Article #2

The new Chair of the Art Department is just as much an artist, as she is scientist.

Last fall, in 2018, Terri McGaffin, the previous Chair of the Art Department, announced her retirement.

Now, with the fall semester roughly halfway over, let’s see how Prindaville is doing so far in this new journey.

Prindaville traveled from Leavenworth, Kansas. She worked as the Art Program Director at the University of St. Mary for 6 years.

She did an international search and applied for 60 positions that met what she was looking for, to which one of them was Morningside. She was looking for was a strong art program and Morningside had it.

Prindaville was happy to be accepted as the new Chair of the Art Department. She said, “This one, I thought, was the best fit. The people…every step felt like a good fit.”

To which she continued on that the position here kept her career progressing and added extra benefits.

She feels that the program is more academically geared and people seem more serious about it. “The art is healthy here,” she said. The previous school she worked at was geared towards the athletes and not the artists. Prindaville would go on describing the wonderful program and environment Morningside College provides.

Prindaville brings to the campus many talents. She likes to do ecological artwork, she describes as “not so narrow in terms of media but narrow in topic.” She uses a variety of techniques, and typically brings together nature and psychological human traits to her pieces. She does a lot of experimenting as she enjoys science.

Reclamation
Mixed media relief including QuickCure Clay, QuickCure Glaze Coating, acrylic, aragonite crystals, and salt on birch panel, 12×9.25×2”, 2019

She is thankful for Terri McGaffin, even saying that she is amazing. McGaffin, the previous chair of the art department and now the transition coordinator for the department, is helping Prindaville transition by taking some of the many projects that needs to be done.

Not many schools prepare people for their positions and Prindaville is thankful for it.

McGaffin is very confident in Prindaville. She sees potential for more interdisciplinary work to happen. McGaffin points out Prindaville is a multi-disciplinary artist, a scientist and speaks in terms of legal issues. Prindaville is a good example, as students have already been doing this, by not being dedicated to one thing. 

From a student perspective, Freshman, Devyn Reilly, is currently taking two classes, Design and Drawing, taught by Prindaville.

Prindaville’s style of teaching is always on schedule. All the assignments and projects that are described on the syllabus are on time. She rarely makes few adjustments.

In both her classes, Reilly believes that Prindaville is doing a good job at helping her get better at art. All the inputs Reilly has gotten from Prindaville has helped improve her art; from highlights to values.

Fluoresce
Watercolor on recycled paper, 12×9″, 2014

Another student who is currently in one of Prindaville’s class is sophomore, Elise O’Regan. Having had McGaffin and, now, Prindaville teach; O’Regan said there is a difference between the two. She states that McGaffin is a lot more “chill” compared to Prindaville, as she is seen as strict. “That can be a good thing for some and a bad thing for others.” O’Regan mentions.

O’Regan says Prindaville is really friendly and because of her, O’Regan has improved in her Drawing class.

For more information or wanna see more of Prindaville’s art, click on the link: http://shelbyprindaville.com/

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