MSU hosts design summer camp in downtown Jackson

MSU hosts design summer camp in downtown Jackson

Contact: Sasha Steinberg

A design camp led by faculty of Mississippi State’s College of Architecture, Art and Design is helping students in the Greater Jackson community explore their interests in architecture, art, community development, design, engineering, planning, social justice and related professional fields. (Photo by Lori Neuenfeldt)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s College of Architecture, Art and Design is hosting a design camp for students from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi.

Taking place through Friday [June 24], the five-day summer experience in Jackson is helping students in the Greater Jackson community develop their interests in architecture, art, community development, design, engineering, planning, social justice and related professional fields.

Students are gaining knowledge of design tools and media through individual and group workshops focused on design, sketching, photography, graphic design, model building, sculpture and construction, among other skills. Collaboration, leadership and communication skills also are being developed, which will help students increase their self-confidence in these areas, leaders said.

Faculty of MSU’s College of Architecture, Art and Design—as well as those from the university’s College of Business—are leading students in collaborative and creative activities focused on design education. MSU alumni are leading discussions on design-related career opportunities and providing information about their educational and professional experiences.

CAAD Associate Dean and Professor Greg Hall said the camp is designed to help expose students to the wide variety and scope of educational and career opportunities in design fields ranging from architecture to graphic design and interior design to fashion, as well as related fields such as engineering and construction.

“One of our primary goals is to help students form educational and professional goals that they can continue to develop during their high school education, regardless of their eventual career choice,” Hall said.

In addition to being funded in part by a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson, this year’s camp is supported by MSU’s College of Architecture, Art and Design, its School of Architecture and Department of Art, the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center and Office of the Registrar.

Lori Neuenfeldt, MSU art instructor and gallery director, and architect Emily Roush-Elliott of the university’s Carl Small Town Center, are serving as camp co-directors.

For additional camp information, contact Hall at 662-325-2509 or ghall@caad.msstate.edu.

Learn more about MSU’s College of Architecture, Art and Design at www.caad.msstate.edu, facebook.com/CAADatMSU, twitter.com/CAADatMSU and http://tinyurl.com/CAADatMSUYouTube.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.