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 Dana Professor of Art and Art History Godwin
Obiora Udechukwu has a simple philosophy
of art that he’s brought with him from Igbo in southeastern Nigeria. He
pushes students to develop their work by focusing on the progress, and devaluing
the final product. He believes that if a student has spent valuable time on a
piece, it cannot be bad. Professor Udechukwu previously worked in a very large
university in Nigeria and compares its Art and Art History program very closely to the
liberal arts course load at St. Lawrence.
Several new classrooms, studios and rehearsal spaces were opened in
the Noble Center in
January 2005, completing Phase I of a multi-phase arts expansion project.
Prof. Udechukwu understands “the
future of the new arts facility involves interaction among the departments.” This
includes the art, music and speech and theater departments
which he hopes will ultimately have team-taught courses, creating a
more holistic approach to the arts. Professor Udechukwu will be displaying
work along with other faculty members in the Richard
F. Brush (’52) Art Gallery in
November. Professor Udechukwu will be submitting four pencil drawings
that he has created for the exhibition.Indicating his belief that music
should be enjoyable as well as educational, he recalls one of his most
memorable experiences at St. Lawrence: “Finding
enough people to start a Nepali drumming ensemble, and finding enough
Nepali students to be amused by our efforts.”
(adapted
from a profile written by Chinasa Izeogu ’05)
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