CULTURE

The arts are an important and valued treasure at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. The fine arts degree program, the classroom experiences those students have and the artwork and sculptures found on campus demonstrate the College’s deep commitment to culture.

In 2016, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College better defined its classroom expertise in the arts and began offering a narrowed focus on the visual arts by electing to implement the Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) in Visual Arts. The AFA program was designed with the students in mind, allowing them the ability to easily transfer and complete a bachelors degree in fine arts. The College also renewed the commitment to the Associate in Applied Science degree in Advertising and Graphic Design by offering coursework on both North and South Campuses.

Each year, the College holds two student art exhibitions: Impulse in the spring and the Autumn Exhibition in the fall. The Impulse student art and design exhibition is open to all Rowan-Cabarrus students. The exhibition is sponsored by the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation, through a student impact grant, and is in partnership with ClearWater Artists Studios. The Autumn Exhibition is a juried exhibition of work by students in the AFA Visual Arts program at Rowan-Cabarrus.

Each year President Spalding is the first to view the Autumn Exhibition, at which time she selects the piece that she feels is the strongest in the show. Stephen Garza won the 2016 President’s Choice Award during the eleventh annual Autumn Exhibition.

“I continue to be amazed at the beautiful and creative work our art students create,” said President Spalding.

For the eighth year in a row, Rowan-Cabarrus was excited to continue their partnership with the City of Salisbury by hosting sculptures on campus in the city-wide Salisbury Sculpture Show. In 2016, The College was delighted to host two pieces, “Altar” and “Sunflower Whisper Bench.”

And it’s not just Rowan-Cabarrus students who find themselves honored to have their work on display. The College is fortunate to employ working artists and faculty were invited to participate in a special exhibit by the ClearWater Artist Studios & Gallery. The show featured works by twelve of the visual arts faculty within that department, both full-time and adjunct.

“We’re very excited to be giving the visual arts faculty a venue in which to collectively show their work. It is critical for visual arts students to view and understand the professional work of their instructors, and this gives them that opportunity,” said Jenn Selby, chair of the Department of Fine & Applied Arts.

Yet another feather in the Rowan-Cabarrus hat was the privilege to host the 1st annual North Carolina Community College Fine Arts Conference. This conference, conceived by Rowan-Cabarrus fine arts leadership is designed to bring fine arts faculty members together from across the state to share ideas and ensure the North Carolina Community College system has strong visual and performing arts programs.