Orlando Museum of Art

The International Academy of Design and Technology

Brightly colored walls, newly renovated classrooms, and student projects enlivened each floor of International Academy of Design and Technology (IADT). IADT joined the Ambassadors Program with the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) in 2008. The two organizations were eager to combine their creative efforts to enhance the visual arts in the Central Florida community.
IADT is a nationally accredited provider of post-secondary education specializing in degree programs in fashion design and merchandising game design and development, marketing and advertising, interior design, multi media design and computer graphics.

“We want to provide students with concepts that will lead them to career success and provide a quality education that is challenging and meaningful,” says, Ian Gill, President of IADT. Gill’s association with the IADT started a number of years ago. “I joined in a finance/operations capacity. I have been here for seven and a half years, and have been in this position (President) for over two years.”

Internship Coordinator for IADT, Jolie Spelman, has had a long-standing relationship with the OMA. “When I was about nine or ten my parents were going through a rough time financially, but one of my teachers realized that I had extraordinary talent as an artist,” Spelman says. “I was able to receive an entire summer of art lessons with the OMA. They were doing art education for adults at the time, as well as for children. I was in a classroom full of adults, and I was keeping up with them! At that point I realized that I was going to have to do something with my art talent.”

Spelman says that she stays in touch with the museum and is involved with several museum activities including the Associates, 1st Thursdays, and recently joined the Council of 101. This year she will be involved with the Festival of Trees as Co-Chair of the overall Design Committee and will be working with interior design students from IADT to help decorate the OMA’s Rotunda and decorating trees for the event.

“We have benefited as an institution because of Jolie’s commitment and involvement in a lot of the arts in Central Florida, whether it be with the Council of 101 or the City Arts Factory. She has brought a desire and energy to us and our students, which really meshes with our goal; to prepare students, and for the students to become aware of art and their creative minds,” Gill says. “You don’t have to be a fine artist, but if you are a creative mind you are of that [creative] group. Our students are getting more exposure and consequently more appreciation for the arts in general by our involvement with the community.” The growing relationship between IADT and the OMA has encouraged students of the IADT to become more involved with the OMA by helping with events and gaining valuable work experience. The OMA is looking forward to seeing the new event designs from IADT during the 23rd annual Festival of Trees. To learn more about IADT, please visit www.iadt.edu. For more information on the Ambassador Program with the OMA, please visit www.omart.org/ambassadors.
 

By: Elizabeth Rosenthal