By Cassidy Pate | Reporter
For art students, time management means working on several projects at once while balancing a social life, managing other courses outside of the art department and finding their niche in the collegiate world.
With the rigor of fine arts come deadlines, multiple classes and juggling extracurricular activities. All things considered, did Picasso have a deadline?
Keller native Abbie Tanner graduated from Baylor in Spring 2016 as a studio art major with a focus in graphic design. In addition to her art studies, Tanner was a member of the Tri Delta sorority and a student in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) program, a component of Baylor’s Honors College, since freshman year.
“I just used my time as wisely as I could,” Tanner said. “When I was working on an art project, I tried to focus on only that and not worry about my next meeting or my next assignment.”
Although Baylor offers seven degree plans for studio art majors, the courses will overlap no matter the degree plan.
For example, if a studio art major has a concentration in photography, classes such as Ceramic Design IIA and Acrylic Painting could fall into the same semester as Photography II: Introduction to Digital Photography and the Digital Lab.
“You don’t have to be good at every single thing in art,” Tanner said. “It made me appreciate other people’s talent and kind of my own.”
Students who are not a part of the art department can relate to the issue of time management in their own personal ways, but for art students, their work involves hands-on projects in addition to book studies. Art students spend countless hours in the studio preparing several different pieces at a time.
“Just for all of [the hours] combined in an average semester…probably 30 [hours] outside of class…per week,” Tanner said.
The majority of students on campus do not visit the art building. However, for those who find comfort in the arts, it serves as a resting place.
“A lot of students choose their majors for the sole purpose of earning a certain salary or getting a specific job,” Sammie Miller of The Miami Student said. “To be an art major, dedication and time commitment are essential, but also a love for art itself.”
Since graduating with a portfolio filled with projects, Tanner is thankful for the journey that Baylor took her on. She was trained to deal with quick changes and learned how to manage time efficiently.
Dallas junior Courtney Bishop, a studio art major at Baylor, said the word “growth,” comes to mind when she considers her experience at Baylor thus far. Although growth requires some late nights and a few missed dinners, Bishop said the outcome is significant.
“I’ve had a lot of professors who push me and challenge me to grow as an artist,” Bishop said.
