Tag: Jennifer Higerd


Art Students Showcase Talents and Creativity at Exhibition


May 4, 2024 | Art Campus News

The annual East Central College Art and Design Student Exhibition showcased the remarkable talents of students from various disciplines demonstrating their creativity and skill.

The ECC Art Gallery buzzed with excitement during the April 25 reception as students and faculty gathered to celebrate the exceptional artwork on display.

Jennifer Higerd, Assistant Professor of Art and ECC Art Gallery Curator, and Sean Barton, Graphic Design Instructor and Art and Design Department Executive, presented awards to the talented winners in each category. They also acknowledged honorable mentions for their outstanding contributions.

Among the standout talents was Milo Guile, whose piece titled “Fallen Angel” earned him the highest recognition of “Best of Show.”

Milo’s achievement is exceptional given his previous success in last year’s exhibition with his wire art piece, “Coat Hanger,” which won Best of Show in the 2023 Exhibition.

The external juror, Sean Ramirez, a Senior Product Designer at Build-A-Bear Workshop, brought valuable expertise to the judging process. Prior to his current role, he contributed to the animation of beloved Disney films such as Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo and Stitch, and John Henry.

Below is the list of winners in each category:

Drawing — Maddi Jaegers, Bottles

Functional Ceramics — Christina Keeven, Fish Plate

Figure Drawing — Kayla Brinkmann, My Dome

Painting — Ash Marcus, Not an f* chicken*

2D Design — Angelique Holtmeyer, Catlusion

Illustration — Lann Remer, The Troll Emerges

Digital Design — Kayla Brinkmann, Moscow

Graphic Design — Hallelujah Medlock, Fruits of the Spirit

Sculpture — Carlie Shaw, Sweet Music

Film Photography — Miriam Bondor, Once upon a time

Printmaking — Hallelujah Medlock, Illuminated Tree

Honorable Mentions

Figure Drawing — Chae Keeney, Kimber

Painting — Amy Hervey, Shoes

Patron’s Picks

Continuing a tradition spanning over a decade, ECC’s Patrons of the Arts graciously supported our student artists by acquiring the following artworks to enrich the ECC Art Collection:

Ash Marcus – Not an f** Chicken

Carlie Shaw – Sweet Music

Desiree Delisi – The Overgrown

Hallelujah Medlock – Fruits of the Spirit

Hannah Pilarski – Brim

Lann Remer – Amalgamation of Consumerism

Maddi Jaegers – Mime

Connor Flaherty – Drift Away

Zoe Meyer – Sunset Clouds


Student Milo Guile with Best of Show award

Winners of ECC Art & Design Student Exhibition Announced


May 3, 2023 | Art Campus News

Many talented and creative students were recognized April 27 during a reception for the East Central College Art and Design Student Exhibition.

Jennifer Higerd, assistant professor of art and gallery curator, and Sean Barton, graphic design instructor and art and design department executive, presented awards to the winners of each category and recognized those receiving honorable mentions.

“It was a delight to welcome students, their families and friends to celebrate the work they’ve done over the past year,” Higerd said. The art and design student exhibition closed May 3.

The highest recognition, Best of Show, was awarded to Milo Guile, Washington, for his wire art piece, “Coat Hanger.”

Listed below are the winners in each category:

Digital Design — Jon Queen, “Osamu Tezuka”

Printmaking — Miriam Bondor, “Adventure Awaits”

Digital Photography — Miriam Bondor, “In Bloom”

Watercolor — Chloe Eades, “Medusa”

Sculpture (3D Design, Ceramics) — Milo Guile, “Thunder”

Functional Ceramics — Lacy Buchanan, “Curvy Vase”

Painting — Zoe Meyer, “Egg”

Drawing — Parker Williamson, “Hand Study”

Figure Drawing — Abby Stanfield, “A Study of Light”

2D Design — Mackenzie Rieger, “Season of Stripes”

Illustration — Emmalyn Henderson, “The Rigid Reflections of Blackthorn Wood”

Honorable Mention

“Parasomnia,” Kimber Clement-Thompson

“The Home as it Pertains to the Vessel,” Elijah Uffman

“Pumpkins and a Silver Fork,” Megan Pritchard

“Unrealistic Standards,” Elijah Uffman

Patron’s Picks

Listed below are artworks purchased by the ECC Foundation to be added to the college’s art collection:

“The Big Cheese,” Abby Stanfield

“Medusa,” Chloe Eades

“Mom’s Stew,” Elijah Uffman

“Medusa,” Emmalyn Henderson

“Winged Woman,” Hallelujah Medlock

“The Healing of the Oak Sprite,” Emmalyn Henderson

“Pumpkins and a Silver Fork,” Megan Pritchard

“Coat Hanger,” Milo Guile

“The Rigid Reflections of Blackthorn Wood,” Emmalyn Henderson

“Rabbit and Fox” (tiles), Megan Pritchard

“Forest Walk,” Milo Guile


NISOD Excellence Awards Presented to ECC Employees


February 13, 2023 | Campus News ECC Rolla

Three East Central College employees are being recognized for their dedication to students, the College and their coworkers with 2023 NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) Excellence Awards.

The ECC award recipients are Stacy Bellville, administrative assistant for the vice president of academic affairs; Jennifer Higerd, assistant professor of art and the Art Gallery curator; and Alice Whalen, director of adult education and literacy.

NISOD is a professional development provider that offers programs and resources for community and technical colleges. Member colleges can recognize employees through the Excellence Awards, which are presented to faculty and staff who are doing extraordinary work on their campuses.

Award recipients receive a unique silver medallion engraved with The University of Texas and NISOD insignias and adorned with a burnt orange ribbon. NISOD is based out of the University of Texas in Austin.

Stacy Bellville

Bellville has worked in many different offices within academic affairs, and in each case, she has approached her work with professionalism, enthusiasm, passion and humor.

“She embodies the College’s value of service every day. She is always ready to answer questions and deals patiently with her colleagues,” Bellville’s nomination reads. “Stacy is invaluable in helping with assessment activities. She also serves with diligence, integrity, and thoroughness as the recorder for collective bargaining sessions.

“Her enthusiasm and dedication to ECC go beyond her work as an administrative assistant.”

Bellville has represented the ECC Classified Staff in various capacities for many years, bringing that same passion to helping organize an array campus events from in-service activities to holiday parties and everything in-between. She reinforces a sense of collaboration among all employees.

“Stacy is the go-to person for many, not just for her knowledge of the inner workings of the college and her competence, but for her encouragement and support.”

Jennifer Higerd

Higerd has been a valued faculty member for 12 years, serving as an advocate and mentor for art students. In her role as Art Gallery Curator, she exposes students and the ECC community to master artists of various media from all over the country.

She serves ECC through her commitment to assessment. As one of the three faculty chairs of the Instructional Assessment Committee, she has made Annual Assessment Reporting and Planning (AARP) a priority.

“Jenn’s commitment to ECC was showcased when she served as one of the tri-chairs for the Higher Learning Commission comprehensive evaluation visit,” Higerd’s nomination states. “In this role, she was instrumental in preparing faculty and staff for the site visit and in writing the assurance argument. Her hard work helped guide ECC to a successful re-accreditation.”

Whether it is creating professional development opportunities, meeting with faculty and staff regularly — one example is her monthly meeting with arts and sciences’ dean, department chairs and coordinators — or co-leading ECC faculty and staff through the first comprehensive review of general education, her passion for assessment is inspirational.

Alice Whalen

Whalen has served as the AEL program director since 2014. Alice has expanded the program from offering AEL programming in six communities in 2014 to 13 communities throughout the ECC service region today. The AEL program offers day and evening HiSET classes and English language acquisition courses, serving an average of 300 individuals per year.

She developed a program with WEG Transformers, Washington, to provide over 30 non-native English-speaking employees with classes to enhance their language skills. In 2015, under her leadership and direction, Whalen worked with the South Central Missouri Literacy Council in Phelps Country to add four counties, Crawford, Gasconade, Franklin and Montgomery, to create the East Central Literacy Council. The Council supports the ECC AEL program and raises funds to cover additional AEL student expenses.

Whalen is the AEL representative for the Missouri Association for Workforce Development (MAWD) as the Adult Education and Literacy representative and serves as a MAWD board member, as the Public Information chair. In 2022, she presented at the MAWD conference and the Missouri Association for Adult Continuing and Community Education conference about the effects of poverty on students titled “Poverty from an Insider’s Perspective.”

“As ECC focuses its attention on adult learners, Alice is the co-chair of a committee to design a process map for AEL students to matriculate into college programming,” her nomination reads.

“Alice knows the importance of community involvement and understands how multiple barriers effect a student’s ability to start and complete their education. Alice’s positive energy at the college and throughout the ECC service region is contagious, as she strives to make sure anyone who wants to enhance their lives through education, can do so.”


Art & Design Student Exhibition Winners Announced


May 3, 2022 | Art Campus News

During a reception for the Annual East Central College Art & Design Student Exhibition, the Best of Show was presented to Manny McQueen for his Self Portrait.

That is in addition to several other Best in Category and Honorable Mention accolades presented at the exhibition reception held April 28 in the ECC Art Gallery.

The exhibit is a celebration of the culmination of the year’s hard work, growth, and learning by the students, according to Jennifer Higerd, ECC art instructor and gallery coordinator.

This is the first reception that was held in person since 2019. For the artists, it is an opportunity for their parents, friends, and family to join the faculty to acknowledge and honor their hard work.

The Art & Design Exhibition showcases the work ECC students accomplished over the course of the academic year. The show closes Wednesday, May 4.

During the award presentations, Sean Barton, graphic design instructor, described that the class of freshman and sophomore students as a “powerhouse,” due to the number of incredible artists in the ECC program.

Students may submit up to five works to be considered for the exhibition. The art faculty selected the works to be on display, and an outside judge – Michael Behle, artist and art professor at UMSL — chose the best works in each category as well as the Best in Show award.

Listed are the show winners and honorable mentions by category, and the names of the works:

Best of Show

Manny McQueen – Self Portrait

Digital Design (Poster Design)

Honorable Mention – Caleb Brinker, Visit Rothyll travel poster

Best in Category – Parker Williamson, Labyrinth, have a cup of tea

Digital Design (Page Design)

Honorable Mention – Carolyn Horst, Gerard Way

Best in Category – Blake Rodgers, Critical

Digital Photography

Best in Category – Sage Sparkman, Delicate Daffodils

Graphic Design

Best in Category – Carter Hanse, Wild Advances

Photography

Honorable Mention – Miriam Bondor, Love With Your Life

Best in Category – Joseph McCary, Art School Jesus

Sculpture (3D Design, Ceramics)

Honorable Mention – Madison Barbarick, Humminghorse

Honorable Mention – Manny McQueen, Ugly Tiger

Best in Category – Carter Hanse, Treeli

Functional Ceramics

Best in Category – Manny McQueen, Sake Set

Painting

Honorable Mention – Kylee Vawter, Self Portrait

Best in Category – Emma Lombardino, Self Portrait

Drawing

Honorable Mention – Megan Pritchard, Colanders & Cones

Honorable Mention – Emily Knoppe, Arts n’ Cats

Best in Category – Chloe Eades, Not your hole

Figure Drawing

Honorable Mention – Mary Bequette, Skellyman & the Patient

Honorable Mention – Emily Knoppe, Colorful Figure

Best in Category – Abby Stanfield, Female Figure

2D Design

Honorable Mention – Caleb Brinker, 200 Lines

Best in Category – Lacy Buchanan, Danny 5 Ways

Illustration

Honorable Mention – Emily Knoppe, Aerial Witchcraft

Honorable Mention – Ash Dodson, Vegan Pho Bowl

Honorable Mention – Travis Gatlin, The Harp

Best in Category – Sara Carter, Unreliable


Work of ECC Art and Design Students on Display in Gallery


April 25, 2022 | Art Campus News

The work of East Central College art and design students is on display now in the ECC Art Gallery.

The annual showcase is an opportunity for the college staff, faculty, students and the community to see the works of ECC art students, according to Jennifer Higerd, assistant professor of art and gallery curator.

The show began April 20 and will run through May 4. A reception will be held April 28 from 5-7 p.m. in the Gallery.

“The works in the show are chosen from numerous entries and they were selected because of the quality of the works and the ideas engaged in the work,” Higerd said. “We invite everyone to come join us to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of our students.”

She added that the art faculty selected the works to be on display, and an outside judge – Michael Behle, artist and art professor at the university of Missouri-St. Louis – chose the best works in each category, as well as the Best in Show award.

The awards will be presented during the reception Thursday.

Students with work in the show are:

Abby Stanfield, Ash Dodson, Blake Rodgers, Bobby Claspill, Caleb Brinker, Carolyn Horst, Carter Hanse, Charity Reynolds, Chloe Eades, Emily Knoppe, Emma Brown, Emma Lombardino;

Joe McCary, Kimberlee Clements-Thompson, Kylee Perriman, Kylee Vawter, Lacy Buchanan, Madison Barbarick, Manny McQueen, Mary Bequette;

Megan Pritchard, Milo Guile, Miriam Bondor, Paige Pelster, Parker Williamson, Sage Sparkman, Sara Carter and Travis Gatlin.


Four Rivers Conference High School Art Exhibited at ECC


March 31, 2022 | Art Campus News

The works of many talented high school artists from the area are now on display in the East Central College Art Gallery.

Winners of the 36th Annual Four Rivers Conference High School Art Competition are being exhibited featuring students from Hermann, New Haven, Owensville, Pacific, St. Clair, St. James. Sullivan and Union high schools.

ECC Assistant Professor of Art and Gallery Curator Jennifer Higerd said art teachers from each of the schools taking part on the Four Rivers High School Art Exhibition installed their students’ work Friday, March 25.

“It’s a rich selection of different styles, media, and projects from our area’s talented students and teachers,” Higerd said.

The show will run through April 7 and culminate with a closing reception that evening from 5-7.

The Best in Show for 2D is Natalie Lotshaw, Hermann High School. The Best in Show for 3D is Hallelujah Medlock, Sullivan High School.

Listed below are the first-, second- and third-place winners of the competition by category.

Painting

Carlie Shaw, first; Maddison Jaegers, second; and Arianna Willard, third.

Honorable mention — Kylee Ware.

Drawing (black and white)

Cecelia VanNess, first; Erin McCool, second; and Allie Jobe, third.

Honorable mention — Aubrey Harris.

Drawing (color)

Lillianne Morell, first; Kylee Ware second; and Mackenzie McCauley, third.

Honorable mention — Luke Berblinger and Katelynn Bertram.

Mixed Media

Grace Godat, first; Anna Gerling, second; and Loren Halmick, third.

Honorable mention — Loren Halmick, Isabelle Gillam and Dawn Birdsall.

Sculpture

Hallelujah Medlock, first; Shaley Parmentier, second; and Alyssa Manning, third.

Honorable mention — Carlie Shaw.

Digital Art

Camryn Mathis, first; Jon Queen, second; and Bee Day, third.

Honorable mention — Maria Guevara.

Ceramics

Amber Crisler, first; Amber Harbert, second; and Cassidy Cunningham, third.

Honorable mention — Shaley Parmentier and Amber Crisler.

Prints

Natalie Lotshaw, first; Maddison Jaegers, second; and Danielle Allen, third.

Design

Abigail Chase, first; Al Earnheart, second; and Hannah Dew, third.

Honorable mention — Aaliyah Johnson.

Fibers

Grace Godat, first place.


College Preparing for Accrediting Body Visit


February 7, 2022 | Campus News

East Central College staff and faculty have been preparing for an important visit this spring from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the college’s accrediting body.

A five-person peer review team with HLC will visit ECC April 11-12 as part of the college’s accreditation, which is a “stamp of approval” that demonstrates the college is deeply committed to educational quality and improvement.

The team will meet with faculty, staff and students, and review the college’s assurance argument, a narrative that makes the case ECC meets the criteria for accreditation.

In preparation for the upcoming visit, the college has been educating employees and students on the importance of accreditation. The team driving the college’s accreditation process are Dr. Robyn Walter, vice president of academic affairs; Dr. Michelle Smith, executive director of institutional effectiveness; and Jennifer Higerd, assistant professor of art and art gallery curator.

“We are already doing good work in meeting our educational commitment to students, and providing educational and cultural opportunities to our communities,” Higerd said.

“During the last year and a half, we’ve been preparing for the HLC visit by compiling examples of this good work – examples we’ll put into our assurance argument.”

Accreditation is a guarantee to the public that an institution is prepared to do its job. It is required for institutions to receive federal funding, including financial aid which is distributed to students.

In addition to funding, accreditation also is an indicator that colleges and universities provide high-quality educational programs, which greatly impacts transfer degrees. Most institutions only accept transfer credits from colleges and universities that are accredited.

“East Central College is proud to be accredited through the HLC and looks forward to a comprehensive evaluation to ensure they are meeting the HLC Criteria for Accreditation,” Walter said.

She noted that other academic agencies accredit specific programs, such as culinary, medical assisting, education, and more, HLC accredits the institution as a whole.

“HLC and other regional accrediting agencies are responsible for assuring that entire colleges and universities meet certain standards in terms of their missions, operations, and activities in teaching and student learning, discovery and promotion of knowledge, and service,” Walter added.

ECC first earned accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association in 1976. Since that time, the College has maintained a history of accreditation and engagement with the HLC.

The HLC is the accrediting body for ECC and about 1,000 colleges and universities in 19 states that stretch from West Virginia to Arizona. HLC is a private, nonprofit accrediting agency. It is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States.

Criteria

The HLC has a set of five criteria that is reviewed during the accreditation process:

  • The college’s mission
    • Integrity —ethical and responsible conduct
    • Teaching and learning — quality, resources and support
    • Teaching and learning — evaluation and Improvement
    • Resources, planning and institutional effectiveness

To promote accreditation and educate ECC employees, students and the community, the college’s accreditation committee has been meeting on campus with faculty, staff and students. In addition, “mock” site reviewers were on campus, Nov. 15-16, 2021, to meet with stakeholders and give the campus community an idea of what to expect during the HLC visit in April.

“In addition to the mock visit, we’ve been preparing with our colleagues through workshops and roundtable discussions, where members of different employee groups share anecdotes and examples of the ways that we all, in our daily work, support and meet HLC’s criteria for accreditation,” Higerd added.


‘Monsterbet’ Exhibit Coming to ECC Art Gallery


January 19, 2022 | Art Campus News

The East Central College Art Gallery will present “Monsterbet: An Aberrant Abecedarius,” a solo exhibition of oil and mixed media paintings by California-based artist Heidi Brueckner.

The exhibition will run from Jan. 25 to Feb. 15, in the gallery located in Hansen Hall. Heidi Brueckner painting

“Monsterbet” is a series of cultural allegories based on the traditional format of children’s ABC books, but with a layer of social commentary. Each letter of the alphabet stands for an invented monster that has a particular quirk.

The works are playful and fanciful, while simultaneously symbolic and conceptual, touching on some of the artist’s favored themes of human vice, morality and fear.

The series includes many types of mixed media such as sewing pins, safety glass, vintage Italian doll’s eyes, eyelashes, screen, seeds and pods, flocking, dollar bills, AstroTurf, computer keyboard keys, leaves and blossoms, band-aids, dice, garlic skins, lace, glitter, springs and paper. A companion book of the series is available.

Brueckner has been a professor of art at West Valley College in Saratoga, Calif., for over 20 years. She graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz, with degrees in both art and art history. She earned a master’s in fine arts in painting from the University of Kansas.

Brueckner has shown her work nationally and internationally in over 100 solo and group shows. During 2020-21 she won 11 first-place awards among others, including Italy’s International Prisma Art Prize and the Faber Birren Color Award. She lives and works in Oakland, Calif.

To learn more or see Brueckner’s work, visit www.heidibrueckner.com.

For additional information about the exhibit or the ECC Art Gallery, contact Assistant Professor of Art and Gallery Curator Jennifer Higerd at jennifer.higerd@eastcentral.edu or 636-584-6653.

Heidi Brueckner paintings


#InspiringExcellence – Jennifer Higerd Honored with Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award


December 19, 2018 | Campus News Inspiring Excellence

She has taught in West Africa. She spent several years tutoring hearing-impaired high school students. She even spent a year as a Spanish instructor. No matter the setting, Jennifer Higerd loves to teach.

“I’ve really been teaching for most of my adult life,” she said. “I love watching and guiding the transformations and growth in students – the look on their faces when they ‘get it.’”

For the last eight years, Higerd has been educating East Central College students in design and ceramics. She also is the curator for the East Central College Art Gallery.

“I really enjoy getting to know students – helping them to find their voice and then to find the medium to share their story,” she explained. “I love to see the new and innovative things they come up with.”

Her passion for teaching hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2018, she was awarded the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award! Sponsored by Emerson, the award program annually recognizes more than 100 educators in the St. Louis area who are examples of excellence in their field.

“It is so nice to be appreciated! I am thankful for wonderful colleagues who’ve helped me to grow and improve as a teacher and mentor,” she said. “I’m so thankful to work with so many talented and inspiring colleagues doing such great things on our campus.”


ECC Receives Accreditation from National Association of Schools of Art and Design


June 5, 2015 | Campus News

East Central College recently earned accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

“NASAD accreditation represents another huge step forward as the college continues to enhance our programs and seek external recognition of the quality that we provide,” stated Dr. Jon Bauer, ECC president.

Founded in 1944, NASAD is an organization of schools, colleges and universities. It has approximately 322 accredited institutional members. It establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials.

East Central becomes the eighth institution in Missouri to earn NASAD accreditation and just the third Missouri community college to receive the distinction.  NASAD accreditation has been granted to just 72 of the two-year private proprietary schools and 1,200 public community colleges  in the nation.

Jean McCann, vice president of instruction at ECC, congratulated the faculty, specifically Adam Watkins,  Jennifer Higerd and Sean Barton, “for designing a curriculum and facilities we can all be very proud of.”

She noted that accreditation means that the ECC art and design departments provide the educational quality which meets the standards and guidelines set by NASAD.

“Accreditations always benefit our students,” stated McCann. “We have program to program articulation agreements in place with several four year universities, and NASAD accreditation is another way that East Central assists its graduates.”

A meticulous application process began more than three years ago and included a self-study, onsite review and a panel review by the NASAD Commission of Accreditation.  “The application for accreditation process helped us to make important decisions regarding curriculum and facilities as we strive to improve and advance our program,” McCann said.  “While the process was long and exacting, the college is thrilled to add this accreditation to its growing list of credentials and achievements.”

For students planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree, ECC offers two transfer options:  the Associate of Arts degree in Studio Art and the Associate of Fine Arts degree.  Students wanting to enter the workforce sooner can pursue an Associate of Applied Science degree in Graphic Design or Multimedia Design.