Abstract
Engagement with art from an early age in a setting with minimal limitations can strengthen a society’s capital and a person’s investment in their community. Viewing art and delivery of art as a service to a community helps students with a professional aim to have a more expansive view of their industry and the people their art serves. This paper examines the partnership between Oklahoma City University’s Arts Management Costume Lab class and Positive Tomorrows, a non-profit school for children experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City, USA. University students seeking degrees from the School of Dance and Entertainment are required to take this service-learning course. Costume Lab is an introductory class in which students learn the basics of sewing, costume design, and wardrobe management. During the service-learning portion, they design and create costumes for students at Positive Tomorrows, helping with the program’s hope building mission. Oklahoma City University students meet with Positive Tomorrows students, follow their guidance, and then deliver a finished costume to these children. This allows the university students to not only learn about their artistic discipline but also practice delivering to a local community. It also allows the children at Positive Tomorrows to experience and engage in art and design as they come from a section of the community that has less access to art. This paper explores the partnership during its eighteen years in practice: the lessons learned, changes made, practical applications, and how service learning can be an integral part of teaching art.
Presenters
Jessica TelferAssociate Professor, Costume Designer, Dance and Entertainment, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Costumes, Service, Teaching, Design, Community
