Sculpture
Instructor: Mark Dixon
The range of media in contemporary sculpture is vast. Fittingly, sculpture students are encouraged to explore a wide range of media from steel and wood to crochet and performance. Introductory sculpture classes guide students through the cutting, shaping and joining of wood and steel. The studio features arc welders, oxy-acetylene set ups and a plasma cutter. The wood shop has been recently updated with new and safer tools. All students, regardless of experience, are welcome to learn these tremendously empowering skills in wood and steel. The sculpture program also encourages exploration in media that require little to no equipment.
The sculpture track begins with 3D Design where students study the perception of three-dimensional objects. This study is grounded in observation practices and exposure to examples of important sculpture and design. Using simple and appropriate media, students learn to apply design principles to create specific experiences for viewers. Kite making and structure building projects are first steps followed by the more demanding sculpture classes that follow 3D Design.
Sculpture students are encouraged to keep up to date with current sculptural ideas. Classes visit exhibitions and keep art press journals. Visiting sculptors have included internationally exhibiting sculptors such as Quaker artist, James Turrell who sculpts with light; young and prolific installation artist Phoebe Washburn; conceptual artist Mel Chin; Patrick Dougherty, who employs many volunteers to create monumental scale “stickworks” with locally gathered saplings; Bryant Holsenbeck, an environmentally conscious artist who creates installations from recycled materials, and Stephen Hayes, a young African-American installation artist who taught a plaster body-casting workshop.