Art

Human beings have always desired more than mere utility. From the earliest cave paintings, to the soaring Gothic cathedrals of Europe, people have attempted to imbue the material realm with objects that reflect our deepest held beliefs about the universe. The Hendrix Art department seeks to provide students with professional training towards a career in the arts and to instill in students the seriousness of their artistic endeavors.

Within the liberal educational tradition of the west, the arts play a unique function. Whereas the sciences attempt to clarify the material realm, the humanities attempt to understand the human realm. Art, being given a special cultural status, reveals what a culture considers beautiful. Art that is considered meaningful reveals who we are. The study of art throughout history offers students a unique look at past cultures. The acquisition of artistic training in studio courses offers the student the challenge of manifesting a vision of themselves and of the world by making art.

The Hendrix Art Program

All majors are required to successfully complete a series of twelve art studio and art history courses which include the following:

Freehand Drawing
Practicum - Studio Art
Practicum - Professional Development
Art History Survey I or II
Three-course sequence in studio courses
Two-course sequence in studio courses
One additional 200-level or above art history course
Two more art studio courses (At least one course must be taken in 3-D and one in 2-D.)

Minors are available in Studio Art and Art History.

The Art department offers study in the following art areas:

Drawing
Painting
Sculpture
Ceramics
Printmaking
Photography
Art History

Special Notes

The Art department sponsors a number of annual events. These include special exhibitions and shows, the annual Senior Show and the Student Show. Often the department will bring visiting artists or art historians to campus for workshops or lectures. Of special note is the department's annual Senior Student Trip. All senior Art majors travel to a major art center to visit museums and galleries. (Previous trips have been to New York, but other venues are planned for the future.)

The Art department resides in a new, $3 million dollar, state-of-the-art facility. The new Art Complex is a three-building center boasting over 19,000 square feet of space devoted to a wide range of artistic expression.

"Building A" of the complex contains space for faculty offices, an auditorium for art history, and a complete photography studio with adjoining darkroom. "Building B" is dedicated to two-dimensional art including drawing, painting, and printmaking. This building includes a display area situated in the heart of structure. The final wing, "Building C" houses three-dimensional art. A ceramic studio, sculpture studio, wood shop, finishing room, bronze casting foundry as well as space for welding, kilns, and clay mixers are all housed in "Building C."

Artists visiting the College have included David Dunlop, Jill Evans, Margaret Grimes, Hugh O'Donnell, Dan Rizzie, Warren Criswell, Sammy Peters, Joni Kinsey, and John Fraser.

Look to the future

In recent years, Hendrix Art graduates have attended graduate and professional school at the following institutions:

University of Arkansas
Christie's MA in London
Victorian Society of America Summer Program in London
Oklahoma University
Case Western Reserve University
American University
New York Studio School
Vermont Studio Center
University of Missouri
University of Arkansas

Faculty

Erik Maakestad, Associate Professor of Art
B.A., Central Washington University, '78
M.A., Central Washington University, '81
M.F.A., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, '83
Professor Maakestad teaches courses in drawing, sculpture and ceramics. He is currently at work with wood, metal and multimedia sculpture.

Mathew Lopas, Assistant Professor of Art
B.A., University of Michigan, '83
B.F.A., School of the Art Institute of Chicago,'91
M.F.A., Yale School of Art, '95
Professor Lopas teaches drawing, painting, and printmaking. Lopas is an oil painter who has shown in Atlanta, Chicago, Connecticut, and Little Rock.

Dr. Rod Miller, Associate Professor of Art
B.F.A., Stephen F. Austin State University, '85
M.A., Stephen F. Austin State University, '87
M.A., University of Iowa, '94
Ph.D., University of Louisville, '98
Dr. Miller teaches a variety of art history courses. His research is in architectural history and theory. Recently published is his first book, The Campus Guide: West Point.

Maxine Payne, Assistant Professor of Art
B.S.E., University of Central Arkansas, '93
M.A., University of Iowa, '96
M.F.A., University of Iowa, '97
Professor Payne teaches photography In addition to traditional black and white photography, Payne works with installations that include audio and video. Her work is about her rural southern experience.

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