Almost 25 several years in the past, Paul Dunlap enrolled as a non-conventional university student at UNG to pursue a degree in art. He enrolled in Hank Margeson’s photography class and discovered his enthusiasm.

“That was a video game changer. The knowledge at UNG modified my existence profoundly,” Dunlap reported. Now, the 2001 alumnus is a professor in the Division of Visual Arts at UNG. His is one of several identical stories in the course of the previous 50 decades.

Dunlap and other people in the UNG neighborhood are encouraged to share their reminiscences of the past and present on the department’s Facebook and Instagram internet pages. UNG students, alumni, faculty, staff members, supporters, or artists, are requested to use the #DOVA50 in the submit.

“When we glance back again at 50 a long time ago, so quite a few people today left their footprints at UNG,” Vanessa Bamber, enhancement officer for the University of Arts & Letters, stated. “The ‘Celebrating 50 Years of Visible Arts’ experience offers an possibility for these individuals to share their views and continue on to interact with the section.”

UNG’s visual arts plan was formed with new music and theater in 1971 as the Department of Good Arts on the Dahlonega Campus. Headed by Robert “Bob” Owens from1972-2002, it had two faculty associates and provided two degrees. Two years later in 1973-74, a full-time teacher of artwork begun training on the Gainesville Campus in the humanities division.

Given that then, visual arts has grown to 36 college and team customers who teach almost 500 art majors and 150 artwork minors in six regions or concentrations. The department offers 7 undergraduate degree programs, 5 minors and just one certification.

Visible arts has hit a number of milestones in the earlier decade. In 2015, it gained accreditation from the Nationwide Affiliation of Faculties of Art and Style and design, the most prestigious accreditation in visual arts instruction. In two a long time following that, it released a electronic arts and graphic style concentrations. In 2018, it switched from a Bachelor of Arts degree to a Bachelor of Fantastic Arts. And this fall, the section moved into a new facility on the Gainesville Campus.

The golden anniversary will be celebrated all calendar year lengthy to permit a large audience to take part.