Art society
There are a great number of students at Patrick Henry College who have a deep love of art. It’s an incredibly powerful medium. It’s so powerful that thinkers such as Plato have suggested that it be banned completely from educational and recreational centers.
Such a restriction would greatly dismay a lot of people at Patrick Henry College—especially the group of students that get together every Saturday morning from 10:30-12:00 to draw and color and sketch.
The liberal arts education puts great emphasis on the good and the beautiful. In core classes at Patrick Henry College such as Western Literature and Western Civilization, art is examined as a display of a culture’s thought pattern and methods of expression. But it’s not just an academic interest that students have towards arts.
Some students that attend the art society had previously attended art school or had taken art classes in high school. Some of them have never really taken any form of training in art at all. Regardless of their past experience with art, these students get together to get better and to compare notes.
It’s one thing to enjoy something by one’s self—and it’s quite another to do something that you love with people who have similar interests. Together, the art society has organized trips to Washington D.C.’s National art museum and explore some of the topics and pieces that they’ve studied in classes. French impressionism, for instance, is a big favorite of the art society. They spend a good deal of time in the French exhibit at the museum.
The organizers of the art society also bring in local artists to teach students and give classes.
It’s amazing how dedicated these students are to developing their skills. These Saturday mornings also provide a very encouraging environment. For students that have no idea how to draw, there is no judgement here.
An active community
Whether it’s the art society, the fencing society (yes, it’s a thing), the men’s acapella group, the dorm football team, or any of the other groups on campus, Patrick Henry College students find outlets to peruse the things they love doing. Patrick Henry College is designed to teach its students to become leaders wherever they might happen to be. It should come as no surprise that these students take it upon themselves to sharpen their skills but also have fun along the way.
Author Bio
Leo Briceno is currently studying Political Journalism at Patrick Henry College; a classical Christian liberal arts college in Purcellville, Virginia. Leo has grown up in Norther Virginia and after graduation, plans to stay in the area to work in the news industry in Washington D.C.