The Taylor University art department is offering classes to local students ranging from kindergarten to high school seniors.
The program is called Art Tutoring, but for the first time, it will look more like an actual class compared to a one-on-one tutoring session. After being suspended as a result of the pandemic, the program is now back up and running. Taylor art students will serve as instructors, and they will assist students in subjects like painting, drawing, photography, ceramics and collage.
Art Tutoring kicked off on Oct. 3 and will run through Dec. 4 before returning in the spring semester.
Assistant Professor of Art Education and Pre-Art Therapy Hannah Richardson understands the program has benefits for all parties involved, especially the instructors.
“Working alongside of people who are outside of even just their normal population of Taylor friends is an important experience for all our majors to go through,” Richardson said.
Students majoring in art education, design and studio art have signed up to teach. Richardson estimates that the majority of classes will be comprised of two to five students. The teachers were instructed to pick a theme — for example, fantasy — and then get a feel for what medium their students would like to pursue.
Students’ grade levels will influence the approach to classroom instruction.
“For instance, a drawing class for (kindergarten) to second (graders) is going to look way different than a drawing class for a middle school student,” Richardson said. “And so how can we make this fun and engaging is going to be one of the main goals of the teacher as they’re sharing art with the community.”
Sophomore graphic design major Luke Nelson has signed up to teach one of the art classes, and he hopes to center the instruction time around drawing fantasy characters and the environments they inhabit. His preferred age-range is middle school, but Nelson said not many middle schoolers have shown interest. As a result, Nelson is unsure of whether or not he will get the opportunity to teach this semester.
If he does get the opportunity, he knows the vibe he wants his classroom to have.
“I want them to feel free to come up with whatever they want and create whatever they want,” Nelson said. “In a school environment, you have to do it (according to) schedules or whatever; but in this environment, you … have the freedom to do and create whatever you want.”
Richardson is pleased that the program is being revived. After all, according to her, it’s not just about art.
“(If) both Taylor students and community students are able to engage art in a way that builds relationships, I think (that) would be like the big fruit of the program in general,” Richardson said.
For more information on Art Tutoring, click here.
