Since its establishment in 1946, the Palomar College Art Department has served as a vital, evolving hub for artistic expression and growth. Offering a range of classes from traditional ceramics to digital illustration, the department profoundly impacts students’ lives positively.
Beyond the inherent benefits of art education, such as improved mental well-being and enhanced creative thinking, the department also fosters an environment where students can translate their passion into tangible experiences.
These include the opportunities to engage with the community through selling their artwork at campus events and potentially local markets. Students may also collaborate with community organizations or participate in public art initiatives that help
bring their creative visions to a wider audience.
Art holds relevance for millions, and Palomar students are no exception. Engaging in art supports their personal and academic development.
Engaging with art can improve one’s mind in many ways, as explained by Dr. Frank Clark in an interview with the American Medical Association.
“Some of the specific benefits that we have seen are that the arts can improve concentration. They can improve self-esteem … Just a couple of minutes a day can be therapeutic for people.” Clark said.
Even brief engagement with the arts can improve concentration and self-esteem, laying the groundwork for student success.
The ability to express oneself through various artistic mediums and the encouragement of creative thinking and social interaction among artists further enhance these benefits.
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) emphasizes the pivotal role of public art education in providing emotional release, fostering creative thinking and self-awareness, and improving social skills and teamwork.
Palomar College’s Art Department also helps students create art representing their identity. The Department has created an environment where art is welcomed, regardless of the form.
For students like Isabella Frontiero, a second-year Arts and Humanities major at Palomar, the Art Department provides an incredible community where constructive critique and interaction with fellow artists inspire further growth.
“Being in a community with people and part of the Art Department is doing critique. So, hearing outside voices like what works in my art and what doesn’t work in my art inspired me to reach out for more things,” Frontiero said.
Students say the supportive environment extends beyond the classroom, offering opportunities for students to feel like they are making a real impact through their art.
Frontiero, who creates everything from paintings to custom shoes, hopes to one day tell stories through tattoos.
She said she feels the Art Department has positively impacted her life and influenced her to want to do more with her art. From drawing and painting to creating custom shoes, she hopes to one day create stories for others.
“I hope to create for people. I would like to become a tattoo artist. I’d like to bring people’s thoughts and people’s meanings and bring them to life and put it on them,” she said.
Palomar College’s Art Department goes beyond traditional instruction by creating practical outlets for students to share their talents, including opportunities to sell their art.
This aspect of the department is particularly evident in areas like the Ceramics Department, where the hum of the kiln and the rhythmic whir of the potter’s wheel are accompanied by the entrepreneurial spirit of students transforming their passion into profit.
The journey into art begins with a genuine and profound love for the creative process itself.
For part-time ceramics student Safa Salman, who balances art with a full-time engineering job.
“I really love the many facets of it; you can do so much,” Salman said.
Salman began taking even classes to learn the basics before delving into more technical skills like making her own glazes.
Palomar College fosters a nurturing environment by hosting regular sales that provide a platform for students to gain confidence and test the market. Salman vividly recalls the excitement of her first sale.
“I remember vividly the first person who purchased one of my pieces while I was manning the register. I’m pretty sure I was; I was extremely excited. I was like, ‘You’re buying my piece! Oh, my God! I can’t believe it. Somebody bought my piece,’” Salman said.
With the excitement also comes challenges. For example, Palomar students have discovered that certain types of items sell better at the campus market than others, and the timing means holding on to work for long periods.
Shadae Talebi, who transferred from MiraCosta College, discovered that some of her more intricate work wasn’t market-friendly. However, Talebi encountered a problem when she found out the products sold at the market were more functional classic items.
“Little small trinket pieces tend to sell more, like plates, cups, bowls. Some of the pieces I create take up to fifty to seventy hours to make, so those I have to make, so if I go to sell something like that I have to ask eight or nine hundred dollars for it and I’ve been told this is not the market for it.” Talebi said.
Through all these experiences, students within the Art Department, especially in areas like ceramics, can build a strong community and support each other.
Jade Lau is another sophomore at Palomar. She currently majors in studio art, but she plans on getting into graphic design.
From creating animations to drawing and painting, Lau has been immensely impacted by art and communicates that through art.
“The Art Department is such an amazing community of artists, and they’re all so incredibly uplifting and encouraging … It’s really the community that is so inspiring, too. You see a lot of really cool ideas and concepts from other people’s art that just drives your heart,” Lau said.
From animations to drawings, paintings, and ceramics, Lau feels she can best communicate by creating pieces and taking classes at Palomar. These classes have helped her learn how to express herself more deeply.
The Art Department has allowed students like Safa Salman, Isabella Frontiero, and Jade Lau to grow as artists and build relationships with their classmates and professors. The department also allows students to express themselves freely and gives them the opportunity to make connections with other artists.
Beyond individual growth and community building, the department provides tangible opportunities for students to engage with the professional art world through student exhibitions, workshop visits with artists, and guidance with marketing and selling their work. The Art Department equips students with practical skills and experiences that extend beyond the classroom.
“I love what I can make, and when I can put my head onto paper and people can see what I see, it’s a really fun experience, and I think it really brings a lot of community as well,” Lau said.
