Wearing dad’s old shirt, she stands before the canvas. A thin layer of ceramic dust falls across the floor, the desks, the unclaimed origami hats as she pulls out containers of red, blue and yellow.

Still smelling of PlayDough, her hands squish down into the soft pudding of color. Pressing small fingers to paper, she makes fairytales and monsters come alive.

“In those elementary classrooms are where artists are born,” said Jack Mann, professor of art and department chair. “We, as faculty, are hoping to expand that ability.”

At Wittenberg since 1976, Mann has witnessed those magical moments when students recognize the powerful creative forces within. “Art classes are appealing to students, both majors and non-majors, because of this untapped creative energy,” Mann explained. Small class sizes and personal attention are also a plus.

“If you are self motivated, the professors give you a lot of positive reinforcement,” said art major Meghan Berschback ’01. Berschback debated about coming to Wittenberg or going to art school.

She decided on Wittenberg because she wanted to learn a variety of subjects. “A liberal arts education really influences your art,” she said.

The art faculty members understand this, which is why they consistently search for new ways to reinvent the teaching arena for their students. The visiting artist program, which began last year, is one such example.

“The people we bring in are mostly from other schools, and they are doing something unique,” said Kevin Salzman, assistant professor of art and director of the Ann Miller Gallery.

“We look for something different from what we are doing here,” he added. “The students benefit from the diversity.” As part of the program, the visiting artists conduct hands-on workshops on techniques and styles with the students.

“They are very personal experiences but also universal” Salzman noted. “The artists share with the whole department.” In so doing, the faculty members themselves learn with the students.

Teaching in this department, according to Mann, is merely an extension of Wittenberg faculty’s own love for the arts. “All of us do our own art,” he said.

Mann, who works regularly in his personal studio, notes that some of the faculty members even have their own studios in Koch Hall, home to the art department since 1979.

Currently, the department has five full-time faculty members, including two painters, a printmaker, an art historian and a ceramist. Each is also engaged in his or her own professional development project.

Salzman, for instance, is a contributing artist on a global project titled Curtains, which showcases the portfolios of 25 printmakers from South Africa, England, the United States, Mexico, Canada, China, Germany and the Ukraine.

Amy Morris, instructor of art, returned to Wittenberg this fall from Germany where she was working on her Ph.D. through Indiana University.

The department also welcomed Scott Dooley, assistant professor of art, and Edward Charney, associate professor of art, to Wittenberg this fall. “We’re excited about the additions to the department,” Salzman said.

Such excitement is even affecting the physical confines of Koch Hall. New this year, the third floor of building will house private studios for artists working beyond class time.

“We have great facilities,” Salzman said. “Twenty-four hours a day the facilities are open for students in whatever room they are working.”

The department also appears to be attracting more students. During Commencement 2001, the department expects to graduate 10-15 students, which is a slight increase compared with last year.

In 2000, three students graduated with a bachelor of fine arts, and eight graduated with a bachelor of arts.“The students become teachers, professional printmakers, potters and painters,” Mann said.

Some have also become graphic designers, and more are heading toward Web design. Many also go into business, Mann noted. “Whatever business it might be, they add their own creative output.”

Martin Schnapf ’99, for example, has an artist residency in Oregon while Seth Elberger ’00 is working on a master’s degree in computer animation at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Other graduates have gone on to build their own businesses such as Carla Bauer ’71 of Bauer Design in New York and Jennifer Schumacher ’85 of Schumacher Design in Montreal.

“I think we have a lot to offer the right student,” Salzman said. “There is going to be a lot of energy here.”
— Sarah Lowe ’01