USC Aiken Continuing Ed Offers New Art Classes

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AIKEN, SC (01/07/2019) Registration is now open for the University of South Carolina Aiken Office of Continuing Education's Open Painting Studio and Figure Drawing Classes. All levels of experience are encouraged to participate.

For more information, go to: https://www.usca.edu/epcec/continuing-education/art-class.dot

Led by Joseph Kameen, a professor in the USC Aiken art department, the open painting studio allows painters -- and those interested in painting -- to work in a spacious, communal environment. Attendees can work with any medium and subject matter and will receive constructive commentary and criticism to help them achieve their goals.

Every Monday morning, Kameen will guide discussions, critiques, and lectures. On Wednesdays, students will work on their projects independently. Classes begin Jan. 14 and meet Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 - 11:30 a.m., in the Etherredge Center, room 140. The $75 course ends in May. Students must provide their own supplies.

Community members who have audited USC Aiken's advanced painting course in the past and wish to continue to do so are encouraged to sign up for the open painting studio.

"Traditionally, a large number of community members have audited our advanced painting classes, and they have grown into a very passionate and committed group over the years," said Kameen.

"However, because of the way that the advanced class was arranged to meet simultaneously with four other [university art] classes, this group inevitably received less attention than they deserved. In addition, their growing numbers put limitations on the number of traditional students in our painting classes, limiting the growth of our program."

The solution was the creation of a separate course - the open painting studio, offered through the Office of Continuing Education.

"This will not only allow us to increase the number of traditional students in academic painting classes but will also provide a dedicated space for non-degree-seeking community members where they will receive lectures, demonstrations, critiques, and discussions more directly aimed at their skill levels and interests, " Kameen said.

"I for one am very excited about the opportunity to work more directly with our community members, and I think that our regular attendees are excited about the change as well."

Another course offered in the spring semester is the figure drawing course. Students will explore various approaches to representing the nude figure, focusing on direct observation of live models. Lectures will cover topics such as achieving accurate proportions and depicting form, as well as discussions of technique, materials, and anatomy. Students will also receive personal feedback on their work and progress. The course is $120, and students must provide their own supplies.

Figure drawing classes begin Jan. 16, and will meet on Wednesdays, 9 - 11:30 a.m., in the Etherredge Center, room 141.

Both classes are offered through the Office of Continuing Education, which is enhancing its course selections in the spring.

"Our department is branching out into different areas ranging from business to humanities classes to give the community more options for expanding their repertoire of skills," said Chamarra Wooten who works in the USC Aiken Office of External Programs, Continuing Education, and Conferences.

"We are here to be a resource for the CSRA, and we encourage more people to get involved and see what our programs has to offer them."

For more information on these and other courses offered through continuing education, go to: https://www.usca.edu/epcec/continuing-education/art-class.dot