Art in the age of virtual learning
As 2020 comes to a close and 2021 rapidly approaches, the faculty of PVCC are preparing themselves for the next semester. One faculty member, Professor of Art Beryl Solla, is particularly excited to welcome students to her next class: Art 100, Art Appreciation.
“I have been doing all sorts of research to add content and some additional hands-on projects for the Art History/Appreciation classes,” said Solla. “All of the classes expand student thinking and focus on problem solving and design. I love thinking about art and making visual connections. My classes give me an arena for learning new things and building new and interesting content.”
While the shift from in-person instruction to online classes has proven understandably difficult for many of PVCC’s faculty, Solla is more than familiar with virtual learning.
“I have been teaching the Art History classes online for years, so I have years of gathering rich and meaningful content,” said Solla. “I try to improve my teaching every semester as I have a better understanding of student’s needs and interests. Art is always changing and growing. That is ideal for a teacher like me. The whole art world is opening up to diversity and is more interesting than ever.”
According to Solla, the curriculum of Art 100 is focused on learning principles of design like color and balance. The class also examines art movements like surrealism and Dadaism and recent developments in contemporary art. While the curriculum of Art 100 has been carefully tailored to appeal to a wide range of students, Solla still has expectations for her students.
“My ideal students are people that are interested in learning new things and are not afraid to work hard,” said Solla. “Art is its own language, and anyone can learn it. Every person is full of creative potential. The history of art is our visual history. It’s about us, our ancestors, our people. It’s wonderful to see it and learn about it.”
ART 100 Art Appreciation (24060) begins on Jan 11, 2021. The class schedule is online anytime. The required materials for this course are free. Contact Professor Solla at bsolla@pvcc.edu for further information.
