Being an Artist at Duke - Ryan Bloom

I’ve liked art ever since I was a little kid.  I took AP art throughout high school, but I never really thought that I’d continue to pursue art once I started college.  Actually, I never thought that I would really pursue art until my Junior year of college, when I switched my minor from Math to Visual Arts (one of the better decisions I’ve ever made).  Prior to this switch, I had taken two art class at Duke, and I had taken these classes simply because I enjoyed art and had room in my schedule.  I had never thought that I would pursue it any further.  Therefore, prior to deciding to minor in Visual Arts, art didn’t really play a big role in my life at Duke.

However, as a senior, this trend has really taken a changed.  Upon deciding to minor in Visual Arts, I realized that I needed to take 4 more art courses over the next two semesters.  I’m really thankful for this because I was able to explore more art forms other than drawing, which is really all that I had explored throughout High School and my first 3 years at Duke.  Upon searching for my courses at Duke, I learned about how wide a range of art courses and mediums there are at Duke, which is really great for everyone interested in the arts.

This semester, I am taking 3 art classes, and art has therefore played a much larger role in my life, which I am very thankful for.  I love spending time drawing just to relax and unwind whenever I can.  I’ve also gotten the opportunity to learn a lot about animation and graphics in motion from the two other art classes that I’m taking (besides Intermediate Drawing).  I’ve had the pleasure of taking a class in the new Rubenstein Art building, a beautiful place to work, and have had the ability to combine my interest in technology with my love of art through my Graphics in Motion course.  I’ve enjoyed all of my courses and have learned that there is a much larger constituent of artists at Duke than the average student (or that I, prior to switching my minor to Visual Art) might know about.

However, one thing that I have noticed this semester is that the art students might sometimes feel separated from the rest of the student body.  I have personally noticed this due to the fact that I am taking only art courses this semester, and therefore have no classes on east or west campus (as 2 of my classes are in Smith Warehouse and my other class is in the Rubenstein Art building).  Additionally, the work that I do outside of class rarely requires me to go to a library and often requires more room to work.  This, combined with the fact that I live off campus has led to me spending less time on campus than in previous years.  However, this doesn’t have to be the case for all artists if they spread out their courses over their years at Duke and make it a point to work on campus when they can.  Overall, being an artist at Duke has been an amazing experience and I am so happy with my decision to pursue the Visual Arts minor, and I hope to continue with this passion upon graduating in May!