Alternative Art Lab: Kaposvár University.

For years, I've dreamt about teaching art at the university level... striving to be like my Papa... and now my aspiration is becoming a reality. I never imagined I'd be designing my own course in a fine art faculty in Hungary, but I couldn't be happier about this opportunity! I will be an adjunct professor at the University of Kaposvár, one of only a few fine arts faculties in the country. I will facilitate a workshop with 2D design students across many disciplines in November, and will teach my own course in alternative processes and experimentation in art next semester.

I love art and I love teaching. This isn't a full-time shift, by any means, as I love teaching high school students and plan to return to WRHS next year back in Denver... but, it's an important opportunity for me to grow as an art teacher, traversing cultures and interests.

I have always honoured the concept of creating a laboratory studio environment... encouraging discovery in art through experimentation... something I always hope to inspire in my students. My niche for this course is to recreate the essence of Studio 23, focusing on non-traditional techniques and approaches as a way to introduce my perspective as an American artist and teacher.

The first workshop is approaching quickly and I am busy preparing and recruiting. I'm organizing an International Art Exchange between university art students (my former Studio 23 students) and artists from Kaposvári Egyetem (University of Kaposvár). I think it's a really fun project and there is a lot of potential... experimenting with small format mixed media and building international relationships with artists across the world!

This is the course listing (in English) from the offerings catalogue...

ALTERNATIVE ART LAB

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is an experimental survey of alternative painting techniques in connection to perspective and process. Students will investigate a variety of materials and approaches, creating contemporary solutions to open-ended prompts. Directed exploration will focus on the use of layers to build compositions from the ground up and stimulate unique personal expression. Emphasis will be placed on developing a foundation of organizational possibilities in designing for the flat surface. Class discussions, demonstrations, and critique compliment the studio time, broadening understanding of design principles as a means to communicate visual language.

MATERIALS

Acrylic or oil paint, stretched canvas, gesso, gel medium, collage media / found objects, oil pastels, ink, small printing block / carving tools, textiles / fibres

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Franky Scaglione is a American artist living in Hungary on a yearlong Fulbright Scholarship. Mr. Scaglione comes to Kaposvár from Denver, Colorado, where he teaches high school painting and university-level studio art courses. He received his BFA from the State University of New York, Fredonia and MA from University of Denver. His passion and experience in alternative artistic approach is the inspiration behind the nationwide Vans Custom Culture programme in the US. Mr. Scaglione co-created this multimedia fashion event with Vans to include over 360 schools nationwide and is seeking to expand into the international spotlight. During his residence in Hungary, Mr. Scaglione will work as an art teacher at University of Kaposvár and Munkácsy Mihály Gimnázium.