Creating public art is invaluable for students, Sipp said. They create designs and develop cost estimates, build small-scale models and make presentations to groups looking to commission public art. While all of those things could be done on a mock basis in the classroom, real-life projects provide a better learning experience, he said.

Sipp credits Burch for raising the idea of creating a Master Craftsman program at Kennesaw State and leading it to a point where its students' creations are in high demand.

The art that Master Craftsman students created within Kennesaw has attracted notice. Other commissions have included a fallen officer memorial for the Acworth Police Department, and sculptural signage at Aviation Park in the Town Center Community Improvement District. A newly dedicated sculpture at the William Root House Museum in Marietta memorializes enslaved people in Cobb County whose names have been lost over time.

Senior art major Emmy Keenan’s designs were chosen for both the Acworth Police memorial and the Root House memorial sculpture, which she fabricated with fellow students Preston Holladay and Michael Windley.

“I never would have thought that as a 22-year-old woman I would be able to say that I would have three large-scale sculptures that I have helped put out into the world and that two of them are a result of my original designs,” Keenan said. “That’s not something a lot of artists can say.”

Burch said he is grateful for the mutually beneficial relationship between his program and the City of Kennesaw in support of public art and the students who create it.

Kennesaw Mayor Derek Easterling said, “As I walk around the city, I am reminded of how important relationships and collaborative efforts are in achieving what we have accomplished. One such relationship is our ongoing partnership with Kennesaw State University and their Master Craftsman program, which has helped us realize both top-tiered and unique art. Walking path benches, drain-hole covers, a full-scale sun dial in our Gateway Park are but a few of the many art pieces we have benefited from through this program. I am looking forward to the next big collaborative project.”