Community

The photography area in the ASU Herberger College School of Art is committed to community engagement — extensions that reach beyond university walls. Many faculty and students are active participants in the non-profit and cooperative gallery scene in downtown Phoenix, the heart of a grassroots urban revitalization. Faculty often participate in local school and community arts events as guest artists, jurors, panellists and workshop instructors. Below are some specific projects among the great diversity of community activities.

• MFA student Brent Hirak used his video thesis work to educate the public about the impact of Methamphetamine addiction on loved ones.
• Betsy Schneider, assistant professor of art, brought elementary students from various schools to campus for an exploratory photography workshop.
• Julie Anand, assistant professor of art, curated a mobile exhibition on the subject of Art and Ecology, which visited multiple locations including the Holiday Festival of Lights at Tempe Town Lake.
• James Hajicek, professor of art, was involved with Cultivating Commonalities: A Photographic Exchange organized by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Phoenix area high school students and students in Accra, Ghana collaborated on the project. 
• James Hajicek, professor of art, is the founding director of the summer art workshop program Art Intersection in Vitiana, Italy.