Art Seminar Reaches the Students

Art Seminar is required for all art students to take at least four times before graduation. It is a motivating tool, a way to browse other art subjects the students might not know about, and educate the audience to the reality of the art world.

Throughout the course of the semester, guest speakers are invited to lecture on their area of art, their successes, and educate the students on how to transform from student to professional. There are a total of five lectures per semester, and the lecture lasts usually an hour to an hour and a half. The Department video tapes the seminars in case a student is unable to attend, and they can be viewed in the library. Students must take careful notes on an analysis sheet throughout the class, and these analysis sheets are turned in at the end of each seminar. BYU-I student, Kjirsten Barker, stated, "Art seminar is a chance for me to be exposed to other artists' work, and to broaden my own visual library. I'm always influenced by the speakers, in how they approach their work and medium, and also by their own personal philosophies on art."

Various artists from different art fields are invited to lecture. Usually they bring with them samples of their work, and they sometimes refer to the internet because their art is easily retrieved from their websites. When asked why she appreciated Art Seminar, Jessica Hastings, who is majoring in Art Education said, "...I get to hear the accounts from the artist himself (or herself) about how he or she ended up becoming an artist...I also like it because often times the artist will talk about what it is like to be an artist in the business world."

The assortment of speakers give helpful advice to the students, inform them about the area of art they are in, and give the students a perspective of what a career in that area would be like. Miriam Robertson, a photography major said, "...I have appreciated art seminar because it not only teaches me more about my area of art, but it helps me learn how the different art areas are interrelated once you graduate and get into the field in which you choose to work." The artist also educates the students on how he or she created the different pieces of artwork that they are displaying. This ultimately gives the students some different ideas on how to shape their own careers.