Page 12 The Compass, Nov. 2004
Photos by Toby Tate
Below, Professor Bill Richardson talks
with Interim Dean Dr. Keane-Dawes.
Below, graphic art by Mario Bradley.
Above, Bill Smith stands behind his work
Graphic art at right byTracy Hill.
Ar left is artist Fae Deaton with
Interim Dean Dr. Keane-Dawes
and above is art by Fae Deaton
f
w
At left, patrons discuss the exhibition.
Above, graphic art by Novella.
Sheriff Randy Smithson, above, stands by his son,
Tilton, one of the featured artists.
ECSU showcases talent, new B.S. degree
By Toby Tate
Editor-in-Chief
As I look around the
room in the Fine Arts Complex,
I feel like I’m on a tour of the
Chrysler Museum in Norfolk;
the pieces are that good. Rusted
bits of scrap metal welded and
bolted together to form abstract
works that any sculptor would be
proud of. On the walls are
graphics featuring posters for
plays at ECSU, advertisements
and experimental designs made
by graphic arts students. One of
the students, Fae Deaton, and I
are the first people there, and she
begins to show me around.
“There are no deep
meanings to the pieces,” she
said. “It’s just the way they fit
together that makes it artistic; the
empty spaces as well as the solid
materials. We used an acetylene
torch, no arc welding.”
The big news for the
ECSU art department and the
reason for this exhibit is the
announcement of the new B.S.
.degree in Graphic Design. Bill
Richardson, who teaches graphic
design at ECSU, explained the
new program. “We just got
approved in September for a full
four-year degree from the arts
department. The curriculum
doesn’t cover strictly art, but also
business aspects such as
understanding the market.”
Some of the other
students begin to come in, and I
talk to them about their designs.
One of them was Bill Smith who
explains the piece that looks
something like an old, broken
cross. “I took some pieces from
an old trailer frame and left in the
flaws to give it more character.”
I ask about his plans for the
future. “I want to go to grad
school in Greensboro or North
Carolina State,” he said.
I find a patron, Marcos
Fabio, also a student, and get his
reaction to the exhibit. “The
piece that looks like fire is my
favorite,” he said. “It’s great to
see how talented our students
are, and that they are able to
display their talent in such a way.
ECSU has a lot of potential; the
students here are very special.”
“What I’m teaching is
industry standard software,” said
Richardson. “Adobe Photoshop,
Illustrator,
Dreamweaver...we’re trying to
be centered in design more so
than computer science.”
Richardson believes
Elizabeth City will expand to
accommodate his students.
“Elizabeth City is the next big
boom town as far as growth” he
said. “There are lots of
opportunities for graphic
designers.”