Dawn Bonker
In case you haven’t already read about it in The Panther online or on the newly formed SAVE CHAPMAN ART Facebook page that has already attracted more than a thousand members: university administrators met with the art department and several deans of Chapman colleges on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of structural changes to the Art Department.
Of course, the moment that meeting ended, the rumors began to fly.
Students set up that Facebook page (you need to join the page to read the comments or to add a comment, so definitely join. Otherwise all you’ll see is the page administrator’s longish prelude…).
The Panther pounced on the story: http://thepantheronline.com/article.php?id=1789
And the hand-wringing and overreacting commenced.
From a lot of the comments, you would think it was a done deal; that Chapman had decided to throw art off the campus, lock, stock and barrel; let the bonfire of the vanities begin (where’s Savonarola when you need him?), and for God’s sake don’t let anyone take an art class any more.
Full disclosure here. I am an art person — I have my B.A. and M.A. in art history, took my fair share of studio art classes, and believe me, I am on board with the fact that the visual, performing and liberal arts are absolutely crucial to the university experience. If visual/studio art were really being eliminated from Chapman, I’d be with you in the protest march. (Well, maybe just in spirit, since I have to be the university spokesperson and I do like my job.) But the point here is that nothing has been decided yet. There are some very creative ideas that will keep visual art very much with us, and the ultimate decision may be better for everyone than everyone seems to think right now.
Facebook comments range from thoughtful to absolutely outraged, with some already planning what protests will be organized to SAVE CHAPMAN ART. Human chains through the campus! Public readings of letters of support!
In the interest of bringing things back to reality, though, we went to the top and talked with Chancellor Daniele Struppa.
Chancellor Struppa confirmed that the meeting was held at the request of the leadership of the College of Performing Arts to initiate discussions about the future of the Art Department — which currently exists within the College of Performing Arts — and its potential restructuring. Currently the Art Department offers degrees in studio art, art, art history and graphic design.
“Potentially — and this is only an idea at the moment – art and art history could go to Wilkinson College, and graphic design to Dodge College,” he said. “But this is only in the discussion stage right now; there are no set plans for anything.”
He added that while the studio art major could face elimination — “there are only 17 studio art majors out of the almost 4,000 undergraduates at Chapman right now,” he pointed out, which is a very low number even at a small university — that does not mean that Chapman would eliminate the teaching of painting, drawing, sculpture or photography. “There is a difference between the ‘major’ and the fact that we can still offer classes in these subjects,” he said. “The possible closure of the major would not eliminate opportunities for students to engage in these and a variety of other creative activities on campus.”
Dr. Struppa added that the studio art major has existed for many years, “and students have demonstrated by their choices that studio art is not a very high priority for them – unlike, for example, graphic design, which currently has nearly 100 majors. And at a university, one must listen to the students [as a company listens to its customers], and make decisions about where to make investments and where not to make them. Right now, by their enrollment, our students are telling us that the studio art major is very low on their list.”
Several innovative ideas are being floated, Dr. Struppa said, including a new major that might be called “visual creativity,” which could bring together an interdisciplinary engagement between the arts, the humanities and the sciences. “We think that some of these ideas will not only respect and encourage creativity, but also attract a larger body of students.”
Dr. Struppa wasn’t too surprised at the over-the-top reactions to a meeting that was only meant to kick off discussion and ideas. “For some reason we seem to live in a society where every change, or proposal for change, is always met with great resistance,” he said. “I think this is because people ‘know’ what they might be losing, but they struggle to imagine what could be gained. This often breeds hearsay, distress and wild rumors, which in most cases are unwarranted.”
The chancellor emphasized that he is always happy to meet with students or faculty to discuss their concerns, and he is very willing to talk about this issue. But he said, again, that no decisions have been made, and that administrators are merely in a conversation about the subject. That’s all. So everyone take a deep breath now.
