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BHSU faculty to inspire students and community with personal artwork

11 October 2018

Art students often want to know more about faculty member’s own personal work outside of the classroom; this is their chance. Black Hills State University fine arts faculty will present “Beyond the Classroom” Thursday, Oct. 18 at 4 p.m. in Jonas Hall Room 110. At no cost to the public, this event is open to the community as an ongoing continuation of the Geek Speak lecture series.

Photography, studio art, and graphic design faculty in the Fine Arts Department at BHSU will present an evening of their current work in rapid-fire succession during the Geek Speak.

In his presentation, Michael Baum, assistant professor of art at BHSU, will talk about how he incorporates interactions with activities and spaces into his artwork. Currently focused on print-based works, Baum has worked with many mediums including pencil and ink drawings, print making, painting, “non-traditional” drawings, and more.

Baum says, “I made a number of works focusing on human movement as human expression... I was trying to interact with the landscape and through that interaction, making a series of works that didn’t necessarily represent the space, but represented that movement through that space, and I’ve always been really interested in that with my extracurricular activities.”

Baum hopes to inspire the community and students to see art differently. He hopes to inspire them to become more aware of the process behind the art.

“We don’t often think about these mundane things like walking, bicycling, skiing…we don’t think about human movement as an expression,” adds Baum.

Sometimes artworks are taken too literally and not appreciated enough because the audience doesn’t have the opportunity to learn directly from the artist about the work that goes into it, Baum says. Through this Geek Speak, he and other BHSU arts faculty hope to change that.

A diverse range of artwork is expected to be displayed at the Geek Speak from faculty across the disciplines.

Faculty planning to present will include:
Altman Studeny, instructor of art
Michael Baum, assistant professor of art
Quintin Owens, assistant professor of art
Desy Schoenewies, associate professor of art
Seth Harwood, instructor of art
Jerry Rawlings, associate professor of mass communication
Steve Babbitt, professor of mass communication
Skott Chandler, assistant professor of mass communication
Gina Gibson, associate professor of digital communication
Tennille Paden, assistant professor of graphic design

About BHSU Art Programs:
BHSU offers a wide variety of degrees in the arts and recently added a bachelor of fine arts (BFA) program for photography, studio art, and graphic design. A BFA is the industry standard for degree-seeking studio artists.

Studio Art: At many other universities, students must declare an art concentration early in their course of study, such as in painting, drawing, ceramics, etc. At BHSU, artists can explore a variety of fine arts courses as a way to discover their talents in a variety of techniques. The BFA in Studio Art at BHSU allows students takes an ‘arts generalist’ approach. Students take 60 credits in general studio arts courses in a variety of mediums. Then, students take an additional 15 elective fine arts credits- whether in a selected discipline or across other art spectrums.

Photography: The BFA in photography at BHSU offers many opportunities to students interested in photojournalism, commercial photography, or fine art photography. BHSU has among the finest darkroom and digital imaging facilities in South Dakota and the surrounding region. Photography students have access to a brand new photo studio, state of the art computers, printers and photo manipulating programs, and several darkrooms. The BHSU photography program is proud to have Canon USA as a sponsor of our photography program. Through Canon's generous support BHSU photography students have the opportunity to use the latest camera equipment and digital printers available. Student photographers at BHSU are consistently ranked in the top 5 percent nationwide.

Graphic Design: Gain the necessary graphic and computer design skills and experience to prepare for an exciting, cutting-edge career in advertising, publishing, or public relations with the BFA in graphic design from BHSU. The ability to effectively communicate thoughts and ideas is one of the most highly regarded skills when seeking employment in a creative field. Students learn the basics of graphic and computer design, photo imaging and web design, as they relate to advertising and graphic communication. BHSU’s facilities maintain a high-tech and creative environment with Macintosh computer labs, three fully-equipped multi-purpose darkrooms, a professional graphic design production studio, a dedicated digital imaging lab, a student–run newspaper production lab, and student-operated radio and television stations.
Other degrees that BHSU offers in the art and humanities field include: art education, corporate communications, mass communication, music/music education, and more.
For more information about the BHSU art programs visit www.BHSU.edu/arts-humanities or contact Dr. Martin Fashbaugh, Chair of Arts & Humanities, martin.fashbaugh@BHSU.edu, 605-642-6726.

About BHSU Geek Speak:
The Geek Speak lecture series, sponsored by the BHSU Honors program, features academic discussion and topics not normally discussed in the traditional classroom. The goal of the weekly lectures is to expose students and the community to diversity within the disciplines. Some Geek Speaks are also presented at the Jacket Zone store located on Main Street in downtown Spearfish. All lectures are free and open to the public.
Upcoming lectures include:

Oct. 25: Dr. Du-Lu Hsiao, assistant professor of Spanish: “How to be Spanish”
Nov. 1: Dr. Andrey Reznikov, professor of English: “The role of Bible Translations in Establishing the English Language”
Nov. 8: Aaron Bauerly, system librarian: “You are the Hero: Interaction with Mythic Archetypes Through Games”
Nov. 15: Kelly Kirk, instructor of history: “Honoring Veterans' Legacies”
Nov. 29 – Dec. 6: University Honors Capstone Defenses
Jan. 10: Desy Schoenewies, associate professor of art: “Drawings from China: Experiences from the BHSU/Baoding University Partnership BHSU Artists at Baoding University”
Jan. 17: TBA
Jan. 24: Tracy Hunt and Chelsey Groseclose, counselors: “The Matrix Within: from Insomnia to Lucidity, the Powers of Sleep and Dreaming”
Jan. 31: Altman Studeny, instructor of art; Carrie Gray-Wood, instructor of geography; Dr. Tim Steckline, professor of speech: “Twisted Fibers: Felt as Art, Technique, and Social Critique”
Feb. 7: Dr. David Cremean, professor of English: “Bruce Springsteen as Storyteller”
Feb. 14: Jeffrey Winter, instructor of mathematics: “Secrets and Unconventional uses of Microsoft Office”
Feb. 21: Dr. Holly Downing, professor of biology: “Why Our Mascot is Not a Bee—The Frustrations of a BHSU Entomologist”
Feb. 28: Dr. Max Marc, professor of management information systems: “Artificial Intelligence vs. Humans: Thought Experiments on the End-Game”
March 14: Dr. Jarrett Moore, assistant professor of research and assessment: “Manufacturing (Real)ity”
March 21: Dr. Chris Hahn, assistant professor of music: “We’re All Musicians: Exploring the Brain-Music Relationship”
March 28: BHSU Research Symposium Keynote Speaker, Meier Hall
April 4: Petrika Peters, instructor of sustainability: “Global Dumping: What Happens to Your Electronic Waste?”
April 11/April 25: Dr. Courtney Huse Wika, associate professor of English: “A Spontaneous Overflow of Powerful Feelings:” A Two-Part Poetry Writing Workshop to celebrate National Poetry Month

To read short descriptions of each lecture topic, visit www.BHSU.edu/GeekSpeak

For more information, contact Dr. Courtney Huse Wika, associate professor of English, at 605-642-6918 or email Courtney.HuseWika@BHSU.edu

BHSU faculty to inspire students and community with personal artwork

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