OCCC Art Department's work of art. Photo by Michael Farrell

Students can benefit from the new pracademic professors (a pracademic advisor is someone who is both an academic and a practitioner in their respective field).

The Art Department at OCCC has been providing an artistic outlet for anyone that may be interested. This new school year has provided another opportunity for students to progress their knowledge in the arts with what is provided. Whether your interest is in painting, mosaics, performing or an event. At the very start of the year the Art Department has some ideas they are working with.

Students can benefit from the new pracademic professors (a pracademic advisor is someone who is both an academic and a practitioner in their respective field). One of the courses is Mosaics which has not been offered since 2017. There is also Digital Media Design in which a callout for a professor has been made. So maybe soon that course may also come back. Journalism and Broadcasting has also received a new professor. Williams, E  will be in charge of this class.

Due to the recent pandemic some classes were unable to continue or made into an online course. Now that the pandemic has let up the campus is much more open. Some of the classes such as the Mosaics class may return. Returning to in-class courses and bringing more life back to campus is a goal the department hopes to accomplish. Jeremy Fineman the Director of the Arts at OCCC has some ideas about the new season. “We are trying to offer as many different options and manners in which we teach. Whether it be online, hybrid, or on-campus. That’s what we are really concentrating on. And getting students back on campus.” Bringing some life back to campus is a big goal for the new school year but there will still be online and hybrid courses for anyone that may be interested in those. There are classes that students can participate in person such as Painting, Graphic Design, and Photography. Some underappreciated classes that students can take in person are Art Therapy, Art Criticism, Curatorship and Printmaking.


OCCC Art Department’s work of art.
Photo by Michael Farrell

There is also a more modern aspect to art that should not be overlooked. That is how technology has become integrated into art. OCCC’s website says, “Emerging areas like computer technologies are changing the contemporary visual arts and design process. With these changes in mind, Oklahoma City Community College’s Visual Arts Program has integrated computing into its curriculum to better educate and prepare artists and designers to meet the future challenges and demands of both the art and design professions.”

There is also the Visual Performing Arts Theater that students may take part in if they want to. If there are any students that are interested in the technical side of a theater production.

Students have the option to be able to work at Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC) while going to school. Students will be able to make some money while learning about a profession they may want to make a career out of. Working at a school can also give the connections and experiences necessary for any career to take off. John Farrell the Stage Manager at OCCC’s VPAC would like students to know about these opportunities he says, “We have employed students through the student labor program, to assist in providing basic theatrical labor needs. A couple of students were eventually hired as part time employees. As a student laborer they were able to learn enough about our operations to work as stagehands on a professional level. A few times we used international students to act as translators for international touring productions.”