At CCP, art is the little program that can

Community College of Philadelphia is not usually thought of as an art school.

And, strictly speaking, with more than 34,000 full- and part-time students studying everything from English as a second language to computer science, it isn't.

Which makes the college's art program that much more remarkable. Though its students are counted in the hundreds, the art department has very quietly had a big impact on those it teaches - and on the larger art world.

"I believe CCP is a very under-the-radar institution that does a great deal of good for Philly but never gets the acknowledgment deserved," said highly regarded painter and photographer Diane Burko, who taught there from 1970 to 2000. "The art department is a prime example."

But the college has decided to turn its under-the-radar department into a major asset by basing its 50th Anniversary Scholars Program fund-raiser on artwork donated by students, alumni, and faculty.

At 6 p.m. Friday in its Pavilion Building on 17th Street, the college will host An Evening of Art & Soul, a gala featuring paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and photographs - all for sale, all created by those with ties to CCP's art program, and with proceeds going to support the scholars program.

That program is specifically aimed at eliminating tuition and fees for eligible students, no matter what their course of study.

Works by current and former faculty members, including Burko, landscape artist Jeffrey Reed, ceramist Karen Aumann, graphic artist Terry Peterson, and such alumni as photographer Rita Gaudet deVecchis, painter Paula Molnar, graphic artist Manny Hernandez, and mixed-media artist Danny Narvaez will be for sale.

Also on display will be works by CCP's photography department faculty, including department chair Jon Spielberg, and alumni.

Jeffrey Reed, an associate professor of art, said the art program had been very successful in the last few years, with students completing their two-year associate's degrees and moving on to four-year art schools, including the country's most difficult to get into. Currently, for instance, there are two CCP graduates at Cooper Union in New York City.

Students have also moved directly to the nation's top art schools, such as the Tyler School of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Rhode Island School of Design, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Maryland Institute College of Art, to name a few.

"We've been very successful the last two years," said Reed. "Our students have been offered over half a million dollars in merit scholarships."

Former students have also donated work to the gala scholarship fund-raiser.

Karsten Goodwin, 24, who earned his two-year degree last year and is now at the Rhode Island School of Design, has donated three works.

He said CCP helped him acquire the necessary financial aid from RISD and provided him with the strong fundamental art training he needed to pursue his interest in industrial design. He held down two jobs to pay for CCP.

"I worked my way through," he said. "I feel very comfortable [at RISD]. At CCP, they gave me the basic knowledge and I'm relying a lot now on the skills I acquired there."

Goodwin has two paintings and "a stuffed monster animal" in the sale. "It's a bit strange," he said of his octopuslike animal.

College officials say they want to build a self-sustaining endowment for the 50th anniversary scholarship program. Students in any field may receive the support, but they must be ready to move directly from high school to CCP. About 200 students have entered the program, now in its inaugural year.

Essence Durant, 18, from South Philadelphia, is part of that debut group of scholars.

"It's definitely made going to Community a lot easier because it covers everything," she said. "I can just focus on this year." Durant intends to move on to Temple University to study media and communications after she obtains her associate's degree.

Daniel Henderson, 19, is another student in the initial scholars group.

"It's helped me very much," he said. Henderson's mother is attending nursing school and he also works full-time to help support the family. When he finishes at CCP, Henderson, of Germantown, plans to continue at Shippensburg University, studying business.

"This helps with everything," he added. "Books, tuition, everything."

The art exhibition, of about 200 works from 80 artists, has been organized by Reed, Aumann, and sculptor/installation artist Jake Beckman, also a faculty member.

"Our students," said Reed, "are paving the way for students coming in behind them. They are solid."

For more information on the gala, visit the website at www.ccp.edu/art-and-soul.

ssalisbury@phillynews.com

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