Whether speaking about photography, ceramics, glass blowing, sculpture work, or painting, SIU’s fine arts department extensively covers each and every one of these topics, not to mention a plethora of others. Through innovative classes with impressive work spaces, SIU has a large variety of choices for each student. And for the CCHS art students, it was an imaginative sight to see.

Photography and Sculpture students went on individual trips to view SIU’s campus and the specific classes that reside within the Arts Department. They were offered first hand viewing into the impressive amount of space and resources available through SIU. Whether it be large and massive kilns for ceramic works, furnaces for glass, or impressive studio spaces for photography, SIU has it all.

I spoke with a photography professor, Alison Smith, about her experiences leading up to SIU, her choice of working there, and what the school offers over others, and she gave a variety of thorough and grand reasoning to hold the back of SIU up.

“What puts SIU above in what we offer here is probably just the facilities, in terms of the access of being able to have the space and the equipment to practice a full range of photographic processes. From historical alternative processes, so the analogue classes I teach with silver gelatin black and white and color photography. And I think what separates us from just an art school is that a lot of our photo-majors double major, so being apart of a larger university and other disciplines that they can combine with photography is really wonderful.”

The spaces that SIU held were nothing short of plentiful and grand, and with such a wide range of art options that they hold classes for, majors or minors, it gives plenty of credence to choose SIU as a school if interested in pursuing the world of fine arts. The classes provided hold various ways to further heighten individual development towards nearly any student’s choice for personal career or aspirations within art. 

With professors who are more than willing to support each and every student with their passions, to a world of choices, SIU holds a high standard towards itself, ensuring that every base is covered, and every student is happy.