Students take a quick break during a Professor Emily Culver’s metal-casting class. Photo courtesy of John Roth
By Betsy DiJulio
“Students had to unlearn going to school in pajamas without leaving their bedroom,” recalls Peter Eudenbach, a professor of art at ODU who chaired the department from 2016-2022 during the height of COVID. Seconds current chair, John Roth, “COVID may have loosened standards a bit, but after that we were able to tighten it up.”
Recently, these colleagues plus Kyle Kogut weighed in on how the department has evolved in recent years on the occasion of the opening of the annual Juried Student Exhibition. One thing is certain: appreciation for what their colleagues bring to the table runs deep. Roth-I-Like-My-Job-Too-Much-to-Retire, now in his fourth year as chair and 21st year of teaching, is quick to share the credit for what is widely viewed as a revitalized art department. In part, he lauds “a new generation of professors and educators,” largely at the foundations level, who he describes as “dynamic people who are very good artists.”
The program boasts 16 full-time and 24 adjunct faculty, who Kogut praises for their “sensibility and pedagogy.” Students now take foundation level courses regardless of their major, which includes graphic design, painting & drawing, print and photo media, 3-D and materials study with concentrations in ceramics, glass—a collaboration with the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio—metalsmithing, and sculpture, in addition to art education and art history. He largely credits the Chrysler’s Julia Rogers, who was a judge on season 3 of Netflix’s “Blown Away,” with increased enrollment in the 3-D program.
In addition to a strong faculty, Roth considers their “boot camp” approach to foundations level courses to be another key to success, saying the strategy is “bearing fruit.” When asked to describe what it entails, it boils down to holding students to “no excuses” high standards within a context of support that offers them a sense of community.
Class sizes are not too large, the university offers liberal open studio use, and professors have ample office hours. In addition, the department gives materials scholarships for projects with merit that have significant budgets. When asked about the national concern with grade inflation, including at the Ivies, Roth shared that he reviews grade distribution reports and, “If someone is not doing the rigorous part of thoughtful grading, they will hear from me.”
Noting that “you can’t have good work at upper levels without a strong foundation,” Roth gives a shout-out to Kogut. Roth asserts that the quality of his students in, especially, the last three semesters has been so strong as to “reinvigorate” his career. As program coordinator for foundations, Kogut has worked with Roth to “hire some really good people,” including adjuncts who commute from Richmond. ODU pays adjunct professors almost twice as much as VCU and faculty members who commute from Richmond—many recent grads from VCU’s nationally-known art department—generally teach two classes in a day to make the drive worthwhile.
Besides the strengthened faculty and foundations program, ODU has answered the age-old question of how much to emphasize technique and formal considerations vs. conceptual ones with a required 200 level foundational concepts course, first put forth by Eudenbach. Ever since that course was introduced six or seven years ago, Roth reports that it has “gotten easier to teach at the 300 and 400 level.” Noting that you could “teach a high-level primate to hold a pencil,” this course emphasizes art thinking, theory, and philosophy or what Eudenbach calls “ideation” and Kogut describes as “thinking and making at a college level.”
Asserting that the university places high value on retaining students, Roth returns to the notion of creating a sense of belonging and community. Through what he calls “super active student clubs for many of the disciplines” plus an umbrella league along with events like Fright Night and Spring Fling, the art department tries to help their students “feels seen and part of a network.” In the same vein is community involvement, with Roth singling out ceramics professor, Rick Nickel, as standout.
Fully aware that not all their students are going to graduate and become successful full-time artists, Roth considers a degree in art from ODU to be a mark of “educated consumers of visual culture who are able to think critically about the built and painted world and are able to advocate for art in the community.”
All students working in any media who were taking classes in the art department during the submission period were eligible to enter up to five pieces in the 2026 Juried Student Exhibition. This year’s pool was juried by Anita Patel, who maintains a global footprint as a leader of special projects at YELLOW, an innovative educational institution founded by Pharrell Williams.
Patel will also select Best in Show who will be given a solo show in Vestibule 102 in the Perry Glass Art Studio of the Chrysler. All other works in the exhibition will be considered for the Dean’s Selection Exhibition, which goes on view for one year in the Dean’s office suite (BAL 9th Floor) following the Juried Student Exhibition.
Underscoring ODUs 50-50 emphasis on technique and concept are Patel’s marks shared in a recent message for VEER readers:
“…The courage it takes to share personal vision, vulnerability, and inquiry is no small feat. Exhibitions like this are vital because they create space for dialogue, reflection, and connection within our community.
The works I selected felt not only strong in concept and execution, but generous in their intention. They invited viewers in and sparked questions. I chose pieces that balanced richness of craft and personal narrative with collective resonance, all pieces that contribute meaningfully to the evolving story of our creative community.”
ODU 2026 Juried Student Exhibition
Through April 18
Gordon Art Galleries @ ODU
https://www.odu.edu/art/juried-show