Laura Raborn, who recently earned her Master of Arts with a focus on painting from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, shares how her UALR education helped her live out her dreams as a successful artist. 

I’ve always been an artist, but I knew my mediocrity could not sustain an art career. After waiting almost 20 years to return to school, I finally enrolled in figure drawing at UALR and was immediately hooked. During those post baccalaureate classes, Marjorie Williams Smith advised me. In her calm, dedicated manner, she explained the process of applying to the graduate program.

I worried that working part time to pay for school and being a parent of two young daughters would make graduate school an unbearable challenge. But it became a great joy. The harder I worked and the more passionate I became, the more the faculty helped make my dream come true.

I earned my Master of Arts with a focus on painting two years ago. Now, I have a commission portrait business, gallery representation, teach mixed media workshops at the Arkansas Arts Center, and write an art blog about museums and exhibits all over the world. None of this would be possible without the classes and professors at UALR.

Admittedly, I chose this school based solely on location. It is the university right down the road. Little did I know that it would soon exceed my expectations and become the school I would have hoped for anywhere. Convenience was just the beginning on a long list of qualities that surfaced during my time here.

People place value on all sorts of things: money, appearance, power. But for me, time is the ultimate gift. How we spend our time, day after day, week after week, and year after year, defines us. How we spend time carves our paths, and for some, leaves a mark for the history books, or perhaps the art history books.

If I could capture my UALR experience in a couple of sentences, I suppose I would say this: I knew every single minute spent at UALR was one of great value. My every second in classrooms here helped me grow. Not a moment was wasted. There really is no better compliment.

I had professors like David Clemons and David Bailin question my intent constantly, pushing me to learn and develop. Their questions were not rote. They were customized specifically for my work, my strengths, and my weaknesses.

Eric Mantle again and again used my personal quirks, such as my love of desserts, to come up with the perfect metaphors, so I would frequently have that “ah-ha” moment in the studio.

Mia Hall advised me many times in her office, and I wasn’t even one of her students! She suggested competitions, exhibitions, and books to help build my career. She did not have to do this.

When an organization employs talented, knowledgeable people who care, who engage, who truly make a positive impact on students, what more can you want? Well, I suppose there is something … a facility to match the level of excellence that has existed for years within the art program.

The new facility will provide crucial components to a strong arts program: such as spaces for studios, for storage and for meetings like critiques. Some of the most valuable critiques came from professors working in a variety of mediums and art departments. But I was not located near many of these professors.

My time with other students was limited — also due to a lack of workspace. Hauling artwork to the critique site was not simply strenuous, but also impractical and sometimes prohibitive. I see the new facility boosting student productivity, teacher effectiveness, overall participation, communication and interaction to skyrocket in one new home.

With areas of the world in turmoil and with a lack of education in many places, we can maintain a deep gratefulness for the opportunity to learn, and we can give thanks for this campus by celebrating every new opportunity that arises.

Thank you for allowing me to share my UALR experience with you.