Solutions to KU Art woes offered
'Demoralized' student at work Photo by Carol Sue Stevenson
Art students claim they work in overcrowded facilities with lack of exposure to
contemporary artists. Solutions may take time, but they first must be decided upon.
(Editor's note: This is the last in a series of four articles dealing with dissatisfaction among art students and faculty concerning facilities and other conditions.)
By SARAH DALE
Kansan Staff Writer
Kansan Staff Writer
Lack of exposure, limited exhibition space, and inadequate facilities are sources for a barrage of complaints from the visual arts department, third floor Strong Hall.
A new building is inevitable in at least five to ten years, said John S. McKay, assistant dean of visual arts.
The consensus on third floor Strong is one of dissatisfaction because of this knowledge and the little attempts being made to revamp existing conditions.
"The students in drawing and painting are led up to nothing," said Edward Avedisan, visiting
lecturer from New York City, "by the time they are seniors they are demoralized. They try to emulate the work in New York, which means their work is fourth hand.
"Part of the problem is the quality of the education here. They are teaching art the way they taught art when I was in school 12 years ago. They are using the same materials and books. Everything has to change in 12 years."
Avedisian, who is teaching painting courses this semester, said, "I was brought here at ruinous expense, the fact I even teach these students is bad. I deal with experimental art and these students haven't worked with experimental art.
"The students here are not exposed to anything I'm familiar with in my experience with art in New York City."
Unlike many students and other faculty members, Avedisian does not feel the facilities will make or break the department. "If more emphasis would be put on the quality of art work the enrollment would drop, and facilities would not be over-crowded," he said.
Lawrence senior, strongly supported this suggestion and added, "I feel the projection room, 327 Strong, could be used for slides and exhibition. The only class meeting in there is a pictorial composition class," he said.
Avedisian did agree with most students and faculty members that there is a crucial necessity for an exhibition room. He said it would be quite easy to organize an exhibition of five or six pictures, which could be done in the department.
Avedisian cited taking his students to Spooner Art Museum. "They observed the work of Hans Hoffman, a great contemporary artist, and only three of my students knew who the man was.
L'Ecuyer said another program which he saw become a success is the Academic Recognition Program.
Scholarships and awards appear to occupy the minds of students and faculty. Cunningham said one solution to this problem, aside from granting more money, would be to make up a bulletin board available listing scholarships and awards for art students.
"As an alternate idea, the room could be used for senior workshop painters. This would solve some of the necessity for studios," Cunningham said.
He said "the program came into effect this last fall. It is optional but already one-half the students chose to have joint majors."
This is a program honoring students who have made outstanding achievement in the business school, L'Ecuyer said.
Business assistant dean to become a professor
"The number of students
Students seem concerned with the limited amount of scholarships and awards offered to the visual arts department.
H. K. L'Ecuyer is leaving his position as assistant dean of the School of Business to become a full time professor next fall.
"Teaching has always been my interest and I want to devote more time to it." said L'Ecuyer.
L'Ecuyer described the program as one in which "students can earn majors or concentrations in non-business areas while getting business degrees."
If freshmen and sophomores could see junior and senior work it would give them some incentive, he said. This would give more unity of effort for the entire drawing and painting department.
Michael Cunningham,
Mar. 10
1969 KANSAN 3
L'Ecuyer, a member of the faculty since 1949, has been assistant dean for three years.
"In the last three years we've had a chance to do something about the standards of the school and the achievement level has gone up substantially." L'Ecuyer said, "We also added a program to improve curricular offerings."
"You don't pass the buck, if they don't teach contemporary art in the art history program we should teach it in this department."
He said a program to improve curricular offerings was begun during his administration.
Where You Always Save 802 W.23rd Lawrence
The faculty should teach classes they don't feel they are above. The faculty, has a problem of feeling terribly insecure, while the department should have people who have a feeling of artistic success, Advesian said.
Though he's been around the world twice, taught and trained at Asian institutions and has done extensive travel-research work, Henry Schwarz, visiting professor of Chinese history, found time to make a nine-month stopover at KU.
Schwarz, associate professor of political science at the University of Washington in Seattle, is teaching Chinese Communist government and history of East Asia at KU.
Other solutions may also be found, Avedisian said. "The change will come when the faculty won't resort to teaching aids such as models and set-ups. The department could get away from this by reorganizing the school so people working in the field could be brought in each semester.
His first impression of KU, Schwarz said, was it had a friendly atmosphere, in relation to bigger universities.
Although there were less demonstrations at KU, Schwarz said, students are just as involved here as they are at campuses where there are frequent demonstrations.
qualified for this honor has tripled in the last three years," he said.
L'Ecuyer will be leaving his post as assistant dean within the next few weeks, he said. The school will then have to do "some reorganization of the functions I had because no one is replacing me," he added.
Schwarz said, he hoped to see KU students take a greater interest in the Asian studies program offered here.
World traveler teaches at KU
BELL SYSTEM
Recruiting Team On Campus
Thursday, March 12, 1969
Representing
American Telephone & Telegraph, Long Lines Department Bachelor's and Master's candidates - Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, Mathematics, and Physics candidates with broad interests in economic and management problems. Locations: Mid-West states initially.
Bell Laboratories Research and Development B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. candidates. Emphasizing E.E., M.E., Physics, Engineering Mechanics and Mathematical Sciences. Opportunities for graduate study. Locations: New Jersey, Illinois and elsewhere in eastern half of U.S.
Sandia Corporation Master's Degree in Mathematics, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's candidates of outstanding scholarship in Engineering considered for technical development program. Locations: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Livermore, California.
Southwestern Bell—Technical students, particularly those seeking management and administrative assignments-E.E.; M.E.; E.P.; C.E.; Math-Physics.
Locations: Kansas and the Mid-West.
Western Electric-All Engineering disciplines needed to fill Technical Engineering positions in design, product, systems, military research and management training.
Locations: Southwest—Mid-West—Eastern and Northern States.
Sign Interview Schedule in Engineering Office
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER