As reported by The Leader last week, the Department of Visual Arts and New Media has welcomed a new chair this semester. Staff Writer James Lillin spoke to her about the future of the department, her Fredonia connections and more.
James Lillin (JL): What differentiates the Visual Arts and New Media Department at Fredonia from similar departments at other universities?
Dr. Michele Bernatz (MB): With the opening of two new studio spaces in Rockefeller Arts Center, we can certainly boast about our state-of-the-art ceramics and sculpture programs. New equipment and huge working areas in these ground-floor studios means that students can experiment with a wider range of materials and larger-size creations. I would guess these are some of the best ceramics/sculpture facilities in the entire SUNY system. Another thing we do really well in the Visual Arts and New Media (VANM) Department is giving individual attention and feedback to our students. Most of our studio and art history classes are fairly small, which allows lots of one-on-one time between faculty and students.
JL: What changes, improvements, or shifts to you expect (or hope) that the department will go through in the coming years?
MB: Like [former chair] Bob [Booth] has been over the past couple of years, I am focused on retention and recruitment, but the shift to my leadership allows for a continuation of what has proved successful even while I will also approach some things differently. For example, I’ve selected my colleague Peter Tucker to be my Associate Chair. Peter will be working on expanding the VANM online presence through Facebook and Instagram, and he plans to build a stronger network of alumni connections. A hope of mine is to be more broadly accessible to VANM students who want advice about academic or career issues, and that students in the future months and years will feel comfortable coming to me with suggestions about how we can improve our program.
As is the case across most every department at Fredonia, our VANM enrollments are lower than we would like. Because of this, we need to draw in more students and that means expanding our recruitment efforts into new areas of New York state and elsewhere. We also want to build more diversity in our student body so that we reflect changing demographics across America. Having students from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences will enrich our program with new ideas and points of view that can be expressed in creative work.
JL: What will the new expansion to Rockefeller bring to current students, and how will it attract prospective students?
MB: The new expansion of Rockefeller brings the possibility of new connections, new energy and new opportunities to current and prospective students. I find it exciting that the new RAC building connects VANM more closely with the School of Music and the Department of Theatre and Dance. Students from these different areas will see each other in the hallways, maybe take some classes together, and hopefully build friendships that could inspire meaningful collaborations. A wonderful example is a program recently brought to reality by students Donny Malone, a music and VANM double major, and Jodie White, a music and music education major. Donny and Jodie created a program that brings art made by VANM students into the practice rooms of Mason Hall. Another recent collaboration happened between music composition students, led by faculty member Rob Deemer, and VANM students in animation and illustration and graphic design led by faculty members Jill Johnston and Jason Dilworth. The Rockefeller expansion, through the very layout of the architectural design, solidifies the connectivity between all of the programs in our College of Visual and Performing Arts, and this will be even more prevalent once the second and third floors of Rockefeller are complete. Of course, the new instructional spaces being used now and soon to be opened are terrific. Having all of these studios in one building will make it easier for students to move from class to class and to share ideas across various media.
JL: What events celebrating the opening of the new Rockefeller expansion are you most excited about?
MB: There will be many fun things going on during the opening celebrations and I’m not sure I can choose one to be most excited about. I definitely want to watch the bronze casting demonstration in the sculpture studio, something I know about but have never actually seen in person, and I am excited to see how the VANM +FARM design workshop and sculpture installation turns out, which will be facilitated by Peter Tucker. Of course, there will be many student performances as well as the Artist Presentation for the Marion International Fellowship, a talk for our Visiting Artist Program (VAP) by sculptor Robert Wick, the Hillman Opera, Godspell and the Marion Art Gallery exhibit.
JL: What was your experience like at Fredonia as a student, and what inspired you to come back?
MB: I was a student at Fredonia way back in the 1970s and then again in the 1980s. I guess you could say I took the long and winding road to finishing my BA at Fredonia. I wasn’t focused on school in the ‘70s, but when I came back to finish my degree in the ‘80s, I knew I wanted to follow a career in the arts. My teachers saw the seriousness of my efforts and supported my learning and advancement in innumerable ways. I always found Fredonia to be a fun and comfortable place to attend school, and I know I received a quality education.
I came back mostly through chance: I have family in Western New York, and although I have traveled to many places in the world, including a 2-year stint in Guatemala as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I wanted to take a stab at finding a good job back in my home territory. It just so happened that I was in the right place at the right time, and a job opened up at Fredonia in VANM for an art history instructor. Luckily, I had the right credentials to fill the position. I came here to teach and fit in well with the rest of the VANM department, and the rest is history.
JL: What is the biggest change since you attended SUNY Fredonia? What has stayed the same?
MB: The campus is more beautiful now than it was in the 1980s; there are many more large trees and flower beds, and now we have many interesting pieces of outdoor sculpture around campus. Fredonia is more full of life and energy now, with more things to do than I remember in the past, and the student body is more diverse. I also think the faculty is more edgy and innovative now, which was appealing to me when I came back to work here. One thing that hasn’t changed is the low-cost, high-quality education students receive.
JL: Do you have a personal teaching philosophy that you try to embody?
MB: To put it simply, I think teachers must know their instructional content deeply, well enough to allow the flexibility of student inquiry that might take conversations in an unexpected direction. I also think it is critical to be honest about what you know and what you do not, and to enjoy the teaching fully, so students will enjoy your classroom instruction.
JL: What is the one thing students should know about you to better understand you?
MB: I am really uncomfortable in the spotlight, especially when doing interviews.
JL: What are your favorite elements of the “Truppe Fledermaus” exhibition?
MB: Of course, being an art history professor, I love the art historical references in the work of Kahn & Selesnick! Beyond that, I am attracted to the sheer beauty of the work, as well as the carnival atmosphere and the mythical content.
JL: Who is your favorite modern artist, and who is your favorite classical artist?
MB: I really don’t like the “favorite” question because there are just too many great artists across the expanses of time or region to choose from. Maybe I should tell you that I teach courses in the range of prehistory to Renaissance, and that my specialty area is ancient Maya and Aztec art.
JL: Any fun facts about you that would surprise students?
MB: If you are looking for something a little unusual about me, perhaps you would be amused to learn that I was a bartender at BJ’s back in the late 1980s.