Message from the Chair
Clarence Morgan
We have arrived at a moment of change in the Department of Art. Modifications within the various studio practices and recent and impending retirements among the ranks of our senior faculty place us in the precarious position of looking back while moving forward. Recent waves of new faculty hires dating back to 1996 have transformed the core philosophy and pedagogical dynamic of our curriculum. The most apparent manifestation of these changes is the physical move into our recently completed new home in the Regis Center for Art and the accompanying programmatic fusion into the West Bank Arts Quarter. A concerted commitment to interdisciplinary practice is underway among the creative communities of the University, which promises to provide new opportunities for artistic collaboration and shared ideas across the arts.
As we move forward with these technological and interdisciplinary initiatives, our students and faculty continue to honor the Department of Art’s (formerly Studio Arts) long-standing tradition of hands-on learning. New technologies and traditional art practices influence each other in immeasurable ways. Neither exists in isolation nor in opposition, but the new and the old are intertwined, if not mutually dependent. At times these changes have astonished, beyond anything we might have imagined, but the Department has never failed to place the creative activities of the studio and work of artists at the forefront of its mission. While providing instruction to students, and encouraging them to pursue their artistic endeavors in the midst of a supportive learning community, remains the most important component of any serious art curriculum, faculty continue to be the “backbone” of most highly ranked programs. I am tremendously fortunate to find myself surrounded by a cohort of first-rate colleagues. Our students can take pride in knowing they have the opportunity to work with an aesthetically diverse, intellectually well-informed and acclaimed team of teaching artists.
I want to reiterate our commitment to studio practice, critical thinking and creative problem solving. We must also acknowledge the pivotal role of our faculty, support and technical staff. This fall marks the start of a new academic year in the Regis Center for Art—a truly magnificent physical complex for studio education, exhibition programming and creative research. However, our profile as a dynamic program didn’t begin, nor will it end, with this new facility. The challenge of expanding our profile through continued excellence, unparalleled achievement and national/international recognition will be a daunting task given the current economic realities and fiscal challenges facing the College of Liberal Arts and the University at-large. I am confident that with prudent planning, good ideas and a concerted effort on the part of faculty, students, staff, alumni, and the many friends of the Department, we can successfully meet these challenges.
As we move forward, we must continue to broaden our scope and embrace change, while simultaneously keeping in sight the things the department has historically done well. I feel a great responsibility to continue the efforts made thus far and to work cooperatively in-order to establish the University of Minnesota, Department of Art as a pre-eminent center for teaching, creative research and artistic practice.
Sincerely,
Clarence Morgan, Professor
Department of Art Chair
