Pamela Sachant

What is Your Background with UNG?

I started at what was North Georgia College and State University in August, 2005. I was there for a one-year position as an art historian. I was happy to take the position and I was coming to be near family. It became clear quickly that I had made a good choice on on my part and it seemed like I was fitting in well with the department. So when it came time for the search to take place for the permanent position, I happily applied and was accepted.

It was then a Department of Fine Arts and the department head was a professor of music. There also were area leaders for theater and the visual arts. I stepped into the role of being the lead in the art area. It just seemed like a natural fit. It was a time of transition for the entire department.

When I was still an assistant professor in Spring 2008, it was determined that we would do a trial run of having a Department of Music and a Department of Visual Arts. That went very well in the school year of 2008-2009. Visual Arts also moved from the Nix Cultural Center where we had been with Music into one floor of Hansford Hall. It was at that time called West Main Hall and later renamed after former president Hansford.

It was great for Visual Arts to have these new spaces, completely remodeled to our specifications, beautiful facilities. It was perfect as a way for us to think about coming together as an independent department. I became the the head of the Department of Visual Arts when it was officially named in Fall 2009. Once joined with Gainesville State College, we moved from being on one campus to three campuses, and had twice as many students, which provided us with a tremendous number of opportunities to continue to grow in many different directions for our students.

I received tenure at some point, became associate professor and eventually a professor of art history, and retired in December 2020. It was a very wonderful 12 years.

In Your Job, Who Gave You Inspirations?

My students. When I came to NGCSU, we had about 50 students in the department. I got to know them personally and I really enjoyed it. As we grew, I was able to by and large remain in connection with students. Remaining an academic advisor was very important to me because that was how I got to know students, find out what it is that they were struggling with, or what it is that they were celebrating as they were going through. Witnessing the wonders of many students blossoming into these creative and industrious individuals was a pleasure and privilege.

And my colleagues. I never met a more enthusiastic, creative, challenging, and eager to be challenged group. We were colleagues and friends. We collaborated not just in terms of helping our students but also sharing our own ideas and views and research. We're all enriching each other and benefiting from it. The administration was very supportive as we grew and needed more faculty and facilities.

What Achievements of the Department are You Most Proud of?

The growth of the department. More and more students applied for and entered our programs because as our reputation grew. To better serve the student needs, we added more degree programs.

Originally, there was the B.S. in art education which remains as a strong degree program. Then we had the the B.A. in art and the B.S. in art marketing, and later also degree concentrations in graphic design and in digital arts, which were in response to what students wanted as well as providing new areas for them to seek careers in.

We managed to expand into and maintain all those spaces. We were able to allow each campus to thrive with its own personality. I am thankful to all of the people who made those things happen. I am also proud of our teamwork of securing the accreditation granted by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Why Should UNG’s Department of Visual Arts be Supported?

Visual Arts give the enjoyment and enrichment in everyone's life. Out department has always been a part of the community.

Before the pandemic, we were able to make our exhibitions community events and there were people from the community looking forward to the exhibition openings. They enjoyed the artist talks and being able to interact with the university.

We have been participating in service art projects in Gainesville, large public art projects involving our faculty and student interns and sponsored by the Gainesville Housing Authority. Such opportunities and the wide range of trainings offered by the department promote creative and analytical thinking, abilities important to many professions as well as leisure pursuits.