Richard Hugo House and Pratt Fine Arts Center Join Freehold as Education Partners for B.A. Students in Arts & Literature

Starting this fall nationally recognized writers and artists at two of Seattle's premier arts organizations are teaching Antioch University Seattle (AUS) students. Certain designated classes at Hugo House and Pratt Fine Arts Center are and will be available to AUS students for credit. Exposure to successful working writers and artists and a chance to learn from them will provide additional heft to coursework for students pursuing a B.A. in Liberal Studies (completion program).

Antioch has had a similar arrangement with Freehold Theatre, a laboratory of learning for theatre students and professionals, in place for the past three years. Richard Hugo House, named for the poet born in Seattle, is a center for the literary arts that supports writers and promotes new work. Pratt Fine Arts Center advances creative development and artistic engagement with the local and global community.

Fall quarter there are 14 Antioch students at Hugo House, 14 at Pratt and nine at the Freehold Theatre. Bryan Tomasovich, Ph.D., director of the B.A. in Liberal Studies (completion program), said, "This is a significant number given that there are 250 students in the entire program and that this is the first quarter these classes have been offered." He added, "This is a continuation of Antioch's long-standing tradition of making sure students are learning outside the classroom, as well as inside, and of combining theory and practice."

Each quarter two or three studio or writing courses at Hugo House and Pratt will be selected and built into the Antioch schedule and curriculum. Teachers whose courses are available to AUS students must meet the same criteria as any other Antioch faculty. A minimum of a master's degree is required. Just as important, however, is the proven experience and success of the teachers in their own field. Working with instructors who have "real life" experiences as writers or visual artists gives Antioch students a chance to serve a kind of apprenticeship from those who have made literature and visual arts their life's work. In addition to regularly assigned coursework all AUS students taking these off-site classes receive a final narrative assessment of their performance during the quarter.

Classes at Hugo House and Pratt Fine Arts Center are drawing students in the B.A. Liberal Studies program with a Concentration in Art and Literature. However the classes are available to other Antioch Seattle students and members of the community, too. This fall at Hugo House Dickie Nesenger, a working playwright whose dramas have been produced throughout the U.S., is teaching "The Moving Image: Writing for the Screen." Students are developing an original screenplay, presenting it aloud and discussing it with peers in a workshop setting. Susan Zwinger, a noted wilderness author, is teaching "The Craft of Great Writers: Deep, Sensuous Descriptions." The students are using the craft of other writers and poets to inspire their own writing.

At Pratt, Mark Takamichi Miller, a Seattle painter, is teaching "Special Topics: Acrylic Painting." Takamichi Miller shows at Howard House in Seattle. In 2006 he had a solo exhibition with the Andrew Edin Gallery in New York. Kamla Kakaria and Shaun Dall are teaching "Printmaking" at Pratt. Dall is a Redmond native who has pursued a career in the film industry. Kakaria is an up-and-coming talent who has shown at many Seattle-area galleries and whose work has been featured as part of the Pacific Northwest Annual at the Bellevue Art Museum.

Tomasovich said that his own academic background gave him a sense of purpose in forging these new partnerships. "It really comes from my experience in getting three degrees in writing and literature but not really having the opportunity to work outside the infrastructure. At AUS we are taking students out of the classroom and into the city. Some of the most vital learning takes place in the field. Combining a traditional academic setting with work in the field creates two experiences that feed off of one another. What you learn in your studio class can be tested with what a working artist does," he said.

The new relationships don't benefit only AUS students. Teachers are finding that the presence of Antioch students is raising the bar for everyone. Tomasovich said that AUS students are self-motivated learners who take responsibility for their education. "They're not the kind of people who just sit back and wait for questions to answer," said Tomasovich. "They are not dabblers. They are being guided in a well-planned way to help them develop as artists and writers," he added.

Taking classes at Pratt and Hugo House also gives students an opportunity to attend performances and events and meet other professionals further along their career path. "It's not an insulated bubble of a learning environment. They're using the entire city as their university," said Tomasovich.