When Kacie Stofko told people she was going to SUNY Jamestown Community College to study art, she remembers some questioning her decision, suggesting it was merely a hobby and not a path to a real career.
A few years later, Stofko is proving them wrong.
She graduated from JCC last month and will begin pursuing a bachelor's degree in art education at Buffalo State University this fall.
"I would love to teach art," Stofko said. "I am interested in early childhood education, so it's a degree focused specifically on education and art. It's cool because I want to continue creating art, but I also want to become an educator. I don't want to stop making art."
Stofko's passion for art began in childhood and grew stronger during high school, leading her to enroll at JCC after graduating from Jamestown High School. While developing as an artist was her primary goal, she kept an open mind about other opportunities.
"You can really experiment with different majors," Stofko said of her experience at JCC. "Even though I took other courses, the arts are really strong here. You're encouraged to express yourself, which I like a lot."
During her time at JCC, Stofko entered her work in student exhibitions and showcases.
One piece she created during her final semester depicts an angry woman — who bears a striking resemblance to Stofko — being poked in the forehead by a needle held by a large hand.
"I was planning on doing more still lifes of food because it felt safe and comfortable," she said. "But I didn't feel the same type of passion. So, I started kind of experimenting with how I can vent my emotions into my art.”
"I'm kind of focusing right now on creating art surrounding my mental health," she added.
Participating in JCC's Student Showcase at the end of this spring semester pushed Stofko beyond her comfort zone in other ways as well.
“I've never really been one to be able to formally talk about my art, so it was something I kind of decided last minute, I should do this,” she said of taking part in an artist talk. “I need to push myself, and I'm so glad I did. I was just really glad to be able to talk about the art department. I had a formal script, but when I got there, it just kind of all flowed out. It was a great experience, and I think everybody should do it.”
Nathan Jeffery, an assistant professor of Art, was a favorite professor of Stofko’s at JCC. She took four classes with Jefferey and “learned so much, and I'm still learning, and I'm still getting so much feedback. All the criticism and encouragement.”
Stofko is also grateful for Madison LaVallee, associate professor of Art, and Brenna Turner, studio technician for the Art program.
She credits her fellow students with helping shape her experience, as well.
“I think one really important thing about being an art major is the community you build,” Stofko said. “I feel like we have such a good space. It's a small space that we have for all the classes, but I think that works really well because I've gotten so much inspiration from the other artists, so much feedback, and we all really love each other. It's really happy, and it's a great space to create art.”
Thanks to JCC, Stofko feels confident to take on the next chapter of her life.
“Being an art major, especially at JCC, is all about experimenting with different mediums and expressing your creativity,” she said. “I've found that I've been able to learn a lot of foundations here, and I've kind of turned that into, how can I express that through art in my own way.”