By David Rosen, President, O’More College of Design
At about age ten, my son started spending long hours at his desk trying to master painting. I worked in art and design schools, so I looked for summer art programs for him, like the kind I had at my local museum school when I was growing up. But I found it impossible to place him in a summer class that would give him what he needed. I tried the local museums, like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and local art and design colleges, like mine. I found that youth programs rarely take the young artist seriously or believe they can master what adults do. For young, aspiring artists and their parents, that is frustrating.
Last summer when I came to my first Franklin Art Scene, I encountered the works of Summer Studio, O’More College of Design’s program for youthful creatives. And I found what I had been looking for. The creations from Summer Studio students, who come from first grade all the way through twelfth grade, looked like the products of much older, well-trained artists and designers. They were serious work.
I tracked down Sorrel Dugan, a Williamson County art teacher who has headed Summer Studio for years, painstakingly building its quality. I asked her how such work was possible in a studio that meets only three hours a day for one week. She said that when you take young creatives seriously and provide them serious instruction, real art and design is possible. Her goal is to support the growth of artists and designers, and she knows only one way to do that: that never dumb down but always push higher the work of pupils. O’More Summer Studio students learn the techniques used by artists and designers from seasoned artists and designers who share her vision. Her standards for what she wants from the courses and the instructors are incredibly high. And the teachers and pupils do not disappoint.
Some people will think that the work of a grade school or middle school or even high school student will be good for a kid. But this work is good because it is done by serious young artists and designers. Period.
Classes range from drawing, painting, and photography to interior design to fashion design, illustration and construction. The array of high-quality finished pieces that come out of those classes and the level of student achievement will surprise and impress. I promise.
These works by young artists and designers are on display at the Robert N. Moore Jr. Gallery at O’More College of Design on Friday, August 5, during the Franklin Art Scene, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m, located at 423 South Margin Street, Franklin.
[scroller style=”sc1″ title=”More O’More College of Design ” title_size=”17″ display=”tags” tags=”o’more-college-of-design” number_of_posts=”8″ speed=”5000″]
