Featured Alumna:Joy Gauden Bertling ’07Dianne Bagnal, Coordinator of Art Education

While it may seem that you w i l l n e v e r f i n i s h y o u r degree as you are progressing t h ro u g h i t , there truly is light at the end of the tunnel for those who p e r s e v e r e .

Congratulations to Joy Gaulden Bertling ’05, MEd ’07 upon the receipt of her Doctor of Philosophy in Art Education degree from the University of Georgia in December 2012. Joy completed her BA in Art Education at Converse College in 2005, and immediately enrolled as the first student in our Master of Education in Art Education program, which she completed in 2007. Then it was off to Georgia for the Doctorate! Along the way she has managed to teach art in Union County for two years and then in Spartanburg County for the past five years. We commend her additional studies in Video Production in the Arts and in Visual Art and Technology as well, which will be of great value on her career path. Active in the National Art Education Association, she has presented several times at their national conventions in New York and Seattle and has an impressive list of publications to her credit.

Yes, we are proud of Joy! This type of success is our goal for every one of our students. We hope you are all inspired to set your own goals, make a plan to achieve them, and then give it your best shot! Alumnae—please keep in touch with us; we love to receive updates from you at ArtDesign@converse.edu.

From the Chair. . .

Wow! This has been a banner year for the Art Department. Two art faculty members were recognized at the state level as top art educators. This fall Dianne Bagnal received the 2012 SC Department of Education’s Art Educator of the Year Award and this spring Mac Boggs received the SC Arts Commission’s 2013 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for Art Education. In addition, Andrew Blanchard received the Converse College Scholarly and Creative Achievement Award at the 2012 May graduation. This only emphasizes what most of us already know—that Converse College has some of the best art teachers in the state! In addition to our faculty, our students and alumnae have reaped successes as well. We have more alumnae in graduate schools than ever before and Ayako Abe-Miller’s sculpture was selected in a national competition for the new USC Medical School in Greenville. As we prepare for our NASAD site visit next fall, our faculty and student accomplishments will only quantify the strengths of all our programs and the dedication of our faculty to educating young women in the arts. We look forward to continued success in 2013–2014.

Have a wonderful spring,Teresa Prater

Spring 2013

Congratulations to Our Award Winning Faculty RetireesDianne Bagnal received the 2013 Art Educator of the Year Award from the South Carolina Art Education Association. The award will be presented in March, 2013 at the National Convention for the National Art Education Association in Fort Worth, Texas. Dianne will be retiring from Converse at the end of this academic year and she leaves us on a high note and with our heartfelt good wishes. Details of Dianne’s award are at converse.edu/diannebagnal.

Mayo Mac Boggs received top honors from the South Carolina Arts Commission winning the 2013 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Award for Arts in Education. He will receive his award at the South Carolina State House in Columbia on May 2. Mac has taught and inspired hundreds of students over a career of more than 40 years at Converse. Recently

he announced plans to retire at the end of this academic year. Read the full story of Mac’s award at converse.edu under News and Events. Congratulations Mac!

Teresa Prater with Carole Russell-Griffin ’05 of Gibbs Cancer Center.

Ruth Beals: Chair of the South Region of IDEC; coordinated IDEC Regional Conference in Richmond, VA, in fall of 2012 and presented with Robyn Allwright, “Holistic Architectural Criticism: Examining Hadid’s Vertical Linkage;” Ruth participated in a 3-day student workshop “Fundamentals of Lighting,” Hubbell Lighting, Greenville, SC, February 27–March 1, 2013 and presented seven of the 22 topics covered.

Teresa Prater: Presentation of “Special Topics: One on One,” SECAC Conference, Durham NC, October 2012; One-person exhibition of charcoal drawings at Sandor Tezler Library Gallery, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC, through December 2012; Second Annual Cancer Survivorship Exhibition, Gibbs Cancer Center, Spartanburg, SC; Upload—Art of the Digital Camera, Upstairs Gallery, through March 2, 2013. Some Like it Hot: Encaustic Art in the Upstate group exhibition, Metropolitan Arts Council Gallery, Greenville, SC, February 22–April 12, 2013; First Annual Collegiate Invitational Art Exhibition, Spartanburg County Main Library, January 30–March 8, 2013.

Andrew Blanchard: Solo exhibition: Southern Good Shit, Flood Gallery, Asheville, NC, August 24–28, 2012; Invited to the Oh, What a Night Gala and Exhibition, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LA.; Screen print “Dixie Totem IV” in Clemson National Print and Drawing Exhibition, Lee Gallery, Clemson University, Clemson, SC; First Annual Collegiate Invitational Art Exhibition, Spartanburg County Main Library, January 30–March 8, 2013; Andrew is represented by M Contemporary Gallery in New Orleans, LA.

Geri Hurlbut and David Zacharias: West Main Artists Co-op Artist Invitational, at the Co-op, August 16–September 15, 2012.

Susanne Gunter presented “Teaching with Flair,” SC Art Education Association State Conference, Myrtle Beach, SC, along with two of her MAT students.

Jane Hughes presented her research, “Green House Homes: A Look at Noise Levels and Elders’ Quality of Life,” at the Interior Design Educators Council National Annual Conference, Indianapolis, IN, February 2013.

David Zacharias: Older than Dirt, Upstairs ArtSpace Gallery, Tryon, NC, March 8–April 20, 2013

Student/Alumnae AchievementsKrista Williams ’10: Project, “The Integrations of Children’s Psychosocial Care into Disaster Response Through the Recreation of a Sense of Place” was a finalist in the Nurture By Steelcase competition, sponsored by Healthcare Magazine.

Expressive Arts Therapist Kat McIver was invited to show her work in a solo exhibition entitled “Gates of Mercy” at the Milliken Art Gallery in October, 2012. This exciting show was enhanced by a half-day workshop entitled “Clay as a Spiritual Practice.” McIver shared that she discovered the healing properties of clay during a transitional period in her own life, after which she decided to take a year off from her own professional practice to develop this modality. That year stretched into several years and culminated in a rewarding body of work that resonated with the many visitors and participants who attended.

Art Therapy Shines in Spartanburg by Carole Russell-Griffin ’05

I am a 2005 Converse II graduate in Art Therapy. I have been working as an Art Specialist at the Gibbs Cancer Center at Spartanburg Regional Hospital since graduating, where I work with patients, family members, and caregivers using art therapy interventions during our sessions. Every Wednesday there is a group of women, mostly cancer survivors but also caregivers, who knit and crochet chemo caps and lap blankets which we give to patients in need during infusion. We distribute 500 to 1,000 hats each year.

In 2011, I held the first “Cancer Survivorship Art Exhibit” as a test run. In November 2012, I hosted the second annual event. Cancer survivors, family members involved with cancer patients, and caregivers were invited to participate. There were over 35 artists contributing approximately 65 pieces of artwork in all media. The exhibit was on display at the Gibbs Cancer Center Atrium, and a reception was held for the artists and guests and physicians. Over 500 people viewed the exhibition during the week it was on display! They were excited and impressed to see the beautiful

artwork, which was created to show patients and caregivers how others use art as a tool for coping with cancer. It is always about the process of making the artwork, not about the end result, but as we have come to see, many of the products wind up being absolutely beautiful pieces of art.

Many people do not know that we offer this service at the Gibbs Cancer Center. Though I presently work part-time, I also work with children to help them deal with a loved one that may have cancer and also in the grief process afterwards if that is the outcome. We are very fortunate for such a small town to offer this amazing program, as well as other alternative programs that deal with mind, body and healing.

Art Therapists and students working together: Foreground: Registered Art Therapists Mary Howe (Columbia, SC) and Lynn McKnight (Greenville, SC); Background: Students Allison Horne, Katherine Pugh, Anna Cathryn Olle, Ana Zusmer, and Adriana Prieto.

Faculty Achievements

Susan Smith, Registerd Art Therapist (Clinton, SC), and Kat McIver share thoughts about the exhibition.

The workshop explored the theoretical aspects of Art Therapy, Expressive Arts, and Spiritual Guidance from a creative and transpersonal perspective. Participants were encouraged to explore their own inner experiences and express them through the use of clay and reflective writing.

We were pleased to be able to open this opportunity up to members of the community including artists, therapists, and Art Therapists from Columbia, Spartanburg, Greenville and the surrounding areas. Students responded positively to the experience, and stated that it really helped them understand their field of study more deeply.

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Art Therapy NewsGeri Hurlbut, Coordinator of Art Therapy

“Ancient Consecration”

Interior Design Students Attend IIDA Forumby Jane Hughes, Assistant Professor of Interior Design

Elena Hernandez-Rubio and Rosetta Nesbitt: accepted into the Monotype Guild of New England’s Third Annual Monotype/Monoprint Juried Exhibition, Barrington Center for the Arts at Gordon College, Wenham, MA.

Jasmine Sanders and Hailey Hodge: accepted into Artfields 2013, Lake City, SC, for a chance at three monetary prizes that total $100,000.

Stephanie Halpin, Elly Beth Hanson, Rosetta Nesbitt, Jasmine Sanders, Sam Smith, along with alumnae Tracie Easler ’12 and Megan Heuse ’09: First Annual Collegiate Invitational Art Exhibition, Spartanburg County Main Library, January 30–March 8, 2013. The exhibit was curated by Miranda Sawyer ’11, the graphic designer at the Spartanburg County Library, and features work from local colleges.

Amanda Shirley ’04: Detached and Displaced, Greenville Technical College Greer Campus, August 13–September 28, 2012

Johanna Whitmer ’08 is now with SGA Architecture in Pawleys Island, SC.

Valli Landrum ’12, Lori Seymour ’08, Rosetta Nesbitt and Sam P. Smith: West Main Artists Co-op Artist Invitational, at the Co-op, August 16–September 15, 2012.

Raelyn Cuda-Chambliss and Lynne Pryor presented their MAT research project “A Brief Study of the Impact of the DBAE Model of Curriculum Standards and Frameworks in SC,” SC Art Education Association State Conference, Myrtle Beach, SC.

Robin Mason ’13: Finalist, 2012–2013 Bienenstock Interior Design Competition. One of nine finalists out of 92 entries.

Katy Brock ’13: Print recently accepted into Reigning Cats and Dogs National Juried Exhibition, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA.

Christa Roberts ’14: First Edition Juried National Exhibition, River-works Gallery, Greenville, SC.

Jasmine Sanders ’13: Twenty-sixth Annual McNeese National Works on Paper Exhibition, Abercrombie Gallery, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Lousianna. Her work was purchased by McNeese.

Hailey Hodge ’13: Fifth Annual National Undergraduate Student Print Exchange and Exhibition, Central Michigan University’s Park Library Gallery, Mount Pleasant, MI. One print will be collected as part of the Park Library’s permanent collection.

Graduate Art Education Students designed and painted a mural for the Miracle Hill Mission in Spartanburg.

Don’t let her delicate features and soft voice fool you, stainless steel is no match for Ayako Abe-Miller’s torch. Throughout her undergraduate years at Converse she worked diligently under the expert guidance of Mac Boggs, eventually honing her skills in creating welded stainless steel sculptures. Her work is beautiful to look at, softly curving shapes, perfectly balanced, somewhat poetic in her exhibitions. The directors of the new USC School of Medicine would agree. They chose Abe-Miller’s 1,700-pound work, “Balance and Harmony,” from a field of twelve entries as best representing the new school’s mission and vision. In addition, miniature replicas of the piece will be created for use as awards in the future.

Mac Boggs is lavish in praise for his student, calling her “one of the top three students he has ever taught.” Ayako is now working on a Master of Fine Arts degree at Clemson University. She says her professors at Converse taught her to “submit, submit, submit!” We know there is great news to come in the future from this talented woman. Kudos, Ayako!

Ayako Abe-Miller ’12 Wins First Commission

Interior Design students Vanessa Steele, Jackie Huneault, McKinsey Willoughby, Robin Mason and Libby Mann

Interior Design students enrolled in the DES 483: Business and Professional Practice course attended the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Carolina’s November Forum, where the topic “Gaining & Retaining Clients” was presented by Al Kabus. Mr. Kabus currently heads Askstrategies, a business consulting practice that focuses on strategic planning and implementation, leadership development and revenue generation using the REACH© process.

According to Mr. Kabus, “gaining and retaining clients is critical to the ongoing success of a firm…however, many designers and architects do not consider the impact of how they engage with their clients to establish a trust relationship.” The evening was spent discussing the importance of researching your clients to prepare for building rapport and credibility, engaging with your client in a manner that resonates with them by using their own business language, developing key questions demonstrating preparation and understanding, establishing your uniqueness, and positioning yourself and your firm where design

truly matters to your client’s business. Excellent professional skills for transitioning into a career, ladies!

Department of Art & Design580 East Main StreetSpartanburg, SC 29302-1931864.596.9181 • www.converse.edu

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Spartanburg, SC

Milliken Art Gallery

The Milliken Gallery will be closed for summer break, May 17–August 28, 2013.

Coming August 29–September 26, 2013

Kirkland SmithLarge Environmental Assemblages.

Please stay in touch. Email your news and personal updates to artdesign@converse.edu.

Share Perspectives with your friends online at

converse.edu/academics/schools-departments/art-and-design.

2013 Juried Student Art Show Awards

The James David Cobb Endowed Award, in memory of the Greenewald Family – Best in Show ($360)Stephanie Halpin, Liya, charcoal

President’s Award – 1st Place ($200)Jasmine Sanders, Pressure, mixed media

Juror’s Award ($150)Sponsor: Richard Higgs, Dean, School of the ArtsTibitha Ferrel, Rustic House, acrylic

David Zacharias Award – Best Ceramics ($150)Maddisen Currier, Inside Out, ceramic, white raku clay

Art Club Award, 2nd Place ($100)Susan Hendley, Mask I, ceramic, naked raku

Faculty Honorarium Award in Honor of Paula Cash ($100)Elizabeth Hanson, Patterned Portrait, photography

Graduate Art Education Award ($100)Sponsor: Dr. Susanne F. Gunter, Coordinator of Graduate Art Education Samantha Smith, I’m Strong Now Because You Were Weak, monotype

Art Club Award – 3rd place ($75)Jordan Edwards, Snow, artist book with ink illustrations The Mayo Mac Boggs Award for Most Creative Use of Materials ($75)Elena Hernandez-Rubio, Hole I, screen print and wood

Cleveland Award – Best Painting ($40) and alsoArt Club Award, Honorable Mention ($50)Jordan Edwards, Beauty, mixed media

Stay connected to Art & Design at converse.edu for exhibitions, news and upcoming

Visual Arts Scholarship Portfolio Days.