Bill Rodgers Paints a Bigger Picture For Students in Pre-College Art Program
By Rob Biertempfel
In an era shaped by data-driven decisions and rigid curricula, Bill Rodgers prefers the gray areas. As undergraduate curriculum coordinator for Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Art and director of its summer Pre-College Art program, he works where institutional structure meets the creative openness of young artists — many of them navigating their first studio course, critique or taste of independence.
Rodgers doesn't see himself as a traditional administrator. Instead, he uses a term that reflects his background as an artist and a nonprofit organizer: a facilitator of resources.
“I firmly believe in the role of education,” Rodgers said. “Whether or not a student goes on to be a professional artist is almost secondary. They’re learning how to perceive, how to work through problems and how to understand their own viewpoints. These are core skills for life.”
Before he arrived at CMU, Rodgers built an extensive resume in the Pittsburgh arts community. He spent five years as managing director at the nonprofit Artists Image Resource and later helped produce hundreds of performances as director of programming at the New Hazlett Theater.
For more than 13 years, Rodgers served as an adjunct faculty member. He taught photography, printmaking and graphic design at CMU, the now-defunct Art Institute of Pittsburgh and several other local universities.
In August 2024, Rodgers joined the College of Fine Arts, stepping into a newly created role designed to refine a curriculum that had been revamped several years earlier.
“I’m here to remove obstacles,” Rodgers said. “My job is to navigate the resources so the faculty and teaching assistants can do their best work.”
While his year-round work involves the undergraduate experience, his summers revolve around the Pre-College Art Program.
Carnegie Mellon offers 14 Pre-College Programs, including artificial intelligence, architecture, drama, leadership development, music, video game development and STEM-related disciplines. Now in its eighth year under Rodgers’ direction, the art program brings together high school students from around the world for an immersive introduction to the School of Art’s blend of theory and practice.
Students enroll for three- or six-week sessions and receive 18 hours of instruction per week in subjects ranging from animation and sculpture to concept studio. The compressed timeframe is a lesson in itself, teaching teenagers that creative work requires time management, communication and resilience.
The students arrive with varied motivations. Some are set on attending college but don't know if they want to study art. Some know they want to be artists but are unsure what that means. Others are looking into their options. The program is designed to meet all of them where they are.
“Carnegie Mellon is a resource-rich environment, and there are a lot of ways to leverage that,” Rodgers said. “We’re attracting students with a growth mindset, those who are interested in exploring and experimenting.”
One of the most delicate environments Rodgers oversees is the art critique. For high schoolers, standing in front of peers to have their work evaluated can feel less like a classroom and more like group therapy. Rodgers’ role of a critique facilitator is akin to a baseball catcher: someone who grasps the mechanics of the game, but also senses what’s happening in the pitcher’s head, knowing when to motivate and when to challenge.
“Critique is when things can get dicey," Rodgers said. “You have to set a tone where feedback is constructive, not just ‘I wish that painting was red.’ You have to prevent dog-piling because people can be mean.”
Rodgers’ goal is teaching students that progress in art is iterative. Not liking a finished piece isn't failure; it’s information. The aim is to help students to be less punitive with themselves and more curious about what their missteps can reveal.
At the end of each summer, Rodgers asks students what worked and what could be better. Their feedback shapes future iterations of the program.
For Rodgers, the program’s success isn't measured solely by enrollment numbers or data-driven metrics. He recalled the rare full-circle story of a student who attended the Pre-College Art program, went on to study at CMU and returned to the program as an instructor.
More often, though, the reward is simpler.
“It’s a thrill when a student looks at you and says, ‘This was the greatest time of my life,’” Rodgers said. "Maybe it’s the first time they’ve left home. Maybe it’s the first time they felt they could truly be themselves. They make connections and friends that will last forever. They leave here changed.”