'Unleashing' Art
Art studio coordinator works with students for more than a decade
For 11 years, Ryan Flesher has worked with students in the North Art Studio. As the studio’s coordinator, technician, safety officer and art sculpture professor, Flesher said he has continued his work at Central Michigan University to expand the creativity of students.
Describe what you do each day.
Flesher: “Each day changes based on what the needs are for students, faculty and staff I support. My job is multifaceted, I’m the studio coordinator, the technician for the building, the safety officer for the department and I also teach. I could be doing anything from teaching to giving a lecture on safety to a class. I could be training on how to properly use equipment and materia
ls, I could be repairing a piece of equipment that’s damaged and I could be building new equipment.”
What is the most rewarding part of working with students?
Flesher: “I get thrilled by the development of students, from wherever they start. Everyone starts at a different starting point based on their experience level and how open-minded they are to creativity. I love to see students jump as far as possible with developing skills and creatively solve problems. I know I’ve done my job when I see students develop.”
How has the studio changed throughout your time here?
Flesher: "We have had a big push to make the studio a safer place for students, faculty and staff. Whether it is the use of tools, chemicals or materials. The studio has constantly been given upgrades of equipment from hand tools to power tools, pottery wheels and purchasing or building new kilns. A lot of changes have happened in 10 years, and I would say it’s mostly for the better.”
How difficult is it to maintain multiple jobs?
Flesher: “I think if I had a job that does the same thing all the time, then that would be hard. Fortunately, I don’t. I like to think of it as a dance that you do. There are certain dances that have predetermined steps, and then there are dances that allow you to become more free form and respond to what’s happening. I try to stay as organized as I can so I don’t get lost in the shuffle of things, I take a lot of notes, and I do a lot of research. Being able to work organically and multi-task is definitely a learned skill, it’s not something you are just able to do.”
What do we have to look forward to with today’s art?
Flesher: “Modern day art is moving more and more toward the virtual three dimensional and that is something we have to incorporate into classes. If everything goes to what the current plan is, we will be working with computer-controlled tools that will allow you to design, fabricate and print. I think we will see it in our classes in the next one to two semesters. We are already in the full development stage with that. Some of the equipment is already here, a Computer Numeric Control router that should be up and running this semester and allowed to be used this semester. Personally, I would like to see the integration of it, but not the elimination of the traditional ways of our hands. No matter what we will have to use our hands, when the power goes out.”
