We Love Community
SoAD is invested in our local community. Strong partnerships between SoAD, local businesses, galleries, neighboring towns and other colleges within ECU allow us to create more opportunities for students and a better community for all. Learn more about our community involvement by exploring below.
In the School of Art and Design community engagement means more than providing a service to citizens of our city and county. Engagement means working together for to meet goals determined by the community, where the community and School benefit from the process of working together. Our goal with engagement is to share our knowledge and empower communities to create sustainable change that meets the needs of our partners.
Community Engagement
Take a look at our examples of community engagement and connect with us if you would like to explore how we could partner to meet your goals.
The partnership between the town of Farmville, College of Fine Arts and Communication, and School of Art and Design began with the Farmville Group’s concept of utilizing the arts for economic and cultural development. The result is a beautiful glass blowing facility in the heart of downtown Farmville. The GlasStation is an educational facility where ECU faculty member Mike Tracy teaches classes to ECU students. In addition, Mike offers public demos during the academic year, and community members can take classes.
Ceramics professor Jim Tisnado and ceramics graduate students are working with the folks at smART Kinston to develop a production-focused ceramics studio in downtown Kinston. As part of the project, Jim and his team will be helping smART Kinston build a wood-fire kiln.
Service learning
Service learning is another way for us to engage with our communities that involves students working for or with community members to address an immediate need. Explore some of our recent service learning projects, and connect with us if you’d like to propose a project or partnership. <link>
Art Education professor Alice Arnold works with the Lucille Gorham Intergenerational Center to combine art making and reading for students attending after school care. ECU students enrolled in an art education course prepare and deliver lessons to the young learners, with the goal providing art instruction and improving literacy.
Graphic Design professor Craig Malmrose worked with beer brewers at Rocky Mount Mills in Rocky Mount, NC, to create beer labels and packaging. Malmrose, who has taught beer label design for years, seized an opportunity to work with emerging craft brewers to provide his junior-level graphic design students with opportunities to work with clients. The results were exciting designs that met the detailed and specific requirements for beer labeling.
Art Around Town
We engage with Greenville and Pitt County through our vibrant arts scene. The Pitt County Arts Council maintains an excellent directory of local arts organizations.
Pitt County Arts Council Directory
In addition, explore art on campus and beyond here.