Kansas City Art Institute President Dr. Jacqueline Chanda discusses bringing creativity and community to the campus.
Dr. Jacqueline Chanda will mark her fourth Art of the Car® before she marks her fourth anniversary as president of the Kansas City Art Institute. Before she took the office in early July 2011, Chanda was already in town. So as a new resident with a sort of tourist mindset, she journeyed to the campus and found herself mesmerized by cars that she had often seen in old photos.
“I took many photos that day,” she says. “I saw Model T’s and took a closer examination of the interiors. Some of the collectors even let me sit in a few. They are just beautiful. There was a small collection of French cars and that was lovely, plus there were pedal cars. I remember those as a kid and I couldn’t believe the collectors who treasure these. Really every year is a chance to find an automobile that is unique. The chance to explore is fun.”
As a child growing up in Detroit, she always got drawing materials for her birthday and Christmas, Chanda says. In high school in Duarte, Calif., she was selected for Saturday scholarships to attend the California Art Institute for two years in a row.
Before joining KCAI in July 2011, Jacqueline Chanda was the academic dean of the Institute for American Universities and director of the Aix Center in Aix-en-Provence in France. She is a member of the International Council of Fine Arts Deans, the National Art Education Association and the College Art Association, among other organizations. She received her master’s in art education in 1977 and her Ph.D. in art history in 1983, both from the Sorbonne University in Paris.
She has taught undergraduate courses in teaching art methods, drawing, learning strategies, art methods for elementary teachers, art history, criticism, aesthetics and art appreciation, as well as graduate courses in history of art education, research methods and issues in art education, curriculum for art history, advocacy and political action in art education, qualitative research in action and art history. As a researcher, she has explored cognitive and pedagogical issues related to art history instruction in art education, cultural influences of African art and technology and learning. She has also received numerous travel and research grants.
The Eighth Annual Art of the Car Concours, a benefit for the KCAI scholarship fund, is growing in popularity and stature among vintage and classic collectors. This June 22 event marks the eighth year. The Concours is unique for its size and scale in having no formal judging and no classes of vehicles. The intention is to provide a wide range of very high-quality, original, vintage vehicles in an eclectic, informal setting, without the pressure of traditional Concours events. Marshall Miller, founder and event coordinator, is thrilled to be part of an event that 100 percent of the proceeds goes to scholarships.
“More than 95 percent of the students receive scholarships,” Miller says. “One of the most important things is getting people on the campus. We need to draw people to the campus; many of those who have exhibited and those who have attended have never been on the campus. Often people who have had no involvement in KCAI come to the Art of the Car Concours and they are taken with the atmosphere with the faculty and students.” This year’s event features hotrods in the mix.
During the event, people get a chance to wander around the campus. “We are providing the opportunity for visitors to learn where the Kansas City Art Institute is. They also can gather information about the continuing education classes for adults, teens and children,”
Chanda explains.
Retired President Dr. Kathleen Collins understood the idea that a car is art. “We attract more than car nuts; we have people who are interested in the arts community including buying art or being artists,” Miller says. “This event encourages multigenerational guests.” He recruits more than 200 volunteers and 29 staging managers to help with the event. Chanda imparts that she gets to walk and talk, not only about cars, but the larger relationship of art and beauty.
Evan Pardue, a senior painting major, hopes to start a studio practice in Kansas City. He just graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute without tremendous debt, he says. “I am originally from Houston, Texas, and attended high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. However, I received a significant scholarship and jumped. I know that my scholarship was based on merit and my portfolio. I had good grades and a strong portfolio. It has been such a help and a draw to get the scholarship. I know that KCAI looks for talent and new ideas. They want to support that and different views that can come with scholarship recipients. I know I would have had a different experience if I had not received the scholarship.”
As a young artist, Pardue knows that he can see how an education will pay off. “I have the tools and the future ahead of me,” he says. “I am very devoted and interested in how the old masters painted with oils. I have learned techniques and look at the environments around me. Oil paintings have luminosity. Sure it has been rigorous and stressful, but I can start my career with a great background in the practice of painting.”
Chanda says she understands that scholarships, like the one Pardue received and the ones she has received to attend UCLA, really do matter. “We know that good students can be attracted to a school,” she says. “I know personally the joy that a scholarship has in buying books, paying for tuition and other fees. Ironically I got the scholarship letter before my letter of acceptance. I still had to work part-time for spending money, but I know without financial support, I wouldn’t have been able to UCLA.” She estimates that about $12 million is awarded in scholarships annually.
As part of the Creative Crossroads and the momentum from the Mayor’s Task Force for the Arts, performing and visual artists are finding advocacy, including with Chanda and the Kansas City Art Institute. “KCAI is an institution of higher education that has a strong liberal arts component so our students are well rounded. College presidents need to be aware and provide stewardship. I, for example, hold open office hours where I speak with staff, faculty and sometimes mentor students. With the Art of the Car Concours, we have a chance to bring the community onto a campus that produces students who understand critical and creative thinking and the value of art education. We also provide continuing professional education, summer programs and more.
