The Spalding University art department welcomes the entire Spalding community to an afternoon at the Speed Art Museum today, Friday, Feb. 8 for the first Winter Social at the Speed, with multiple activities organized by the Spalding art faculty and the Frazier History Museum.
The Winter Social will be held from 1-4 p.m. Like always, general admission to the Speed is free with a Spalding ID for all Spalding students and benefit-eligible faculty and staff through the university and museum’s educational institution partnership.
Spalding art history professor Dr. Flint Collins, who is in his first year as a full-time SU faculty member and who organized the Winter Social, said that the Winter Social serves as an invitation to students, faculty and staff from programs across the university to meet students and faculty of the art department while also enjoying the rich resources and art of the Speed, 2035 S. Third St.
“I would invite anybody to come out and just hang out, even if they don’t participate in some of the activities,” Collins said. “We invite anybody to come down and join us. We hope it’ll give folks a little break to get off campus and come hang out and interact with the art department. Community building is one of the goals of it.”
READ MORE: Information on Spalding’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts program
Activities planned included sketching, guided tours, an open-mic poetry reading and a screening at the Speed Cinema of Oscar-nominated animated shorts (extra paid admission required, though some free tickets are available for students, first-come, first-served). At 1:15, there will be an opportunity to sketch a live model, restaging a portrait from the collection, sponsored by the Frazier History Museum.
Collins hopes the Winter Social will raise awareness to the Spalding community of the benefit of its free access to the Speed. He said he takes students there all the time, hopping on the free TARC LouLift bus (stop on South Third Street near the Spalding Library) and making the short ride south to the museum.
“It’s a really great resource to have,” Collins said. “A part of this Winter Social is to help people understand that.”
Collins came to Spalding this fall after serving as an adjunct professor at multiple universities. He holds master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Louisville and also has worked at the Speed.
He has a background in museum education, “so I’m a big advocate for getting students in the museum and looking at actual artwork, as opposed to just slides,” Collins said.
Collins said he’s enjoyed his time so far at Spalding working under new art program director Deborah Whistler and teaching Spalding students. Collins is also working with art seniors on their senior theses and preparing for that year-ending show before commencement.
“It’s been great,” Collins said. “The students are real curious and responsive. We’ve dived right in.”
Here’s the full schedule of Spalding’s Winter Social at the Speed:
1-4 p.m. : Sketching in the galleries; gallery games; information table with “Slow Down at the Speed” mindfulness podcast; internship, membership and programming information.
1:15-2:15: Sketch a live model
2-3: “Secrets and Stories” guided docent tours
2:30-3:30: Open-mic poetry readings at the atrium.
3:30-4:30: Cinema screening of Oscar-nominated animated shorts (extra paid admission required, though some complimentary students are available first-come, first-served.)