GSSM names visual arts studio after program founder
The South Carolina Governor’s School for Arts & Humanities is no stranger to The Hub.
But the Governor’s School for Science + Mathematics is also arts-forward, and today we have a story to prove it.
During its 32nd graduation ceremony on May 22, SCGSSM announced that it will rename its visual arts studio the Patz Fowle Visual Arts Studio. Fowle (right) is a visual arts coordinator, art instructor, and professional artist and the founder of SCGSSM’s visual arts program.
Fowle began her service to GSSM in 1999 when she started teaching Art in the Interim. In 2013, she joined the Student Development Division as the Governor’s School’s Visual Arts Coordinator. She converted an empty former foreign languages lab to an “Open Art Studio,” accessible to all students and developed to support their artistic prowess and encourage their artistic promise. Because of Fowle’s commitment to wellness and student expression, the space she created continues to contribute to the overall well-being of the school community. She partners regularly with colleagues across disciplines to provide interdisciplinary opportunities. Through her passion and leadership, GSSM students are recognized throughout the state not only for their academic and athletic achievements, but also their art accolades.
During the 2018/2019 academic year, GSSM made the wise decision to make visual arts and music courses a part of the regular academic curriculum. Fowle has been teaching four art courses through the humanities department since 2019, while maintaining the non-academic art offerings, setting up exhibits featuring student artwork, and managing the studio. Her efforts have shown the public that the GSSM student is not one dimensional, but multi-talented and multi-faceted. This has broadened the public’s perspective of the school for prospective students and their families. Our art program’s accomplishments can also be celebrated in the promotion of the school to all constituencies.
“Announcing the naming of the Patz Fowle Visual Arts Studio is a great honor,” said Interim President Danny Dorsel. “Patz is dedicated to providing opportunities for students to explore and express their creative side. Her students make our hallways come alive with their artwork. We are very grateful that Patz is part of the GSSM community and the transformational journey our students experience.”
About GSSM
One of the few specialized public residential high schools of its kind, the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science + Mathematics (GSSM) exists to push motivated young learners beyond their perceived levels of academic ability. Founded in 1988 under the leadership of the late Governor Carroll Campbell, GSSM has consistently raised the bar for STEM education in the Palmetto State. GSSM’s two-year residential high school program—as well as its virtual high school program, summer camps, and outreach programs—all invite young people to explore the subjects they love in a diverse, inclusive, and uncommonly supportive academic environment. Here, challenge is viewed as a gateway to opportunity. GSSM students embrace the school’s rigorous approach to education and in so doing begin to realize their full potential. Learn more by visiting www.scgssm.org.