Why I Loved Art School | Whitney Beth Photography | SLC Family Photographer
Why I Loved Art School | Whitney Beth Photography | SLC Family Photographer
I graduated from UVU in the spring of 2015 - which is crazy to think that it has been FIVE years since my last class. With this years' grads about to be fresh off that finals high and high school seniors wrap up their classes online, I thought it was perfect timing to talk about why I loved art school. But before I dive into my favorite parts of school, you need a little backstory. When Danny and I were dating I was attending BYU-I and I was off track (They have three blocks of classes a year instead of semesters and you only attend school for two blocks at a time.) I was supposed to go back to Idaho at the start of January.
Then we started getting serious and I tried to transfer to BYU or UVU. BYU-I didn't transfer my transcripts to UVU until Christmas Day -_- so I missed registration. Then we got married and I missed registration again! At this point in my life I didn't want to go back to school. In my (naive, and dumb) 19 year old mind I had convinced myself that it was, "Just art school," and that I "didn't need it." Danny really wanted me to get my degree, I really wanted a dog. A deal was made - get my bachelors degree and we can get a dog. I registered for classes the next term. (Spoiler alert - only 9 credits transferred over from BYU-I, but because of this deal, I was so motivated that I got my 4 year degree in three years and brought Indy home about a week after graduation.)
Fast forward to the fun part of school - I'm done with generals and get to take all the art classes I want for my degree. My degree is a bit of a mouthful - I got my Bachelors of Science in Art and Visual Communications with an Emphasis in Photography and a Minor in Art History. I decided not to get my BFA for two reasons; I had enough credits to graduate faster if I got my BS and I wanted to take as many different forms of art as I could. (I still think it's hilarious that I literally got by BS in art.)
So why did I love it so much? I loved how I was exposed to all forms of art. Before UVU got their sweet, new art building, we were all crammed into one tiny, windowless building. I'd be taking an art history class and leaning about the Dada and next door would be the drama class practicing death scenes while ballerinas stretched in the hall (true story.) I loved walking past doorways and peaking in and getting glimpses of what sculptures were being made or what paintings were drying. It was all very inspiring - and my work reflected it. Having all that creativity is contagious and addicting. Taking classes among fellow artists of different mediums will forever be my favorite. We all see things in a beautifully different way. In one particular painting class, we had to produce a self portrait in black and white. It could be in whatever medium we wanted as long as it had dark shadows and light highlights. Being a photographer, I brought in a self portrait I had taken. A few classmates also branched away from paint and canvas and displayed their own self portraits in their own mediums. Seeing all of ourselves represented on the wall with the same guidelines but different art will always be a favorite of mine.
Aside from the continuous inspiration that flowed throughout the hallways, there was the technical side that I will forever be grateful of my professors for. Teaching me how to really use my tools to create and knowing the ins and outs of my camera is priceless. It was during my college years that my photography truly blossomed. There are other ways to go about learning this, like youtube, mentors, or anywhere else on the internet, but having that personal connection with my classmates and professors is what really launched me into my form and style that I have today.
Now that it's been a few years and I've had time to run this business without aiding professors and input from classmates, I have to say I miss it. I don't miss the finals or homework or pages upon pages of essays I had to write for all of my art history classes (I literally took every art history class UVU had to offer.) What I miss is the community that my fellow artists and I formed. I miss bouncing off ideas and seeing things in different ways. I miss the challenge of coming up with and executing a project that I wouldn't normally try. So, to all you college bound seniors, in whatever field you are going into, savor it. It's such an exciting time in your life where you will meet wonderful people, let them inspire you. Be someone who can inspire others.
