by Brenda Myers
Profound concentration salted with the personal enjoyment of being creative seemed to permeate the art department. “Art,” the silent, inanimate art form, suddenly came alive when seen from the viewpoint of an observer of art as a classroom subject.
Free to roam about the department at leisure, it became engrossed with print making, a part of design class. Kathy Connor, Debby Crabtree, and Cherre Adams had finished cutting their designs out of linoleum blocks and were running them through the printer. As they talked about their own careers and art in general.
Kathy, an education major, said that she loved drawing the most, but painting was her favorite. When asked if Americans were not artistic enough in art, Kathy replied, “People don’t realize that everything comes from art. Engineering is just as much art as painting or sculpture.”
Debby, enrolled in design class, is a dancing major. “Dancers need to be creative in different aspects, so I am required to take art, of course. I really enjoy it,” she said. “Most people just don’t take it seriously.”
Ralph Caver, head of the department, said that approximately 130 students are enrolled in art courses. “Ceramics class seems to be the most popular course. In ceramics class, the aroma of clay and the squeak of the potter’s wheel created an intense atmosphere. The impulse to touch was irresistible.
Kay Thomas, who has been making monsters for a long time, showed me clay models of a gargoyle and his mate. The recent ABC movie was her inspiration for the figures. “That’s one example of how television is effective art,” laughed instructor Caver.
“I believe America is going through a Renaissance,” said Kay. “The view of art was limited to commercial brands or processes. I can see art in a life magazine spread, or on a TV show.”
Kay would like to stay in Texarkana and work, but most of the good commercial illustrators end up in New York or Chicago. “I want to learn everything I can about the phases of drawing as well as the form.”
Bill Schumaker wants to be a commercial artist. “Artists are sensitive people,” Dede Winham answered. “Artists are quiet observers to express themselves. They usually like nature and have to be observant.”
Special Christmas projects are taking up much of the students’ time. “Some are working on Christmas cards,” said Caver, “and we have a good window for Ben P. Smith Department Store. Several students are also working to give art presents.”
“I would like to see more equipment in the department,” “There’s really not enough for the number of students,” one artist commented.
The informal atmosphere of the classroom promoted creativity. Caver worked side by side with his students, giving advice and discussing art careers. “I could not help but believe that students benefited from this one-to-one teaching approach. Caver is a good artist in his own right; several of his paintings have been on display.
With America the scientific and industrial nation it is, the artists of Texarkana College are concentrating on preserving the culture and beauty they see about them.
