News Release

Charlotte Collins named director of Northshore School of the Arts


Contact: Christina Chapple

6/19/08


Click on thumbnail for high resolution photo

Charlotte Collins

     HAMMOND Slidell native Charlotte Lowry Collins has been named the first full time director of Southeastern Louisiana University’s Northshore School of the Arts.

     Collins joined the Southeastern faculty on June 2 to head the unique professional evening program for juniors and seniors committed to the performing and visual arts. Through the program, students in St. Tammany, Livingston and Tangipahoa public schools may take Southeastern music, art, and theater classes – plus one-on-one instruction in music and voice faculty – for college credit.

     Since the program’s inception in 2006, more than 100 students have participated in the Northshore School of the Arts.

     “The Northshore School of the Arts is a wonderful example of how a university and public school systems can work together to enrich educational opportunities,” said President Randy Moffett. “This is a continuation of great success, and we are looking forward to seeing it excel under Ms. Collins' leadership.”

     Collins comes to Southeastern from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga., where she was core coordinator for Department of Visual Arts and General Education Council, and study abroad director. From 1989-91, she was assistant coordinator of the Talented Arts Program for St. Tammany Parish public schools. She was also active in the arts in Slidell, where she chaired the operating committee of the Commission on the Arts, was residency director of the city’s Community Artists in Residence Training and was a member of the Slidell Regional Arts Council board.

     She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Memphis College of Art and bachelor’s degrees in studio art from the University of New Orleans and art education from Louisiana State University. She has coordinated art camps for the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art and the City of Kennesaw, has been an instructor at the Memphis College of Art, and assistant curator at the Albers Gallery in Memphis, Tenn.

     “We're very excited to have Ms. Collins on board,” said Tammy Bourg, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. “Her experiences as a university faculty member and a high school teacher and assistant coordinator of the St. Tammany Parish Talented Arts Program coupled with her can-do approach will serve the Northshore School of the Arts and area students well.”

     Collins said initially she plans to survey needs and gather feedback from NSA participants and constituencies in order to formulate a five-year plan for the program.

     “We want to build on Southeastern’s relationships with area schools and continue to capitalize on our faculty and facilities,” she said.

     This fall, NSA will offer a new theater course at the university's St. Tammany Center, located in the parish government complex on Koop Drive, north of Mandeville. Also new this fall will be a music theory class at the Livingston Parish Literacy and Technology Center in Walker.

     Students will also be able to enroll in Basic Drawing at Southeastern’s main campus in Hammond, and Applied Music – one-on-one lessons with college faculty in piano, voice, strings, woodwinds, brass, or percussion -- at all three locations. 

     For additional information on the Northshore School of the Arts, contact Collins at 985-549-2568 or Charlotte.Collins@selu.edu. More information and registration forms are available at www.selu.edu/nsa.



More News...

 CONTACT USCAMPUS MAPSEARCH & DIRECTORIESBLACKBOARDLEONETWEBMAIL