For Sadie Bowen, a double major in Art History and Studio Art at UNC Asheville, stepping in front of a museum audience to deliver a public talk about African American art was both a challenge and a turning point. Bowen, one of several UNC Asheville undergraduate students putting their art history degree to work through hands-on experience in public speaking, research, and community engagement, is preparing for a career in the arts with help from the Asheville Art Museum's Friday "Art Break" series. This initiative provides students the opportunity to deepen their skills in ways that mirror the professional demands of the field, and for many, to lay the groundwork for graduate study, including an art history master's program.The Art Break program is part of ARTH 386: Arts of the African Diaspora, taught every two years by Eva Hericks-Bares, Ph.D., a senior lecturer in Art & Art History and Humanities 214 Coordinator. The course centers on the museum’s African American art collection.