By Jake Ervin, Senior Reporter
Northwestern will begin offering a bachelor’s degree in visual art beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year.
The university has not had the major since the previous instructor of the program, Don Bellah, retired in 1987. But after 36 years, the program is returning because of the work of faculty and the large financial contributions of the Wisdom Foundation.
The Wisdom Foundation helped bring back a minor in visual arts 12 years ago.
The program’s instructor will be Assistant Professor of Visual Arts Larson Roeder, who is in the process in conjunction with Northwestern to hire another faculty member to help teach the degree. Roeder, who began teaching at Northwestern in the summer of 2022, was tasked with completing the proposal for the new major to receive approval from the board of regents as well as developing the curriculum for the degree.
Roeder is from Madison, Wisconsin, and performed his graduate work at Texas A&M University, where he taught for five years before being hired at Northwestern. He said that, so far, he has enjoyed his time in Alva and is optimistic about his new department going forward.
“It’s an exciting place, in terms of the work I’m doing and kind of having this small department and being able to grow it and explore different things,” he said.
Roeder said the major will offer a variety of visual arts for students to learn, such as painting, digital art, sculpting, photography and printmaking. He said the goal of the program is to offer a wide array of options and then have students select a specific focus for their major.
Roeder said he expects the program to have at least five visual art majors in the fall of 2023 and expects the program to grow quickly.
“That was a big reason for starting the program,” he said. “There’s demand within the regions. Schools need art teachers. There’s opportunities that our students could have with a little bit more of an expanded kind of experience in art.”
Because the Wisdom Foundation will be providing financial contributions to cover the cost of hiring the new faculty member, the increased cost for the university to have the new major will be minimal. Officials are still in the process of acquiring the equipment necessary to expand the program.
Roeder said that, contrary to some misconceptions about art degrees, a major in visual art can open many opportunities for students as well as teach them practical skills.
“You’re learning kind of creative problem-solving and decision-making skills right here,” he said.
“Everybody needs photography and all these things that are also related to art and visual kind of media. … That’s infinitely valuable in kind of any field.”
Students who are interested in learning more about the major can contact Roeder at 580-327-8108 or leroeder@nwosu.edu.