FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 20, 2010
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124
aperkins@pa.muw.edu

MUW art students help provide resources to West Point High School art program

COLUMBUS, Miss. – The art program at West Point High School will have more resources thanks to the Drawing Out Success program run by students of Mississippi University for Women’s Kappa Pi International Honorary Art Fraternity.

Funds to benefit the program will be raised at Kappa Pi’s annual Art in Autumn Auction and reception on Saturday, Nov. 6. The event, which is open to the public, will be held in the Eugenia Summer Gallery from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Doors open with a silent auction of donated student artwork. The live auction, which follows, features work by art faculty, art alumni and other professional artists. Tom Nawrocki, MUW professor of art, donated a digital print titled "Zig Zag Zig 22" for a special drawing.

Kappa Pi’s mission is to enhance a deeper appreciation of the arts within the community, which MUW’s chapter achieves through its Drawing Out Success program. The international honorary art fraternity has partnered with area high schools such as Columbus High School, New Hope High School and West Lowndes High School to raise money for their art programs.

“This program is tremendously important in developing an interest in the arts at the high school level. In an age of budget cuts, our chapter is able to help our partner high school's art program by purchasing much needed supplies,” said Dr. Beverly Joyce, associate professor of art. “The visual arts are not an `extra’ in a school's curriculum as so many people believe. Besides the obvious cultural benefits, recent studies have found that the study of art improves visual diagnostic skills in medical students. Additionally, IBM recently sponsored a study of CEOs, who rank creativity as an essential leadership skill in today's business world.” 

Joyce added the program also helps MUW. 

“Our Drawing Out Success program educates the community about our excellent art and design program and thus serves as an important recruitment tool. We found that many of the high school students whom we brought in during our spring visit had never been on campus before. They reported that they were impressed with our facilities. The same is true for many of the parents who visited during the summer high school invitational exhibition.”

For more information, contact Dr. Joyce at (662) 241-7812 or email bjoyce@as.muw.edu.