Skip Navigation

Arch. Professor Develops Art Workshop in Zambia

Boeck with Simanwe and workshop participants at Barefoot Theatre.

Arch. Professor Develops Art Workshop in Zambia


Date

July 15, 2022


Dave Boeck, an associate professor in the Division of Architecture, recently developed an art workshop in the Barefeet Theater in Lusaka, Zambia. Working with Chipika Simanwe, a Lusakan artist, and Betty Wilkinson, former CEO of Financial Sector Deepening Zambia, Boeck created a two-week workshop titled “ARTitude.”  

The workshop involved working with twenty local youth from the compounds around the Barefeet Theater. The workshop taught the youth several art techniques, including sketching, watercolors, acrylics, stitchery, and beadwork. The workshop took place over two weeks and ended with a weeklong exhibit and art sale of the student’s work. The students’ art was purchased by local Zambians as well as friends connected to the workshop online through social media.  

Workshop participants with their paintings.

Workshop participants after finishing their paintings, which are displayed on the wall.

Boeck has been traveling to Lusaka since 2014. He recently published a book of sketches related to service-learning trips he has taken with students to Lusaka, Zambia. The sketches reflect life on the streets of Lusaka, the capitol of Zambia. These sketches depict community members in Lusaka, especially the workforce of wheelbarrowers who transport products from one place to another. To read more about the book, click here.  

Workshop participants hearing from a prominent Zambian painter at a gallery featuring his work.

Participants hearing from a prominent Zambian painter who’s work is displayed at this gallery.


Recent Gibbs College News

December 23, 2025

OU Gibbs PhD Candidate Develops Certified Citizen Planner Program

Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.


December 09, 2025

Design-Build Team Places Third at International ASC Region 8 Competition in Dublin

Gibbs Construction Science and Architecture students recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 8 Student Competition. The team partnered with Czech Technical University and secured third place in the Design-Build category.


December 05, 2025

Gibbs College Presents “Vollendorf in Oklahoma” Exhibition in Spring 2026

Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2026 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.