Partnership between KSU College of the Arts and Towne Lake Arts Center benefits students
The College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University and the
Georgia (Jul 13, 2006) — Partnership between KSU College of the Arts and Towne Lake Arts Center benefits students
Cheryl Anderson Brown
Abstract
Contact: Cheryl Anderson Brown‚ 770−499−3417
The College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University and the Towne Lake Arts Center have recently formed a partnership that will serve both KSU students and the
arts center. This partnership builds on the College’s longstanding commitment to serving
the broader community and to providing service−learning opportunities for its students.
Officials with the Towne Lake Arts Center see the partnership as a fantastic way to
help college students learn about the theater business in a real−world setting. The
non−profit theater‚ located in Woodstock‚ will also benefit from the participation
and advice of Kennesaw State students.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for KSU students to learn how an actual theater operates‚”
said Gay Grooms‚ artistic director for the Towne Lake Arts Center. “As a small‚ but
vibrant theater‚ we're always looking for help. In fact‚ we hope the students can
help us with performances‚ set design‚ administrative work and everything associated
with a local theater.”
The training provided by the faculty of the KSU Department of Theatre and Performance
Studies ensures that the theater and dance students who assist at the arts center
have a solid understanding of production‚ performance and design. The students also
are well prepared to assist the arts center because of their work on the numerous
productions presented by the department each semester.
“Our students study with several of Atlanta’s best directors and with internationally
recognized designers‚ and they put their knowledge and creativity to work on KSU productions‚
but we always encourage them to also become involved in community and professional
theater companies‚” said Joseph Meeks‚ Dean of the KSU College of the Arts. “Those
experiences are invaluable for building their resumes and for helping them better
understand the specific challenges faced by theater companies outside of the academy.”
Like other partnerships between the College of the Arts and various community organizations‚
the Towne Lake Partnership also promises to benefit the communities it serves.
“The result of our cooperative effort will not only help Kennesaw State and the Towne
Lake Arts Center‚ it will also improve the cultural environment in Cherokee and Cobb
counties‚” said Grooms‚ who has been teaching‚ writing‚ directing and performing around
the country since the 1960s. She also had the opportunity to direct a five−year−old
girl in her first onstage acting performance. That little girl is Hollywood star Dakota
Fanning.
“Both Towne Lake Arts Center and the College of the Arts bring a lot of talent to
this collaboration‚” Dean Meeks said. “By working together‚ we can create programs
and experiences that each of us could not produce on our own.”
# # #
Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive‚ residential institution with a growing
student population approaching 20‚000 from 132 countries. The third largest state
university out of 35 institutions in the University System of Georgia‚ Kennesaw State
offers more than 60 graduate and undergraduate degrees‚ including a brand new Doctorate
of Education in Leadership.
The KSU College of the Arts is one of only four Georgia institutions to have achieved full national accreditation
for all of its arts programs.
The non−profit Towne Lake Arts Center (TLAC) was founded in 2002 by Executive and
Artistic Director G.L. Grooms. Since its inception‚ it has become a vibrant outlet
for theater and arts education for the residents of Cherokee County and surrounding
communities. TLAC offers productions in Children’s Theater and Evening Theater. The
Woodstock (GA) facility also conducts Drama Classes‚ Camps‚ Teen Arts Nights and a
variety of other arts−oriented programs.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its approximately 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 92 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status, and one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
