It has been only a few years since Amanda Owens ’10 graduated from Messiah College with a degree in art history and minor in studio art, but she already is finding an artist’s niche in Harrisburg.

“The great thing about a liberal arts degree is I learned to recognize interdisciplinary connections everywhere,” said Owens, “such as the connection between planning a store layout and planning a gallery layout. In recognizing those connections and being able to express them, I become a more valuable member of the workforce.”

With the goal to revitalize the Harrisburg community through art-based nonprofit organizations, she is involved in several projects. One of her roles involves working as a costume designer with Harrisburg’s Gamut Theatre, collaborating on several productions suchs as “The Jungle Book,” “Romeo and Juliet” and “Coriolanus.”

“I’ve always enjoyed working with textiles, but I find I have little patience for the finer details involved with clothing production,” said Owens. “The fun thing about costume design is that you make these really fantastical or beautiful pieces and totally let the small, finishing details fall by the wayside because the audience will never see it or even know.”

In addition to working with Gamut Theatre, she is a founding member of The MakeSpace, a studio and gallery that provides arts programming and resources for local artists. “We want to help artists get the resources they need to make things,” said Owens.

Most recently, she began working as an adjunct instructor for Messiah’s Department of Theatre and Dance. She designed costumes for “The Good Doctor,” which opened Nov. 14, 2013.

Using the skills she gained at Messiah, Owens helps the area art scene flourish by fulfilling several roles.

Story by Adela Antal ’16. Photography by Dani Fresh. This profile originally appeared in the fall 2013 issue of The Bridge.

Messiah College is taking “a worldwide sense of belonging” to the next level as spring ’14 marks the inaugural year for seven education majors to student teach abroad.

Supporting a calling
To make student teaching abroad possible, Messiah College partnered with the Christian College Teacher Education Coordinating Council (CCTECC), an organization that arranges placements in international schools. According to Messiah College Director of Teacher Education and CCTECC Campus Coordinator Jennifer Fisler, growing requests for student teaching abroad opportunities led to establishing this partnership.  More and more, post-graduate education majors are choosing to “go global” and this unique new program will open career opportunities for students who feel called to teach internationally. One such alumna, Danielle Hale ’12, is currently teaching at Bingham Academy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She says, “I am so excited that Messiah has created this opportunity for their education majors because it opens up so many doors to new places and challenges … teaching in an international setting introduces you to new cultures, changes your worldview and builds relationships with colleagues and students from all over the world.” (more…)

“True resiliency is not about surviving; it’s about thriving,” said Majora Carter during Messiah College’s annual Humanities Symposium Feb. 26-28. Carter, an urban revitalization strategist and keynote speaker for the symposium, spoke about the idea of resiliency and community development, and their positive implications on society. A South Bronx native, Carter has a passion for creating social cohesion and economic diversity in underdeveloped communities.  Her dreams have created amazing realities for many people in the South Bronx and beyond. (more…)