Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Nearly 20 juniors and seniors at Jackson Preparatory School in Flowood are participating in an interior design dual enrollment course offered by Mississippi State University.
Taught by 2009 MSU interior design graduate Swayze Neyland Pentecost of Jackson, the Digital Design for Interiors course provides an introduction to innovative software applications, including Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator. Such programs may be used to create graphic presentations, portfolios and digital illustrations of interior elements.
“Overall, the class is going wonderfully,” said Pentecost, a Jackson Prep alumna who also holds a master’s degree in historic preservation from Tulane University.
As part of the class, students recently took part in a daylong field trip to the Starkville campus. They enjoyed the opportunity to interact with university officials, including Provost and Executive Vice President Jerry Gilbert; Jason Keith, dean of the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering; Jim West, dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Design; and Naron Remillard, director of student recruitment.
The students also toured the Interior Design Program, School of Architecture, Department of Art, and Building Construction Science Program facilities, where they received information about the diverse curriculum and programs available through the College of Architecture, Art and Design.
“It was great for the Jackson Prep students to be able to observe classes and ask our students questions, so they could learn more about majors here on campus,” said Beth Miller, professor and director of the university’s interior design program. “The students are really enjoying the course at Jackson Prep, and I think we have a lot of interest in it for next year.”
Jason Walton, Jackson Prep’s Head of School, recently challenged Pentecost’s students to a billboard design competition. The winner of the competition was Mary Dunbar, whose winning design currently is displayed on two billboards in the Jackson Metro area.
“The students loved the opportunity to have a real life ‘client,’” Pentecost said.
Accredited by The Council for Interior Design Accreditation and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, MSU’s interior design program is the largest of its kind in the state of Mississippi. Providing students with a broad background in interior elements, materials, sources and practical experience in the business of interior design is its primary mission.
For more information about the interior design program and its Digital Design for Interiors course, contact Miller at 662-325-7689 or BMiller@caad.msstate.edu.
Learn more about MSU’s College of Architecture, Art and Design at www.caad.msstate.edu, facebook.com/CAADatMSU and twitter.com/CAADatMSU.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.