre-show meetings.” Jonathan discussed his first experience with theater and how his roles have changed over the years. “When I first came into the theater program, I was so focused on acting but it did not work out as planned, and I did not want to be backstage,” Jonathan said, “But I ended up having to do some tech things for classes I was taking, and I realized when you do tech you are involved. You are the cast and crew.” The flexibility and skills in the technical part of the show was something Jonathan was happy to contribute to and greatly enjoyed.

Being in any large scale production is tons of hard work and a huge commitment, and can definitely be a strenuous process. At the end of each tech rehearsal week, Grove City cast and crew meet and give senior speeches for those who are graduating and want to give last pieces of advice. Jonathan explained, “Something that my friend Sarah Giesler said stuck with me, and that was to choose joy. Especially during tech week, Christ is the reason we can choose joy over the stress so we can choose to look to him.” It is so important in those moments to come together to pray and encourage one another. It is such a blessing to work with a theater department that takes so much care and consideration to appreciate one another and all the work it takes to putting on an excellent show.

Along with all the hard work, this cast had just as much fun, especially making this video in their time between scenes. Enjoy the students of the theater department!

Posted on October 31, 2016October 31, 2016 by difalcolm1 — Leave a comment

Oh, the Humanities!

Grove City College is a liberal arts school therefore there are certain academic requirements that must be met before graduation. At this school, that means a humanities core requirements for every student in every major. However, I have come to realize the value of the whole-person education offered here.

The humanities core requirements stretches across almost every area of academia. Course requirements include natural sciences, social sciences, physical education, foreign languages, and biblical & historical studies. Each category is chosen to target a specific zone of education.

Dr. Jewell, a former College president, remarked at every graduation ceremony that he knew he was shaking hands with a “well-educated person.”

Whether a student in the Calderwood (Liberal Arts) School or Hopeman (STEM) School, every student is expected to fulfill these requirements. Some might read this and have cause for concern because of a general anxiety for anything outside of a general comfort zone, but I have found that there are a considerable number of benefits to this system:

Mix of Majors in Each Class

Sometimes, the only chance I would have as an Entrepreneurship major to have class with an Engineering major is in my humanities classes. As I continue to progress in my classes, I noticed they become focused on major-specific classes. That limits the variety of students I would get to interact with in a classroom setting. However, there is so much value to be had from collaborating with people who think in different ways. I enjoy the opportunity to work with people of all academic backgrounds in these classes. Plus, I like having an in for starting a conversation with someone–this gives everyone a common ground throughout campus.

Helpful when Studying Abroad

In the spring of my sophomore year, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. It was a dream trip for me. The culture that I experienced blew my mind. However, what made that cultural exposure so much more valuable was the Civilization & the Arts class I had taken the semester prior. In that class, I learned how to analyze and appreciate artwork of all genres. Later on, when I was in Italy I visited some of the most prestigious museums and got to apply those concepts that I learned. It was so satisfying knowing how to interpret that art. I went abroad and felt prepared to walk into any museum and not feel like a fool.

Well-Rounded Education

Overall, the classes that I will take at this school will become a reflection of who I am after graduation. The opportunity to expose myself to so many different types of classes is an extremely valuable trait as I enter the workforce. As a current student, I can without a doubt vouch for the benefit of a humanities core.

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Nathan Chanski — Leave a comment

Annual Arts Festival At Grove City College

The second annual Arts Festival held at Grove City College has swept the campus in a frenzy of creativity.

2015 was the first year when an Arts Festival was held at Grove City College. Comprised of original work from the campus community, the Arts Festival is organized and curated completely by the students of the College.

And just in time for the Junior Crimson Day, held every spring in early April, the Arts Festival moves students, faculty, as well as prospective students and families through the many buildings within the campus. Each of the venues for the Arts Festival features original work spanning from photography, to paintings, to sculptures.

Pictured below are some of the beautiful pieces from the Arts Festival. The featured venue is South Lobby within the Mary Anderson Pew women’s dormitory. Take a look for yourself as a sneak peek into the vibes of this Arts Festival:

The artistic talent of the campus community at Grove City can often be one of the best kept secrets of the College. Students from all years are encouraged to submit their work to the festival. From there, a group of student curators then choose the pieces of art that are to be showcased at the actual festival.

I sat down and spoke with the head of the Arts Festival, Andrew Irving, about his thoughts on the festival, “The importance of the Arts Festival is to show the importance of art in the context of a Christian community,” Irving said. Most notably, Irving is very excited for the next year of the Arts Festival. New ideas are in the works for the Arts Festival, most of which I am unable to share this far in advance, but stay tuned to see what comes next year!

As Grove City’s very own President McNulty put it, “Our campus is blessed with extraordinarily talented artists as you will quickly observe when you stop and study the many works on display,” McNulty said, “Cultivating a love for art is important because its production and presentation serve an extremely important role in strengthening a community.”

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Rebekah Fry — Leave a comment

Thinking Made Visual

Grove City College seeks to foster intellectual thought in all aspects of study. Its challenging liberal arts education provides students with unique educational experiences that touch various facets of learning. As our college grows, we are continually pursuing knowledge in new areas and expanding our existing departments.

One such feature that has developed in the recent past is design (within the Communication Studies and the Visual Arts department).

Five years ago, design classes were a mere idea. They are now a reality.

Professor of Design, Nate Mucha, has led the charge to expand the department through introducing a variety of classes at a high learning level. A graduate of the MFA Visual Communication Design program at Kent State University, Nate has brought a vibrant vision for the department and is actively integrating design within the campus community.

“Being image-bearers of God, design is an essential topic of exploration for Christians. There are underlying design principles that govern the universe and the way in which humans understand ideas, each other and creation. Through the study of design, students explore the way these principles interact in the pursuit of creating and sharing thoughtfully and effectively while at the same time understanding more thoroughly the mind of our Creator.” ~Professor Mucha

He and senior design student Rebekah Fry are working to bring an AIGA student group to campus in order to offer design students a supportive out-of-class atmosphere as they grow in their knowledge and passion for design.

Through a series of comprehensive and well thought-out design classes, students will build foundations for design thinking, gain a solid understanding of essential design principals, expand their knowledge of industry-leading Adobe design software and complete projects that will challenge them in areas such as print material/layout design, web, branding, 3D interactive design, etc. They will master form while learning to collaborate, develop strategy and understand the people for whom they are designing—we call this human-centered design.

The program is an innovative and exciting look at how design integrates with the world around us and is a beautiful application for visual communication.

“A designer is an emerging synthesis of artist, inventor, mechanic, objective economist and evolutionary strategist.” – Buckminster Fuller

We seek to innovate in a beautiful and tangible fashion. It’s exciting, thrilling and present as we look to a future of meaningful visual communication.