Diana Black teaches graphic design in the Department of Art & Design and is the chair of the department. She came to UWSP in 2002 after teaching several years at the Minnesota State University, in Mankato.

For the past four years she had been a Creative Director, along with John Smith and Stuart Morris, in UWSP's Design Center. Design Center is an in-house, student-staffed design firm, providing design for clients inside and outside the University. Since she became chair, she has moved into a consulting position for the Design Center while professor Jillian Noble serves as Creative Director.

As an artist and a designer Black is interested in the plastic role of visual communication in our culture. Much of her creative research is collage-based-digital prints, works on paper and for the screen that investigate material relationship and social constructs. She also gets great satisfaction writing and presenting at conferences, and collaborating in creative projects and academic development.

Q What are the most frequent words of advice and wisdom you find yourself giving to students these days?

A Be passionate about your work; if you're not, you may need to rethink what your true work is. Discover your strengths and weaknesses and work with them. Allow yourself to fail. Ask more questions. Draw more thumbnails. Look closely. Think. Listen.

Q How do you describe the sense of community across the UWSP campus, and could it be stronger?

A One of the best aspects of the community here is the tremendous generosity of spirit. Throughout the campus, yes, it could be stronger if there were more ways to meaningfully connect with people from the various areas and disciplines.

Q When you're not on campus, what are your top three favorite things to do?

A I would have to say that this changes, depending on the time of year, but overall: traveling, taking in great art/design, and socializing with friends and family.

Q Stevens Point was recently recognized by bizjournals.com as being one of America's best small towns. A top 'micropolitan' community. As a resident, what do you think about this?

A It's true! We live in an extraordinary place, with abundant natural beauty and strong, committed citizens. There is a wonderful sense of pride here-the support for the arts is strong, an abiding commitment to sustainability, we have become an eco-municipality, a resurgence in the downtown businesses-all have enhanced the community and quality of life here.

Q What would you like most to see Art & Design doing---new programs, new facilities, etc.---that it's not doing today?

A Mini-golf in the courtyard. It could be an installation piece and performance art!

Ok, I jest.
First of all, we are doing many things well. Our students are flourishing. We often say we teach our students to use their heads and their hands, a reflection of the twin threads of conceptual and technical aspects that are woven through our curriculum. Faculty, staff and students are actively engaged in refining what we do and how we do it. Our department has grown dramatically in the past decade and is poised to continue. Over this period we have expanded and greatly enhanced our facilities and hired new faculty in graphic design, sculpture, and art history.

We have discussed adding new emphasis areas. I would like to see us evolve our programs to maintain relevance in a rapidly changing world and initiate new forums for interdisciplinary work and critical thinking. As we introduce new contexts for learning we also need to secure support for new resources in teaching and development.

Through the College of Fine Arts & Communication and other channels we need to continue building outreach and partnership opportunities in our community, in Central Wisconsin, as well as nationally and internationally. Just a few of our recent initiatives include: a new phase in the Thailand program with Thai students here at UWSP; professor Cortney Chaffin is proposing a new Art History Study Abroad program in China; and professor Kristin Thielking has paved the way to build a hot-glass shop here.

Come over to the Noel Fine Arts Center and see what we are doing-we can change the way you see the world.