Are you an art major? I bet you’re wondering, where that might lead. Here’s the first in a series of interviews with our students from the past.
Scott Brooks attended Vol State 1992-95.
Scott is currently Video Production Manager for GS&F Advertising Agency. He is also on the board for the American Advertising Federation, as Director of Student Engagement, and host of the annual Student Addys, which is the American Advertising Awards for College students in our district.
Did you go on to continue art studies somewhere else?
Yes — with my portfolio of work at Vol State, I was able to get a scholarship from Memphis College of Art. I was there from 1995-1998, when I received my BFA.
Have you continued working in art? How?
Yes — My major shifted from fine art to design art, with an emphasis on digital media (Websites, Cd-Roms), and I started working at an advertising agency as a web designer, but they encouraged my interests and strengths in Animation and video editing. I now manage the video production department.
If you have gone on to other pursuits, did your art studies help you in general?
The foundations I learned at Vol State built a visual vocabulary that helps me to communicate to clients and co-workers — and things like color theory, 2-d design principles help me to do my job better. They also help me to appreciate all of the arts more deeply — from Film to Museums and Galleries, and even Packaging in the grocery store.
What are your best memories in the art studios?
I loved the proximity of all the studios. You could be working on the printing press in one room and your friends would be doing painting or figure drawing in the next. It had a strong sense of community, were all really focused on learning about art history, techniques, and in the process learning a lot about ourselves, and expanding our perceptions of the visual world.
What has surprised you?
I just see the world differently now. When I was young, I could draw OK, but I didn’t know how to observe with an artist’s eye. Now I do, and it’s so much more interesting — I think that at least art appreciation should be a mandatory college class.
Do you have advice for our current students?
I’d bet they are feeling isolated and frustrated right now. Learning studio practice on-line has got to be weird. Get outside and draw. Go hiking, visit The Parthenon with your sketchbook. I remember being taught early-on that drawing from nature — what’s around you — is so important to get your skills up. A photo or object on a flat screen has taken so much of the effort out of drawing it, as it’s already a 2-d image. Something wonderful happens to your brain as you struggle to put a portion of the real world on paper.
Sample
Music City Grand Prix Sizzle Video: Indycar is coming to the streets ofNashville, and, during Covid, I worked with our drone videographer to create a sizzle reel that conveys the spirit of the event: A multi-day festival of food, music, and racing for the entire family to enjoy.