Morgan Cole of Greenville Travels to New York on Clemson University Art Department Trip

2013 Mar 12

Morgan Cole of Greenville was one of seventeen Clemson University art students who visited New York City recently and toured art museums and galleries around the city as part of the senior seminar class.

Cole is a Senior.

Clemson's senior Art 473 class viewed art encompassing media and time periods from artists who are known all over the world. Traveling to New York City is part of the undergraduate curriculum and prepares the students for entry into the professional art world. The class is taught by art department faculty member Joey Manson.

The New York City trip reflects Clemson's goal to create experiential learning opportunities for students. The student undergraduate curriculum is further enhanced by informal professional activities with faculty; field trips to art centers in Charlotte, Columbia, Atlanta and Washington, D.C.; interaction with visiting artists; and opportunities to participate in local and regional exhibitions.

"This is a unique opportunity for our students to further understand the field that they'd like to pursue," said Manson. "The best thing I can do as a teacher to expand their view of art is to take the students to the art that they've previously only experienced in photographs." The students kept sketchbooks that count toward their final grades. Some students received a behind-the-scenes private tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Manson spent many years working in New York City for several museums, galleries and artists before teaching at Clemson University. Some of his employers include Dennis Oppenheim, an internationally recognized American conceptual artist in performance art, Earth art, sculpture and photography; and top Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, who is known for his technology-driven clothing designs, exhibitions and fragrances.

Manson also spent time overseeing a collection of one of the board members of the Guggenheim Museum and the Dia Center. His understanding of the New York art world made him an ideal guide to help students understand this world and navigate around the city.

For more on the art students' experience in New York City, visit www.clemson.edu/caah/art/travel. This web resource provides the trip schedule, as well as links to YouTube videos, a Facebook fan page, a Twitter feed, student blog posts and a Flickr photo slideshow.

Clemson University art department curriculum

Art students begin to concentrate studio coursework during their junior years into specific areas of the visual arts in preparation for their senior studios. The senior studios are the most significant coursework in the undergraduate curriculum. They reflect a time in which concepts and skills are focused and developed to produce a cohesive body of artwork and portfolios for graduate study or professional applications. The experiences present career options and practical information for graduating seniors' portfolio development.