It’s not often that college students have the chance to learn how their skills and education apply in real-world applications while they are in college, but the Southern Arkansas University photo team did.
George Butler, Jessica Davis (blonde), Jessica Davis (brunette), Julie Menne, Tyler Orsak and Austin Thompson participated as a team as part of Professor Steve Ochs’ Advanced Art Studio II class.
The team experienced and captured artists at work during the 2012 Concrete Décor Show in San Antonio, Texas, through the lens of a camera. The event is held in different locations around the nation each year and draws concrete artists from around the world to share their techniques and beautiful works of art. Photos from the event are published in Concrete Décor Magazine, and Ochs – who has served as chief photographer for the event for years – saw an opportunity to provide his art students real-world knowledge and application of photography skills learned in class.
“‘Service learning’ is a way to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world, Ochs said. “It has a way of empowering the students to realize how their knowledge and skill can impact society… and, in this case, industry.”
Taking the students out of the safety of the studios to learn is not the easiest way to teach, according to Ochs. There is risk involved and the potential for real consequences, but there is also the opportunity for real rewards.
Ochs said the students seemed impressed by how hard the artisans worked in the workshops and while creating permanent installations. They saw how beautifully art can be expressed through durable concrete.
“As beautiful and aesthetic as it can be, most of what is created in concrete is decorative. When you utilized the technology, special effects and processes to embody and express ideas and emotions, then you have elevated it to ‘art’,” Ochs said. “In fact, the same can be said for architecture and concrete has been an integral part of that field for over 2,000 years.”
All six of the students received a year’s subscription to Concrete Décor Magazine. The best photos selected from their effort will be published in the nationally circulated trade magazine.
“Our best photos will be printed, published, and sent across the nation,” said George Butler. “These magazines will then be used in our artistic portfolios and may open doors to future job opportunities.”
After completing their assignment, the students shared what they gleaned from their time in San Antonio. A universal lesson that all found important in fulfilling professional duties was the importance of time management. (Two students named Jessica Davis are in the class, so comments attributed to them will also identify them by hair color.)
“No amount of classroom experience can compare to actual experience in the field,” said Jessica Davis (brunette) “Not only did I have the opportunity to visit San Antonio and take some amazing photos, I also learned how to work together as a team.”
(Blonde) Jessica Davis served in the post of editor for the project.
“Prospective employers will know that I can handle a fast-paced stressful working environment. Time management was the key,” said Davis.
The collaborative aspect of the project also honed skills required in the work place.
“The idea of joining forces and using a shared project to enable people to work together and educate each other is a great way to help a community and an industry grow,” said Tyler Orsak.
Students were provided full-access passes to all areas of the three-day event.
“They allowed us to see a wide variety of materials and processed through live workshops,” said Butler. “My favorite was the life-size Acrocanthosaurus. This experience opened my eyes and enabled me to discover new and exciting paths that my studio degree could lead to.”
The professional event also contributes time, talents and materials for charitable projects. In San Antonio, the Say Si was the lucky non-profit who benefitted from the attention of the skilled professional artists who merged on the Texas town. Say Si is a facility that provides students opportunities in artistic fields.
Overall, Ochs said that the students expressed an overwhelming understanding of the value of the opportunity both educationally and professionally.
“It challenged the students to exhibit professionalism as representatives of their field and as ambassadors of Southern Arkansas University,” he said.
