Missouri Southern to host High School Art Day

Joplin, MO – Missouri Southern State University will present a series of workshops with regional high school students on October 17 from 1 a.m. to 2 p.m. during its annual High School Art Day.

High school students will have the opportunity to engage in project driven, hands-on, college level art experiences that showcase and expose the students to a variety of media, studios and techniques.

Students may choose from eight workshops led by Missouri Southern instructors and faculty. The workshop sessions include bounce animation, oil painting, glass jewelry, water painting, and more.

“The focus of this event has been and continues to be providing academically based programming to local students, allowing them to complete projects in each of the workshops,” said Frank A. Pishkur, chair of the Art Department.

“Each year, we’ve switched around our offerings to add different media and technique choice,” Pishkur added.

Students attending the event will also experience a sneak peek at the upcoming exhibition, “Squeeze Me In II” by Beatrice Opokua Atencah. Originally from Ghana, West Africa, she will give the participants a presentation and answer questions about her fiber sculpture and site-specific installation artworks that explore the nexus of fiber and metal sculpture in Africa and America.

This workshop series is offered as a community outreach of the department as well as a service to expand the art and cultural offerings in the region. Students connect with practicing artists, enhance their artistic ability, expand their knowledge of techniques, experience different media, and utilize creative thinking skills as they learn from and create art.

This is the 11th year MSSU has hosted the event.