It is not unusual for Goshen College to have mandatory uppperclass seminars for its major programs. While they all have their separate end goals for their specific areas of study, the art department has been focusing on students’ futures after graduation. Many of the focuses on the class itself are largely related to applying for internships, jobs, grad school and even art galleries. 

This fall, Sara Method, associate professor of art department chair, and Tiffany Wyse-Fisher, assistant professor of art, are co-teaching the art senior seminar class. Method observed other seminars in different programs and noticed integrating both junior and senior students was shown to be more successful for after graduation and wished to do a trial run this year. 

According to Method, the combination of the juniors and seniors made the class large enough to be co-taught by the art department alone.

When asked about the ideal end goal for the course itself, Method said, “By having a resume and portfolio already together and having already networked and talked to people … They are going to be better prepared for what is to come.” 

Hannah Clearwater, an art entrepreneurship major with a music minor and Davis, an art major, are two of the senior students enrolled in the class. Both hope to gain experience and feel more confident in their future goals. Clearwater mentioned that she was learning things about job searching that she “never even knew would matter.” 

Along with the beginning preparations the class  provides for the students in the art program, it also benefits the minor prep work for their senior art exhibit. Clearwater and Davis, along with many of their fellow seniors, have begun to brainstorm possible themes they would like to include in their exhibit.

When asked about their senior exhibit theme, Davis said, “I’m also thinking about how each piece can interact with the others, almost like panels in a comic, with some pieces reaching out or flowing into the next. This creates a rhythm and narrative that draws viewers in, encouraging them to reflect on their own experiences. I think it’s going to be a slow, exploratory process, but it’s exciting to see ideas start to take shape and hint at the story I want to tell.” 

While it will be a long process of hard work and focus, this year’s art seminar has been off to a strong start. With the support of Method, Wyse-Fisher and other artists of all types in the community, the hope is to see the students flourish with their futures.