The HCTC Fine Arts Program Expands Service Area

Visitors were impressed with the quality displayed during the Art Show in Hindman.

The arts have played an important role in providing learning opportunities for Hazard Community and Technical College students. HCTC currently serves students in the Kentucky River region. The idea of serving a larger student population across county lines is one of the main goals of the New Associate of Fine Arts Program at HCTC being led by Program Coordinator Michael Flynn.

The AFA Program is based at the Kentucky School of Craft in Knott County, a facility equipped for traditional and contemporary art practices. This year the program has expanded to include art centers at the Hazard and Lees College campuses where courses are being taught in Digital Photography and Introduction to Art. The centers have transformed traditional class rooms into places where students can work, store and display the projects they have been creating all semester. Flynn noted, It is very important for the student to have a place where their projects can develop. I encourage my students to realize successful works of art take both time and planning.

On Thursday May 15, the AFA program hosted its first student art exhibition featuring works of art created throughout the service region. The event was hosted at the Kentucky School of Craft.

One of Flynn s goals for the program is to expand student access to the arts. I realize the distance that many students must travel to get to the Kentucky School of Craft has been an obstacle in the past. By creating opportunities for students to explore art at their home campus, I will be able to connect with more students and allow them to take some of the basic art courses close to home before making the commitment of traveling to Hindman. Once they finally reach the School of Craft, they then realize the opportunity to expand their abilities, he said.

The show featured works in metals, concrete, pottery, photography, wood and will become an annual event.
In conjunction with the classes for credit, the School of Craft also offers programing that includes four week-long workshops in blacksmithing and woodworking. These classes have provided an opportunity for those who cannot take a 16-week course. Next year the HCTC Fine Arts program will continue to serve students across the region.

To learn more about upcoming programing please contact Michael Flynn at 606-487-3113.