Posted October 22, 2009
Visual arts professors use QEP grant to encourage awareness and action
By Jarmea L. Boone
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Artwork for "Diabetes: Solution for a Sweeter Life" |
Associate Professor of Visual Arts Valerie Dibble and Associate Professor Jeanne Sperry received a KSU Global Learning grant for a collaborative, service-learning project that concentrates on the health issue of diabetes in Hispanic communities and water shortage in third-world countries.
For the project, their visual arts students were presented these public concerns and were instructed to create visual solutions. The juried research-based project resulted in various posters that were centered on the topics “Diabetes: Solution for a Sweeter Life” and “Sustainable Water: Thirsting for a Solution.”
Dibble and Sperry placed the large format posters in an exhibition and are presenting the exhibition at different venues. According to Sperry, the next exhibition venue is the KSU School of Nursing. After its run, the exhibition will be featured at the College Arts Association in Chicago in February 2010.
“Because the exhibition was juried, not everyone who created a poster was chosen,” says Dibble. “This opportunity is great for our students because it serves as public exhibition exposure and students can put the experience on their resumes.”
While the exhibition is in Chicago, Sperry hopes to make connections there to arrange more presentations of the display.
Dibble and Sperry have done many other collaborative projects together, including support for the Humane Society and for foster care.