New SAVS courses prioritize sustainable materials for studio practices

The University of Kentucky’s School of Art and Visual Studies (SAVS) is reimagining what an art studio can be. Two courses, Healthy Materials Lab and Digital Matrix Modeling, led by fabrication lab specialist Hannah Smith and professor Jonathan McFadden last fall, aimed to eliminate toxic materials from studio practices and introduce students to safer, recycled, and biodegradable alternatives.  

“Sustainability is [a gap in our curriculum] that I want to keep underscoring,” said Smith. “We’re using materials that can be recycled or cheaply renewed, that are not to the detriment of our students’ health… We are showing them how to use these healthier practices for just about any kind of artistic discipline they want to pursue.”