Celebrating 50 Years of Visual Arts
A Legacy of Achievement 1971 - 2021
The 2021–2022 academic year is a momentous occasion for the Department of Visual Arts (DoVA) with the celebration of the 50th anniversary. Over its 50-year history, DoVA have been recognized for academic rigor, the professional preparation of students, and for the serious integration of artistic practice and cultural heritage. This historic year will be a time to reflect on a golden legacy of achievement and the tremendous growth the department has witnessed and to celebrate all those who helped to facilitate it.
This important 50th Anniversary milestone will be marked by a year-long series of events that aim to honor the past, celebrate the present, and envision the future.
We welcome you to join us in Celebrating 50 Years of Creativity, Commitment, and Community!
On this Page
Special Events
Fall Semester
- Art Sale at Gold Rush Weekend, October 16 – 17, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Corkscrews & Canvas Fundraising Event, November 12th, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
- Will Kurtz Printmaking Biennial Exhibition, August 30 – September 21; Artist Talk September 20, 2:00 – 3:30pm
- Annie Campbell Exhibition, October 4 – 26; Artist Talk October 22, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
- Joe Kameen Exhibition, November 5 – 30; Artist Talk November 17th, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
- Dennis Ritter Ceramics Exhibition, August 23 – September 17; Artist Talk September 17, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
- Zuzka Vaclavik, October 11 – November 3; Artist Talk November 3, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
- BFA Group Exhibition, November 8 – 19
- Student Holiday Art Sale, November 29 – December 10
- Transfers: Erin McIntosh and Gary Pearce Exhibition, September 8 – October 20
- Relationships Sustain Us: OCAF Members’ Juried Exhibition, November 1 – 26
Spring Semester
- Corkscrews & Canvas Fundraising Event, February 10th, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Gainesville
- State of the Arts Panel Discussion, TBD
- 50th Anniversary Alumni Reunion, Alumni Weekend April 23 – 24, TBD, Pine Valley
- Bear on The Square Booth, April 22 – 24, Dahlonega
- DoVA Faculty Biennial, January 17 – February 8, Dahlonega & Gainesville; January 24 – March 11, Oconee
- Foundations: Bob Owens, Tommye Scanlin, Hank Margeson and Win Crannell Exhibition, February 28 – March 22
- Hal B. Rhodes III Student Exhibition, April 4 – 26
- Department of Visual Arts, January 17 – February 8
- Stacy Koffman Retrospective, February 28 – March 22
- DoVA Scholarship Award Winners, more details to come
- BFA Exhibition, more details to come
- Spring Student Art Sale, more details to come
- DoVA Faculty Biennial, January 24 – March 11
- Stacy Koffman Retrospective II, March 28 – April 22
- OCAF Members UNG Exhibition, November 1 - 26
A Brief History
The Department of Visual Arts (DOVA) was founded in 1971 as the Department of Fine Arts to “involve students who were interested in pursuing careers and enhancing life styles in the creative arts.” Headed by Robert “Bob” Owens (1971-1997), the department consisted of visual arts and music programs, and offered an Associate degree in craft design plus a Bachelor in Science in art and music education. Shortly thereafter the department offered a Bachelor of Arts degree to both art and music and a Bachelor of Science in art marketing.
From 1972-1988, there were just three faculty members: Bob Owens, Win Crannell, and Tommye Scanlin (McClure). The last of the graphic arts, photography, was added in 1989, when Henry W. “Hank” Margeson was employed as instructor in photography. Since then, Visual Arts has grown to a team of 36 faculty and staff members, 7 undergraduate degree programs, 5 minors, and 1 certificate.
The fine arts center was dedicated March 5, 1989 and named the John L. Nix Mountain Cultural Center in honor of the father of the man who provided the funds for the arts endowment.
Over the academic year of 2008-2009, there was a successful trial run for Visual Arts and Music to operate as separate departments. In Fall 2009, the Department of Visual Arts was officially established, headed by Pamela Sachant (2009-2020).
Robert "Bob" Owens
Bob Owens came to North Georgia College in 1965. He held a bachelor’s and Master’s in fine arts from the University of Georgia. Prior to coming to NGC he taught at Clark County High School. During the academic year 1965-66 Owens taught part-time at NGC and part-time at Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland.
After that he taught full-time at NGC, but maintained a residence and ceramic studio in Cleveland. During his first years at NGC, he taught art education, art appreciation, drawing, painting, and ceramics.
Winslow “Win” Crannell
Crannell held an associate of arts from Manatee Junior College, and a bachelor’s and masters’ from Florida State University.
Prior to coming to NGC, Crannell had been a policeman in Miami, Florida, a football coach in Statesville, Georgia, and a law book salesman in New York. At NGC he taught courses in drawing, painting, art history, art appreciation, and print.
Tommye Scanlin
In 1972, fiber art, or weaving, was added to the visual arts program, with Miss Tommye E. McClure employed to reach this facet of the arts.
She held a bachelor’s and a masters’ in education from the University of Georgia and a master in fine arts from East Tennessee University.
Later she married Tom Scanlin, a Dahlonega merchant, and the couple purchased and renovated Fair (Seven) Oaks, the old William P. Price house on Park Street, which for many years was known as the Couch House.
Tommye Scanlin served as department head from 1997 until her retirement in 2000.
50 Years of Stories
DoVA is North Georgia’s leading visual arts education center, and has contributed to the vibrancy of the region by supporting a student-focused, multi-campus department that fosters quality education, service, inquiry, and creativity.
As the arts and cultural regional community have grown and evolved, DoVA has been there every step of the way. In addition to its programs, the innovative community of faculty, staff, emeritus, current students, alumni, and donors contribute to a sustainable, collaborative, informed and inclusive future for the arts.
As we celebrate our golden legacy of achievement, we are grateful to our dedicated faculty, staff, current students, alumni, donors and partners, for helping to build the North Georgia arts and cultural community through 50 years of education, advocacy, and leadership.
Join us on looking back at our impact, from last year to 1971.
State of the Arts
Support Us
The arts enable us to see and do things differently—to redefine problems, create new solutions, and to become comfortable working with paradox and ambiguity. This thinking leads to innovation when combined with the transferable skills that DoVA majors obtain, and will therefore play an important role in preparing students for careers in a wide variety of fields—even those that do not yet exist.
In order to attract and retain the most qualified, creative students at UNG, we must increase funding for student support, which is essential to prepare the artists and leaders of the future. We also need to increase funding for student experiential and education abroad opportunities. Students interested in our programs need and want opportunities to put the skills learned in the classroom into practice. These experiences are also important to their parents, who also want assurance that their student is being equipped for the job market.
Privately funded scholarships and other resources enable the Department of Visual Arts to attract and keep high-performing students, many of whom need financial support to not only attend UNG but expand the learning beyond campus, such as in study abroad programs.
Donate & Support!
We seek to raise $25,000 to expand student support so we create an endowment providing a $500-$1,000 scholarship annually to a deserving student(s), which will continue to impact generations to come.
Endowed funds allow the department the ability to plan for the future and to provide students the resources they need to achieve their academic and professional goals.
