How students are mastering the ‘art’ of success at RCC
If you walk into Scottie Thompson’s classroom on any given day, you will feel the workings of students’ imaginations. The space breathes creativity, from the sculptures sitting atop the windows to the paintings situated on easels around the room to the fabric pieces hung on the walls. Everything about the art studio showcases the original thought, finesse, and brilliance of RCC’s art appreciation students, who come from all walks of life.
Officially called ART 111, Art Appreciation has become one of the most popular university transfer classes that is offered at Robeson Community College. The class satisfies the humanities elective required by most majors.
“I allow students to do hands-on projects if they are artistic, or if they are a great writer, they can write about the work, I give them options and I try to adjust each one of my lessons to the type of learner they are, whether that’s a visual learner or a tactile learner,” stated Thompson. “Some of these students are so talented…I think that each student should be able to develop the best start they can…then utilize what I teach.”
Thompson was presented with the High Five Award last March, a testament to his excellence in teaching.
“I was very excited about that, especially since it was my first year as a full-time faculty member because I had worked here part-time for 12 years in adult basic skills,” Thompson stated. “I’m just happy to be here, and that our art program is going to grow. I’m just happy to be the first time ever art instructor at Robeson Community College. That makes me very proud.”
Students enrolled in the class learn a lot about art history, the different periods of art, as well as the importance of art.
“We talked about how art impacts our world economy, how art can change the economy, the role that art plays in history,” Thompson said. “It’s the role that art plays not only in our economy in the United States but the world economy. Without new designs, new product designs, it would cripple our economy because people wouldn’t be buying anything.”
The class also presents you with new thoughts on art, showing its importance in history.
“The only reason we know how people looked before photography was because of portrait paintings and I never really thought about that until I studied art history myself,” Thompson said.
If you’re older, the art appreciation class at Robeson Community College is completely different than the art appreciation class you may remember from your college days. There are not a lot of slides to watch, but there is a lot of hands-on learning involved.
“When I started teaching this, I did not want my class to be boring,” stated Thompson as he went around the room showcasing the various projects students had completed.
“Collage, this is one of the projects we do each semester, giving students an opportunity to investigate their own personal style,” he said pointing to a painting.
“And this was done by a student studying culinary here, she took the art appreciation class, and she did this by using some really great critical thinking skills…She reversed the developmental process by first applying the bleach to this black piece of fabric, which is actually a sheet, then after she bleached out the fabric, she applied a series of paint applications and contrasting colors. Great color theory in this piece,” Thompson stated as he was standing by the fabric.
His students seem to love his approach, they are very engaged and seem interested in learning even more about art.
“There is something new that you learn every day,” stated one of the students enrolled in his class this semester.
“I took this class because I enjoy art,” stated a student enrolled in the cosmetology program.
A student who hopes to teach mathematics one day said, “I so love this class, I would take it again if I could.”
“This class has helped me to understand art better and how to read more into it,” stated a student studying radiography.
In the future, Thompson hopes to create an Art Club at the college which will help better serve students and give them an outlet to express themselves.
“There’s so much more that we are going to do in the community as far as the art department and as far as our art students go, that’s going to benefit the college a lot,” Thompson said. “I just want to see our art program grow because students who don’t feel like they belong in other places, they enjoy the art department and a lot of students come in the studio and spend time in here when there are no classes, working on artwork, and I just think it’s a great place on campus for the students to decompress sometimes and just to be able to hang out.”
If you’re interested in taking Art Appreciation, there are many sections available in the Spring semester, as well as a 4-week class in the Winter Session. To learn more or if you’d like to get involved in the art department at RCC, please contact Scottie Thompson at sthompson@robeson.edu or 910-272-3551.
