Natalie Carter
The Broadside

Central Oregon Community College students are learning art in a new kind of class this term. The college is now offering Art 191, Beginning Sculpture course. Jim Dailing, an art professor in his second term at COCC, has designed this course to promote students to create ideas, think outside of the box and apply the concepts of sculpture to make their ideas a reality.

“It’s a very childlike thing,” said Dailing. “Where you can have only a piece of paper, a crayon and scissors, and still create magic.”
The class consists of three projects assigned over the term. The first project gets students working with basic materials like construction paper and scotch tape.
“People assume that you need all kinds of materials to be creative, but in reality you don’t. Just a little imagination,” said Dailing.
The second project is a self-portrait assignment, but not in the basic sense of recreating yourself. Students are asked to answer a series of questions that help them to decide what part of them that they want to express and then apply that emotion to the art piece.
The final project is based on the famous British artist Andy Goldsworthy’s sculptures. Students will be asked to create a piece that represents a certain location important to them by using materials found in nature.

Sculpture hasn’t been offered at COCC before, but Professor Jim Dailing, who previously taught Sculpture at the University of Portland spotted a need to teach a creativity-based class at COCC.
“My job as a teacher teaching this class is to be a mediator; to help clarify ideas and help make them a reality,” said Dailing.
COCC student Cohren Stimpson, currently in the class, hopes COCC will continue to offer it.
“I’m hoping it stays and that they’ll have it next term,” said Stimpson. “It really is a fun class that I think others will enjoy.”

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