This spring, UNT students in an introductory 3-D design class gained professional experience in working with the demands of clients — in this case, Denton second-graders. In the project titled Taming the World’s Monsters, UNT students instructed by graduate student Cecilia Shikle learned how to create plush sculptures based on the drawings of second-graders from Hodge Elementary School, who got to keep the finished products.
James Thurman, assistant professor of visual arts and supervising faculty member for the course, says the students are “learning the value of contributing to the needs of our community” by applying the skills and knowledge they gained. He hopes to expand the pilot program to about 150 first-year students who would make plush sculptures to meet the needs of a local organization.