How Tarleton helped bring the arts back

BY ASHTYN HANSARD / Multimedia Journalist

Tarleton State University recently celebrated 125 years of school being in session. Over these years, Tarleton has grown exponentially, providing more opportunities and programs for incoming students to explore.

One of these programs is Tarleton’s Liberal and Fine Arts. Although the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center was only built in 1980, Tarleton has quickly progressed in expanding the program.
Chris Ireland, the department head of Visual Arts & Design and a professor at Tarleton, said he was very prideful in the program and the students. 

“When I started here in 2009, we had about 15 or 20 majors,” said Ireland. “We’ve since expanded to digital media, video game design, animation and we have almost 200 majors now. It’s been really rewarding to see the program grow.”

Ireland has also helped make several improvements in his time here. New ceramics labs, drawing and design labs and motion capture studios have been important projects that have been added to the visual arts department. However, the department still has some improving to do.

“Our biggest issue is since we grew so fast, we kind of ran out of space in the Fine Arts Center,” said Ireland. He explains that more space for students, especially digital media studies majors that require lots of lab space, is their biggest challenge that they’re currently dealing with.

Ryan Jones, a sophomore at Tarleton and a music business major, agrees that the Liberal and Fine Arts program still has some areas to improve on.

“The thing with the music industry right now, especially with music business, is the technology,” said Jones. “That’s exactly what Tarleton needs for us music business majors in order for us to improve even more.”

Elli Phillips, a graphic design major at Tarleton, had her own opinions on how to improve the visual arts program. 

“One improvement I wish to see implemented is an emphasis on the business side of art,” Phillips says. “I also believe all art majors need to have a baseline set of skills, regardless of their concentration, that deal with composition, drawing/thumbnailing and concept design.”

When discussing how their major and the material they have access to has improved their personal lives, Jones and Phillips had plenty to share.

“There’s a kind of fog of war music in the music business where you really don’t know what’s ahead of you,” said Jones. “It’s very self-driven and it [the music program] kind of helps you to get on your own path because that’s what is scary about music. There’s no one true path to follow. It helps you build your own path.”

For Phillips, the effect it had on her was more design focused.

“The most important thing for me that my major has influenced is a renewed love of drawing and creating,” said Phillips. 

She goes on to explain that now, she’s able to see the different principles of design when looking at websites or flyers. She’s also able to organize her notes more and make her own work more accessible for herself.

Tarleton’s Liberal and Fine Arts program has helped shape many students’ lives at Tarleton, and it’s just getting started. We hope to keep seeing the program grow and inspire more and more students every day.