The Undergraduate Artist

In one of my first journalistic projects and developing some familiarity with DSLR cameras, I documented the daily academic life of a close friend of mine who was pursuing courses in studio art. The prompt for the project was to “think global; shoot local”; to find and tell the story of a local individual or group that captured an untold lifestyle that can be found around the globe. With this in mind, I set out to capture the life and the thoughts of an aspiring artist working on their craft through higher education. Traditionally artistry (studio art, painting, etc.) is increasingly becoming a creative field that is accessible to anyone and everyone outside of formal education. That said, what are the merits of pursuing these skills within higher education? Or more accurately, what is this pursuit actually like for academic artists?

In retrospect, I can’t help but think there’s a bit of irony to this project as photography itself becomes more and more accessible outside of formal education.