George Fox University
A case for investing in art & design
Background
With increasing student enrollment, George Fox's Art & Design program was quickly outgrowing its studio space.
We called it ‘The Yellow Book,’ and it was all about making the case for investment in new Art & Design spaces. To produce this book, I surveyed current students, organized focus groups with faculty, and compiled research on professional outcomes for graduates. I also worked with architects and interior designers to imagine possible approaches to our needs and develop project estimates.
My role
Writing
Layout
Art Direction
Survey and Research
Collaborators
Jillian Sokso, Department Chair
Laura Hartley, Dean
Numbers don't lie
The Art & Design program was growing, and we found that 85% of our graduates got jobs in the field within three months of finishing. Even with this success, convincing the leadership to invest more resources in art & design was challenging. The old idea of the starving artist is hard to change, particularly with parents and students concerned about the rising cost of a college education. This publication looked at our program, highlighting its strengths and the problems it faced because of its current spaces. The publication played a central role in convincing leadership to upgrade and expand our facilities. It also introduced new classroom ideas called “Flex Space”—rooms that can easily change to facilitate collaboration, discussion and fabrication of projects.
