The Business of Art & Design program at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) is gearing up for a full fall semester with new course offerings in Digital Art & Design (DA&D) and Product Design & Development (PD&D). New DA&D courses include Communication Design I, Computer Graphics I, Motion Graphics I, and Visual Arts Foundation. For the first time, all Business of Art & Design courses will be held in the SVHEC’s new 46,000 sq.ft Innovation Center.

Communication Design I studies the principles of visual communication as applied to advertising in newspapers, magazines, direct mail, etc. Computer Graphics instructs students in the creation of images and graphics for our increasingly screen-rich world; Motion Graphics introduces the fundamental concepts of video and typographic effects including film titles and animations. Visual Arts Foundation covers color theory and design concepts and principles. This introductory course provides a solid foundation for any student interested in art and design careers.

“Visual Arts Foundations, along with the Intro to Multimedia course offered this fall –surveying digital photography, video, and audio– help establish a baseline in visual literacy and digital communication that can take people far. Opportunities abound for those who can combine an artistic eye with technology skills,” said Ben Capozzi, Coordinator for the Business of Art & Design program.

Popular courses from previous years, Creative Thinking, Small Business Management, and Introduction to Multimedia will also be offered this fall. These courses are open to any student in any program, and provide an excellent introduction to the Business of Art & Design initiative at the SVHEC, a series of courses, certifications, and degree programs aimed at developing the region’s creative human capital for jobs in manufacturing, communication, and more. Creative Thinking offers a fun and different way to earn a humanities credit, and Small Business Management is a strong option for any general education or business management student. Taught by Dan Shaughnessy, Small Business Management introduces the requirements for starting a small business, and features real world case studies and numerous guest speakers from our community and beyond, sharing their experiences as successful entrepreneurs. 

Although the Business of Art & Design program has provided adult classes since 2009, this year marks the first time that upper level intermediate and advanced courses will be

Product Design & Development courses scheduled for the fall include Product Design & Development I, Computer Aided Drafting, Team Concepts & Problem Solving. Product Design & Development I introduces students to the concepts and tools in designing and developing new products using wood and other design materials. Team Concepts & Problem Solving covers the concepts and techniques used to assist project teams in improving quality and productivity. Computer Aided Drafting exposes students to 3-D drawing and modeling using TopSolid, an integrated CAD/CAM software. In addition to students, this course may be taken by those in business and industry with an interest in learning CAD.

The Business of Art & Design is offered in partnership with Danville Community College. Courses begin August 22nd. For more information on registering for courses or attending the open house call 434-572-5566 or email information@svhed.org .


offered for Digital Art & Design students. “Many people are unaware that, to date, we have not offered any courses beyond entry level within the Digital program. This semester, we are very pleased to be moving forward offering intermediate and advanced courses as we bring the new building online and develop the program further. This is very exciting and students are going to be very impressed with their courses and instructors,” Capozzi stated.