This fall, students in Dr. Katelyn Hancock’s “Ethics in Criminal Justice” course at UTC are confronting complex ethical issues in policing, courts and corrections through the lens of art.
The project, titled “Pouring for Purpose,” invites students to create abstract paintings that explore ethical dilemmas and potential solutions within the justice system.
Their paintings will be showcased in a gallery event from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, in the University Center Chickamauga Room. The event is open to the public, and attendees can take home a student painting in exchange for a cash donation—with all proceeds benefiting the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hamilton County, a local nonprofit.
Sponsored by UTC’s Walker Center for Teaching and Learning, “Pouring for Purpose”—now in its third year—fosters an experiential approach to learning ethics in criminal justice while connecting students to community service, Hancock said.
“I really enjoy pour painting in general and to be able to link it to a core course in our program is always so rewarding,” said Hancock, an assistant professor of criminal justice. “In the past three years hosting this project and gallery, I have had so many students tell me they learned better this way or—at the very least—had such a fun class on this day.
“Many of my students often express that they feel good about using their paintings to help raise money for a service organization in our community as well.”
Hancock explained that the project began with students developing hypothetical ethical dilemmas they might face in a criminal justice career. Working in pairs, the students brainstormed multiple solutions for their dilemmas and applied various ethical systems that have been studied throughout the semester.
Once students identified responses to their dilemmas, she said, they assigned colors to represent each ethical system and resolution—such as green for egoism or blue for utilitarianism.
With the groundwork in place, painting day—which took place on Tuesday, Nov. 5—allowed students to collaborate on visual representations of their ethical scenarios. Using pour painting techniques, they blended colors according to their chosen responses, creating layered and expressive pieces of art.
Three UTC graduate students—Rachel Gilreath, Ellie Yates and Ashleigh Godley—assisted Hancock with the painting day logistics. She said all three “had such a good time” working on the project as undergraduates a year ago “that they came back to assist me with implementing it this year.”
“Words and moments from students like this are what make these projects successful and what keeps them growing,” she said. “I am continuously thankful for a supportive department, colleagues and students who are willing to think outside of the box to learn about issues within our criminal justice system.”
Hancock said the “Pouring for Purpose” gallery will contain around 30 student paintings available for a cash donation. Collected donations will be given directly to a Children’s Advocacy Center of Hamilton County representative at the event.
Photo by Angela Foster, courtesy UTC Communications