Student Opportunities

During the academic year, 8-10 student assistants are hired by the department to assist with studio maintenance and supervision, gallery installations, and other projects that support the work in Clack Art Center. While there may be positions available for first-year students, many of these positions require the specialized skills of more experienced students. For information regarding Studio Assistant openings, speak with your advisor or the faculty member in charge of the area in which you are interested.

Art students are strongly advised to include an internship in their academic plans, and for students in Graphic Design, this can be an especially important opportunity. Students, with the help of their advisors, can research internship sites closer to home, or they can participate in the internship programs offered by the Philadelphia Center, the Urban Life Center (Chicago), or the Great Lakes Colleges Association’s Arts in New York program.

Art students are encouraged to exhibit their work in exhibitions and publications on campus as well as in professional juried shows around Michigan – and beyond. Here are a few of the exhibition/publication opportunities that regularly feature works by Alma students:

The Annual Juried Student Show

At the end of each term, artworks exhibited for the Art Department’s End-of-Term Review are viewed by the art faculty and elected student representatives, and the strongest pieces are selected for the Student Show, exhibited at the beginning of the school year each September.

The Pine River Anthology is a literary magazine created by students from the Departments of Art and Design, English, and New Media Studies. The PRA showcases student work from each of these departments. Graphic Design students from Art and Design are responsible for this yearly publication that is presented on Honor’s Day each April.

The Alma College chapter of Kappa Pi accepts new members each Fall and organizes a number of art-related events through the year. Twice a year, Kappa Pi members mount an exhibit of students’ artwork in the Kerhl Library. Students eligible for membership are those who:

• Have declared a major or minor in Art or Art History
• Have taken at least four art courses, including at least one in studio art
• Have a 3.0 overall CPA and a 3.25 GPA in Art courses

To continue as a member, students will:

• Continue to work toward a major or minor in Art or Art History
• Maintain the required grade point averages
• For more information, contact Kappa Pi’s faculty advisor, Jillian Dickson.

Art students run the Department’s life drawing co-op, which provides members with opportunities to work with models outside of class times on a weekly basis. Each member contributes $15 per term which helps to pay the models’ fees. Students may also sign up to pose as models in the co-op.