By Jonah Grinkewitz
Kaitlyn Compton used to think she would be a scientist one day.
In 2020, she started as a chemistry major at Ƶ, but after running into the difficulties of calculus, she pivoted to art education.
Compton liked to draw but had never been “into art like that.” As part of her requirements, she took a ceramics class.
“The second I was in there, I was like, ‘This is me,’” she said.
The medium opened her up to an art form she hadn’t tried before and introduced her to a close-knit community of students in the Department of Art.
"Nhà kính" by Kaitlyn Compton.
She loved it so much that she switched her major to 3D Media & Material Studies. This December, she’ll graduate with her bachelor’s degree.
The program exposes students to three-dimensional studio practice, including performance, installation and time-based art, and lets them choose from four concentrations: sculpture, metalsmithing, glass or ceramics.
The Barry Arts Building and the Hixon Studio Building and Annex house classrooms with all the equipment necessary for students to work comfortably and safely, including a large-scale printing press and multiple kilns.
While in the program, Compton started the Ƶ Clay Club. It holds pop-up sales each semester, including at local businesses like Borjo Coffeehouse on Ƶ’s campus.
Compton said that opportunities like these and the encouragement of her professors helped her become confident in putting herself and her artwork out there.
“When it comes to applying for exhibits and that kind of thing, I feel like in the beginning as an artist, I was really afraid to be told ‘No,’” she said.
Melissa Hill said Ƶ helped her find her artistic calling in a similar way. Although she had minimal art experience and an allergy to certain metals, Associate Professor John Roth welcomed her to his Sculpture course and made sure she could participate.
“It was the ability to experiment with material, it opened up so much for me and my creative practice versus just sitting and drawing on a piece of paper,” she said.
After completing her BFA in 3D Media and her BA in Art History from Ƶ, Hill got her MFA in Sculpture at George Mason University in 2015. She went on to teach art classes at Ƶ before becoming the IT person for the Department of Art in 2022.
Melissa Hill (left) with Associate Professor John Roth at the opening of "Message in a Bottle: Picturing Maritime Culture in Hampton Roads" with one of her pieces, "Concurrently," on display directly behind her. Photo courtesy of Melissa Hill.
Her mixed media pieces — which incorporate environmental themes — have been featured in solo and group exhibitions across the country.
From student to faculty to staff member, she has seen the advantages of getting an art degree from Ƶ from multiple perspectives.
"The people who come into the program grow so much, and they have so much opportunity in this community to do that,” she said.
She pointed to Ƶ’s advantage in having the Barry Art Museum and the Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries — with a rare exhibition of self-taught artworks — right on campus. She also noted the University's location in Norfolk with easy access to the Chrysler Museum of Art, the Hermitage Museum & Gardens and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art.
Students studying glass take their classes at the Chrysler Museum of Art Perry Glass Studio, where they also get to meet visiting artists, gain free access to events and are encouraged to do an assistantship program after graduation. The studio currently employs three former Ƶ students.
Both Compton and Hill said the range of opportunities within the 3D Media & Material Studies program and the dedication of Ƶ faculty had the biggest impacts on their educational and artistic journeys.
“I didn’t realize how much support professors will give you of their own volition until I got to the art department,” said Compton. “With the degree, you can either choose to focus heavily on one craft, or they also will allow you to try everything at least once. You don’t have to fall into a specific path. It’s really flexible.”
She mentioned Professor Richard “Rick” Nickel and adjunct instructor Mimi King as big supporters. They helped her secure a fellowship with the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Tennessee and led her to an opportunity to study papermaking at Penland School of Craft in North Carolina.
“There are so many different teaching styles here,” echoed Hill. “We’ve got people teaching very traditional media, people teaching contemporary media, and it continues to change. It’s changed so much even since I was here.”
To learn more about the 3D Media & Material Studies program, visit their webpage.